Shloka 66
सहस्रोदरबाहुश्च अव्यक्त इति च क्वचित् । इस प्रकार वे सनातन भगवान् श्रीहरि अपने स्वरूपमें नाना प्रकारके रंग धारण किये हुए थे। उनके हजारों नेत्र, सैकड़ों (हजारों) मस्तक, हजारों पैर, हजारों उदर और हजारों हाथ थे। वे अपूर्व कान्तिसे सम्पन्न थे और कहीं-कहीं उनकी आकृति अव्यक्त थी,एतांश्रान्यांश्व॒ रुचिरान् ब्रह्मणेडमिततेजसे । अहं दत्त्वा वरान् प्रीतो निवृत्तिपरमो5भवम् “नारद! अमित तेजस्वी ब्रह्माको ये तथा और भी बहुत-से सुन्दर वर देकर मैं प्रसन्नतापूर्वक निवृत्तिपरायण हो गया
sahasrodarabāhuś ca avyaktam iti ca kvacit | etān śrī-hariḥ sanātano bhagavān sva-rūpe nānā-rūpa-raṅgān dhārayām āsa | tasya sahasra-netrāṇi śata-sahasra-śirāṃsi sahasra-pādāḥ sahasrodarāḥ sahasra-bāhavaḥ | sa apūrva-kānti-sampannaḥ kvacit kvacid avyaktākṛtiḥ | etān anyāṃś ca rucirān varān brahmaṇe ’mitatejase ahaṃ dattvā prīto nivṛtti-paramo ’bhavam | “nārada! amitā-tejasaḥ brahmaṇaḥ tathā anyān api bahūn sundarān varān dattvā ahaṃ prīti-pūrvakaṃ nivṛtti-parāyaṇo ’bhavam”
Bhīṣma said: “In some places He is spoken of as ‘unmanifest’ (avyakta). Thus the eternal Lord Hari, while remaining Himself, assumed many hues and forms. He appeared with thousands of eyes, hundreds and thousands of heads, thousands of feet, thousands of bellies, and thousands of arms—endowed with an unprecedented radiance; and in certain aspects His form was beyond manifestation. Having granted these and many other beautiful boons to Brahmā of immeasurable splendor, I became pleased and turned wholly toward withdrawal and repose. ‘Nārada, after bestowing such excellent boons upon the mighty Brahmā and others as well, I withdrew, intent on cessation.’”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The passage emphasizes the Lord’s transcendence and immanence: He can appear in an overwhelming cosmic form with countless limbs and yet be ‘unmanifest’ beyond sensory grasp. Ethically, it points toward nivṛtti—inner withdrawal and renunciation—as a legitimate culmination of spiritual life after duties are fulfilled.
Bhishma describes a vision/description of the eternal Lord Hari assuming many forms and radiant aspects, including a vast multi-limbed cosmic manifestation. He then recounts that, after granting splendid boons to Brahmā (addressing Nārada in the quoted speech), he became satisfied and turned toward withdrawal (nivṛtti).