Shloka 49

बक-गौतमाख्यानम् / The Baka–Gautama Account

On Gratitude and Friendship Ethics

Devanagari script

बिश्रत्कृष्णाजिनं वासो हेमप्रवरतारकम्‌ | नेत्र चैक ललाटेन भास्करप्रतिमं वहन्‌

Transliteration

bibhrat kṛṣṇājinaṃ vāso hemapravaratārakam | netraṃ caikaṃ lalāṭena bhāskarapratimaṃ vahan |

Translation

Bhīṣma dit : «Il portait un vêtement de peau d’antilope noire, orné d’excellents joyaux d’or semblables à des étoiles ; et il avait sur le front un œil unique, éclatant comme le soleil.»

Word by Word

• बिभ्रत्: bearing, wearing
• बिभ्रत्: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: भृ (धातु)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमान कृदन्त (present active participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• कृष्णाजिनम्: black antelope-skin
• कृष्णाजिनम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृष्णाजिन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• वासः: garment, clothing
• वासः: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: वासस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• हेमप्रवरतारकम्: having excellent golden stars/ornaments
• हेमप्रवरतारकम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हेमप्रवरतारक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• नेत्रम्: eye
• नेत्रम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: नेत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)

• एकललाटेन: with a single forehead (i.e., one frontal eye/mark)
• एकललाटेन: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: एकललाट (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन

• भास्करप्रतिमम्: sun-like, resembling the sun
• भास्करप्रतिमम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भास्करप्रतिम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• वहन्: carrying, bearing
• वहन्: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: वह् (धातु)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमान कृदन्त (present active participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma
• kṛṣṇājina (black antelope-skin garment)
• hema-tāraka (golden star-like ornaments)
• bhāskara (the sun)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the ethical prestige of tapas and restraint through ascetic insignia (kṛṣṇājina) and extraordinary radiance (sun-like eye), suggesting that inner discipline and spiritual power are recognized through symbolic marks rather than worldly status.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhīṣma is describing a remarkable figure’s appearance: he is clad in black antelope-skin, ornamented with fine golden star-like decorations, and possesses a single, sun-bright eye on the forehead—an emblem of exceptional, possibly ascetic or divine, potency.