Text 14]
Prayers by Queen Kuntī
387
heat. This  brahmāstra  is the product of a more subtle science, being the product of a finer sound or  mantra  recorded in the  Vedas . Another advantage of this weapon is that it is not blind like the nuclear weapon because it can be directed only to the target and nothing else. Aśvatthāmā released the weapon just to finish all the male members of Pāṇḍu's family; therefore in one sense it was more dangerous than the atomic bombs because it could penetrate even the most protected place and would never miss the target. Knowing all this, Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa took up at once His personal weapon to protect His devotees, who did not know anyone other than Kṛṣṇa. In the  Bhagavad-gītā  the Lord has clearly promised that His devotees are never to be vanquished. And He behaves according to the quality or degree of the devotional service by the devotees. Here the word  ananya-viṣayātmanām  is significant. The Pāṇḍavas were cent percent dependent on the protection of the Lord, although they were all great warriors themselves. But the Lord neglects even the greatest warrior and also vanquishes them in no time. When the Lord saw that there was no time for the Pāṇḍavas to counteract the  brahmāstra  of Aśvatthāmā, He took up the weapon even at the risk of breaking His own vow. Although the Battle of Kurukṣetra was almost finished, still, according to His vow, He should not have taken up His own weapon. But the emergency was more important than the vow. He is better known as the  bhakta-vatsala , or the lover of His devotee, and thus He preferred to continue as  bhakta-vatsala  than to be a worldly moralist who never breaks his solemn vow.
TEXT 14
अन्तःस्यः सर्वभूतानामात्मा योगेश्वरो हरिः । स्वमाययाऽऽबृणोद्रभं वैराग्र्याः कुरुतन्तवे ॥१४॥
antaḥsthaḥ sarva-bhūtānām ātmā yogeśvaro hariḥ svamāyayā”vṛṇod garbhaṁ vairāṭyāḥ kuru-tantave
antaḥsthaḥ—being within; sarva—all; bhūtānām—of the living beings; ātmā—soul; yoga-īśvaraḥ—the Lord of all mysticism; hariḥ—the Supreme Lord; svamāyayā—by the personal energy; āvṛṇot—covered; garbham—embryo; vairāṭyāḥ—of Uttarā; kuru-tantave—for the progeny of Mahārāja Kuru.