Shloka 10
जगदू वितिमिरं चापि प्रदीप्तमकरोत् तदा
jagad u vitimiraṃ cāpi pradīptam akarot tadā | pṛthvīnātha! devatābhir evaṃ ukte atriṇā andhakāraṃ dūra-karasya candramasaḥ rūpaṃ dhṛtaṃ, sa ca someva darśane priyaḥ babhūva | sa śānta-bhāvena devatāḥ praty apaśyat | tasmin kāle candrasūryayoḥ prabhāṃ mandāṃ dṛṣṭvā atriṇā svasya tapasā raṇabhūmau prakāśaḥ prasāritaḥ, sarvaṃ jagad andhakāra-śūnyaṃ ca ālokitaṃ ca kṛtam |
Bhishma berkata— “Wahai penguasa bumi! Ketika para dewa berkata demikian, resi Atri mengambil wujud Sang Candra, penghalau kegelapan, dan tampak menawan laksana Soma. Dengan batin yang tenteram ia memandang ke arah para dewa. Lalu, melihat sinar bulan dan matahari meredup, Atri—berkat daya tapa-bratanya—menyebarkan cahaya di medan perang dan menjadikan seluruh jagat bebas dari gelap serta penuh terang.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The passage highlights the ethical and spiritual idea that inner discipline (tapas) can restore order and clarity when natural supports fail. Atri’s calm, beneficent use of ascetic power models restraint and service: power is meant to remove darkness—literal and symbolic—rather than to dominate.
The gods appeal for help; Atri responds by taking on a moon-like form that dispels darkness. When the moon and sun appear dim, he amplifies illumination through his austerities, spreading light over the battlefield and making the world bright again.