यदाशरणमात्मानमैक्षत श्रान्तवाजिनम् । अस्त्रं ब्रह्मशिरो मेने आत्मत्राणं द्विजात्मज: ॥ १९ ॥
yadasaranam atmanam aiksata sranta-vajinam astram brahma-siro mene atma-tranam dvijatmajah
- yada
- when
- asaranam
- without being alternatively protected
- atmanam
- his own self
- aiksata
- saw
- sranta-vajinam
- the horses being tired
- astram
- weapon
- brahma-sirah
- the topmost or ultimate (nuclear)
- mene
- applied
- atma-tranam
- just to save himself
- dvija-atma-jah
- the son of a brahmana.
When the son of the brahmana (Asvatthama) saw that his horses were tired, he considered that there was no alternative for protection outside of his using the ultimate weapon, the brahmastra (nuclear weapon).