Shloka 523
बक-गौतमाख्यानम् / The Baka–Gautama Account
On Gratitude and Friendship Ethics
बभौ प्रतिभयं रूप॑ तदा रुद्रस्य भारत । भरतनन्दन! उस समय जोर-जोरसे गर्जते और महान् अट्टहास करते हुए रुद्रदेवका स्वरूप बड़ा भयंकर प्रतीत होता था
babhau pratibhayaṁ rūpaṁ tadā rudrasya bhārata | bharatanandana! us samaya jora-jora se garjate aura mahān aṭṭahāsa karate hue rudradeva kā svarūpa baṛā bhayaṅkara pratīta hotā thā |
Bhishma berkata: “Wahai Bharata, pada saat itu wujud Rudra tampak mengerikan. Ia mengaum keras dan meledak dalam tawa dahsyat yang menggelegar; sungguh ia terlihat amat menakutkan.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the overwhelming majesty of the divine in its fierce aspect: encountering Rudra’s power evokes awe and fear, reminding the listener that cosmic authority can appear terrifying when it manifests to subdue disorder.
Bhishma describes a moment when Rudra appears in a dreadful form—roaring loudly and laughing mightily—so that his very presence seems fearsome to behold.