Shloka 32
बक-गौतमाख्यानम् / The Baka–Gautama Account
On Gratitude and Friendship Ethics
तदा हिमवत: शड्रे सुरम्ये पद्मतारके । शतयोजनविस्तारे मणिरत्नचयाचिते
tadā himavataḥ śṛṅge suramye padmatārake | śatayojanavistāre maṇiratnacayācite ||
Bhīṣma dit : «Alors, sur un beau sommet de l’Himavat, si haut que les étoiles du ciel semblaient des lotus épanouis posés sur lui, s’étendait une cime large de cent yojanas, incrustée et amoncelée de gemmes et de pierres précieuses. En ce lieu, Brahmā—accompagné des brahmarṣis—arriva, signe d’une intervention cosmique solennelle au milieu de l’orgueil et de la froideur des puissants.»
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames a moral contrast: worldly pride and refusal to engage respectfully are set against the higher, stabilizing presence of Brahmā and the brahmarṣis. The imagery suggests that dharma is upheld not by arrogance but by alignment with cosmic order and reverence for wise counsel.
Bhishma describes a majestic Himalayan summit—vast, star-lotus-like, and gem-studded—where Brahmā arrives together with the brahmarṣis. The scene prepares for a significant divine or sage-led intervention in the unfolding account.