Shloka 38
Devanagari script
ब्राह्मं रूपं ततः कृत्वा महादेवो महायशा:
Transliteration
brāhmaṃ rūpaṃ tataḥ kṛtvā mahādevo mahāyaśāḥ
Translation
Vaiśaṃpāyana said: Then the illustrious Mahādeva assumed a Brahman-like form—signaling a shift from overt divine power to a mode of action aligned with sacred authority and restraint.
Word by Word
ब्राह्मम्Brahmanic, pertaining to Brahmā
ब्राह्मम्:
Karma
TypeAdjective
Rootब्राह्म (प्रातिपदिक)
FormNeuter, Accusative, Singular
रूपम्form, appearance
रूपम्:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootरूप (प्रातिपदिक)
FormNeuter, Accusative, Singular
ततःthen, thereafter
ततः:
Adhikarana
TypeIndeclinable
Rootततः (अव्यय)
कृत्वाhaving made, having assumed
कृत्वा:
Karana
TypeVerb
Rootकृ (धातु)
Formक्त्वा (absolutive/gerund), Parasmaipada (usage-neutral)
महादेवःMahādeva (Śiva)
महादेवः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootमहादेव (प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
महायशाःof great fame, illustrious
महायशाः:
Karta
TypeAdjective
Rootमहायशस् (प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
Speaker
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Characters & Entities
V
VaiśaṃpāyanaM
Mahādeva (Śiva)B
brāhma-rūpa (Brahman-like form)Character Dynamics
Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)
War Context
Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)
Philosophical Teaching
Political Layer
Geographic Context
Cross References
Meter (Chandas)
Sandhi Notes
Educational Q&A
Power is not always expressed through force; the divine (and by extension the wise) may adopt a form associated with learning and dharma to guide events through legitimate, restrained, and ethically resonant means.
The narrator states that Mahādeva changes his appearance into a Brahman-like form, preparing to act or speak in a way that carries the authority of sacred tradition within the unfolding war-time narrative.