Shloka 51
Karṇa’s advance against the Pāṇḍava host; Arjuna’s clash with the Saṃśaptakas (कर्णस्य पाण्डवसेनाप्रवेशः—अर्जुनस्य संशप्तकसंप्रहारः)
एकं च भगवन्तं ते नानारूपमकल्पयन् । आत्मन: प्रतिरूपाणि रूपाण्यथ महात्मनि
ekaṃ ca bhagavantaṃ te nānārūpam akalpayan | ātmanaḥ pratirūpāṇi rūpāṇy atha mahātmani | tapa ugraṃ samāsthāya niyame parame sthitāḥ | parasparasya cāpaśyan sarve paramavismitāḥ |
Mereka membayangkan satu Tuhan Yang Terberkahi, Śiva, dalam banyak wujud sesuai dengan bayangan masing-masing. Dalam Mahātman Yang Tertinggi itu mereka melihat rupa-rupa yang merupakan pantulan diri mereka sendiri dan satu sama lain. Setelah saling memandang, semuanya pun diliputi keheranan yang amat besar—sebab mereka telah menempuh tapa yang keras dan teguh dalam disiplin tertinggi.
दुर्योधन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how the one divine reality can be conceived in many forms according to the devotee’s mental disposition, and how intense discipline (tapas and niyama) can lead to extraordinary experiences—yet those experiences may also mirror the perceiver’s own nature, prompting awe and self-recognition.
Duryodhana recounts an episode in which ascetics (in context, the asura figures being described) undertake fierce austerities and strict observances; they envision Śiva as one yet multiform, perceive reflective forms within the Supreme, and, seeing this marvel, look at one another in mutual astonishment.