# SB 1.8.12 > तर्ह्येवाथ मुनिश्रेष्ठ पाण्डवाः पञ्च सायकान् । > आत्मनोऽभिमुखान्दीप्तानालक्ष्यास्त्राण्युपाददुः ॥१२॥ ## Text > tarhy evātha muni-śreṣṭha > pāṇḍavāḥ pañca sāyakān > ātmano 'bhimukhān dīptān > ālakṣyāstrāṇy upādaduḥ ## Synonyms *tarhi*—then; *eva*—also; *atha*—therefore; *muni*-*śreṣṭha*—O chief amongst the *munis*; *pāṇḍavāḥ*—all the sons of Pāṇḍu; *pañca*—five; *sāyakān*—weapons; *ātmanaḥ*—own selves; *abhimukhān*—towards; *dīptān*—glaring; *ālakṣya*—seeing it; *astrāṇi*—weapons; *upādaduḥ*—took up. ## Translation **O foremost among the great thinkers [munis] [Śaunaka], seeing the glaring brahmāstra proceeding towards them, the Pāṇḍavas took up their five respective weapons.** ## Purport The *brahmāstras* are finer than the nuclear weapons. Aśvatthāmā discharged the *brahmāstra* simply to kill the Pāṇḍavas, namely the five brothers headed by Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira and their only grandson, who was lying within the womb of Uttarā. Therefore the *brahmāstra,* more effective and finer than the atomic weapons, was not as blind as the atomic bombs. When the atomic bombs are discharged they do not discriminate between the target and others. Mainly the atomic bombs do harm to the innocent because there is no control. The *brahmāstra* is not like that. It marks out the target and proceeds accordingly without harming the innocent.