Shloka 3
Ananta-Śeṣa Tapas and the Bearing of the Earth (अनन्त-शेष-तपस् तथा महीधारणम्)
तत्र चासीदमेयात्मा विद्युदग्निसमप्रभ: । भौमन: सुमहावीर्य: सोमस्य परिरक्षिता,वहाँ विद्युत् एवं अग्निके समान तेजस्वी और महापराक्रमी अमेयात्मा भौमन (विश्वकर्मा) अमृतकी रक्षा कर रहे थे
tatra cāsīd ameyātmā vidyudagnisamaprabhaḥ | bhaumanaḥ sumahāvīryaḥ somasya parirakṣitā ||
There stood Bhāumana—of immeasurable spirit, blazing like lightning and fire, and possessed of immense prowess—appointed as the guardian of Soma’s treasure (the amṛta). The passage underscores that extraordinary power is here bound to a duty of protection: strength is portrayed not as license, but as a charge to safeguard what is held sacred and life-giving.
शौनक उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames extraordinary might as a form of entrusted duty: Bhāumana’s brilliance and strength are directed toward protecting Soma’s sacred treasure (amṛta), suggesting that true valor is aligned with guardianship and the maintenance of divine order.
Śaunaka describes the scene where Bhāumana, radiant like lightning and fire and immensely powerful, is stationed as the protector of Soma’s guarded treasure—setting the stage for the challenges involved in approaching or obtaining it.