Shloka 42
बक-गौतमाख्यानम् / The Baka–Gautama Account
On Gratitude and Friendship Ethics
मुहुर्मुहुश्च भूतानि प्राव्यथन्त भयात् तथा । ततः स तुमुलं दृष्टवा तं च भूतमुपस्थितम्
muhurmuhuś ca bhūtāni prāvyathanta bhayāt tathā | tataḥ sa tumulaṃ dṛṣṭvā taṃ ca bhūtam upasthitam |
幾度となく、衆生は恐怖に打ち震えた。やがて彼は、その戦慄すべき騒擾と、眼前に立つその存在を見て、現れ出たものの重大さを悟った。
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how fear can spread and unsettle all beings when an ominous or extraordinary event manifests; it sets up a reflective context in which steadiness and discernment become necessary for right action (dharma) amid disturbance.
Bhīṣma describes a scene where repeated waves of fear shake the surrounding beings; a violent tumult is perceived, and a particular 'bhūta' (a being/spirit/creature) is seen as having appeared and standing nearby, intensifying the moment.