Text 14] Prayers by Queen Kunti 387
heat. This brahmastra 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. Asvatthama
released the weapon just to finish all the male members of Pandu’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 Sri Krsna took up
at once His personal weapon to protect His devotees, who did not know
anyone other than Krsna. In the Bhagavad-gita 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-visayatmanam is significant. The Pandavas
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 Pandavas to counteract the brahmastra of
Asvatthama, He took up the weapon even at the risk of breaking His own
vow. Although the Battle of Kuruksetra was almost finished, still, accord-
ing 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
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HAVA: TATA ATA THR aes |
a
BATTS TTA FEAT PI
antahsthah sarva-bhutanam
atma yogesvaro harth
svamayaya "vrnod garbham
vairatyah kuru-tantave
antahsthah—being within; sarva—all; bhittanadm—of the living beings;
atma—soul; yoga-isvarah—the Lord of all mysticism; harth—the Supreme
Lord; svamayaya—by the personal energy; avrnot—covered; garbham—
embryo; vairatyah—of Uttara; kuru-tantave—for the progeny of Maharaja
Kuru.
