Shloka 5
Udyoga-parva Adhyāya 130: Kuntī’s Instruction on Rājadharma and Daṇḍanīti
अड्गुष्ठमात्रास्त्रिदशा मुमुचु: पावकार्चिष: । तस्य ब्रह्मा ललाटस्थो रुद्रो वक्षसि चाभवत्
aṅguṣṭhamātrās tridaśā mumucuḥ pāvakārciṣaḥ | tasya brahmā lalāṭastho rudro vakṣasi cābhavat |
Vaiśaṃpāyana said: As Keśava—destroyer of hostile heroes—uttered a loud, terrifying laugh, divine beings no larger than a thumb, radiant like lightning, began to release tongues of fire. In that wondrous form, Brahmā was present upon his forehead, and Rudra dwelt upon his chest—signs that the Lord embodies and commands the cosmic powers that uphold and dissolve the world.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse emphasizes Kṛṣṇa’s cosmic supremacy: creator (Brahmā) and destroyer (Rudra) are shown as present within him, implying that worldly power and even divine functions operate under the Lord’s higher sovereignty—an ethical reminder that war’s outcomes unfold within a larger moral-cosmic order (dharma), not merely human ambition.
After Kṛṣṇa’s forceful declaration (contextually, confronting opponents and the coming conflict), he gives a thunderous laugh. At that moment, tiny devas, brilliant like lightning, emit flames, and Brahmā and Rudra are seen positioned on his forehead and chest—an awe-inspiring manifestation that signals impending devastation for adversaries and reveals his divine, all-encompassing form.