342
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam
[Canto 1, Ch. 7]
or son of a  brāhmaṇa , when fully qualified, can be called a  brāhmaṇa  and not otherwise. Since Aśvatthāmā's decision is immature, he is purposely called herein the son of a  brāhmaṇa .
TEXT 20
अथोपस्पृश्य सलिलं संदधे तत्समाहितः । अजानन्नपिसंहारं प्राणकृच्छ्र उपस्थिते ॥२०॥
athopasprśya salilam   sandadhe tat samāhitaḥ   ajānann api saṁhāram   prāṇa-kṛcchra upasthite
atha —thus;  upasprśya —touching in sanctity;  salilam —water;  sandadhe —chanted the hymns;  tat —that;  samāhitaḥ —being in concentration;  ajānan —without knowing;  api —although;  saṁhāram —withdrawal;  prāṇa-kṛcchra —life being put into danger;  upasthite —being placed in such a position.
TRANSLATION
Since his life was in danger, he touched water in sanctity and concentrated upon the chanting of the hymns for throwing nuclear weapons, although he did not know how to withdraw such weapons.
PURPORT
The subtle forms of material activities are finer than grosser methods of material manipulation. Such subtle forms of material activities are effected through purification of sound. The same method is adopted here by chanting hymns to act as nuclear weapons.
TEXT 21
ततः प्रादुष्कृतं तेजः प्रचण्डं सर्वतोदिशम् । प्राणापदमभिप्रेक्ष्य विष्णुं जिष्णुरुत्राच ह ॥२१॥
tataḥ prāduṣkṛtam tejaḥ   pracaṇḍam sarvatodiśam   prāṇā-padam abhiprekṣya   viṣṇum jiṣṇur uvāca ha