Shloka 52
Vyāsa’s Vision, the Power of Bhāgavatam, and the Arrest of Aśvatthāmā
निशम्य भीमगदितं द्रौपद्याश्च चतुर्भुज: । आलोक्य वदनं सख्युरिदमाहहसन्निव ॥ ५२ ॥
niśamya bhīma-gaditaṁ draupadyāś ca catur-bhujaḥ ālokya vadanaṁ sakhyur idam āha hasann iva
Nachdem Caturbhuja — der Bhagavān — die Worte Bhīmas, Draupadīs und der anderen gehört hatte, blickte Er auf das Gesicht Seines lieben Freundes Arjuna und begann zu sprechen, als ob Er lächelte.
Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa had two arms, and why He is designated as four-armed is explained by Śrīdhara Svāmī. Both Bhīma and Draupadī held opposite views about killing Aśvatthāmā. Bhīma wanted him to be immediately killed, whereas Draupadī wanted to save him. We can imagine Bhīma ready to kill while Draupadī is obstructing him. And in order to prevent both of them, the Lord discovered another two arms. Originally, the primeval Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa displays only two arms, but in His Nārāyaṇa feature He exhibits four. In His Nārāyaṇa feature He resides with His devotees in the Vaikuṇṭha planets, while in His original Śrī Kṛṣṇa feature He resides in the Kṛṣṇaloka planet far, far above the Vaikuṇṭha planets in the spiritual sky. Therefore, if Śrī Kṛṣṇa is called catur-bhujaḥ, there is no contradiction. If need be He can display hundreds of arms, as He exhibited in His viśva-rūpa shown to Arjuna. Therefore, one who can display hundreds and thousands of arms can also manifest four whenever needed.
FAQs
The verse highlights Kṛṣṇa’s divine majesty—though He moves as the Pāṇḍavas’ friend, He is the Supreme Lord, sometimes revealed in a Viṣṇu-like, four-armed form.
Because the decision involved conflicting pulls—Bhīma’s demand for punishment and Draupadī’s plea—Kṛṣṇa first gauged His devotee Arjuna’s inner resolve and then guided him accordingly.
Before responding in tense moral situations, pause, listen to all sides, and seek guidance rooted in dharma—responding with clarity rather than impulse.