Shloka 47
बक-गौतमाख्यानम् / The Baka–Gautama Account
On Gratitude and Friendship Ethics
प्रगृह्मासिममेयात्मा रूपमन्यच्चकार ह । चतुर्बाहु: स्पृशन् मूर्थ्ना भूस्थितो5पि दिवाकरम्
pragṛhya asim ameyātmā rūpam anyac cakāra ha | caturbāhuḥ spṛśan mūrdhnā bhūsthito 'pi divākaram ||
Bhishma said: “Having taken up that sword, the immeasurable-souled Lord Rudra assumed yet another form. Four-armed, though standing upon the earth, he touched the Sun with the crown of his head.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the immeasurable nature of the divine: Rudra’s form transcends ordinary physical limits, prompting reverence and reminding the listener that ultimate authority and measure belong to the cosmic Lord, not to human standards.
After taking up a sword, Rudra assumes another wondrous four-armed form. Though positioned on the earth, he is so vast that his head touches the Sun, a sign of his overwhelming power and the sages’ ensuing praise.