Shloka 10
जगदू वितिमिरं चापि प्रदीप्तमकरोत् तदा
jagad u vitimiraṃ cāpi pradīptam akarot tadā | pṛthvīnātha! devatābhir evaṃ ukte atriṇā andhakāraṃ dūra-karasya candramasaḥ rūpaṃ dhṛtaṃ, sa ca someva darśane priyaḥ babhūva | sa śānta-bhāvena devatāḥ praty apaśyat | tasmin kāle candrasūryayoḥ prabhāṃ mandāṃ dṛṣṭvā atriṇā svasya tapasā raṇabhūmau prakāśaḥ prasāritaḥ, sarvaṃ jagad andhakāra-śūnyaṃ ca ālokitaṃ ca kṛtam |
Bhishma berkata: “Wahai tuan bumi! Tatkala para dewa berkata demikian, Atri mengambil rupa bulan—yang menghalau kegelapan—dan menjadi seindah serta menyenangkan dipandang seperti Soma. Dengan jiwa yang tenang, baginda memandang ke arah para dewa. Kemudian, melihat sinar bulan dan matahari menjadi pudar, Atri, dengan kekuatan tapa-bratanya, menyebarkan cahaya di medan perang dan menjadikan seluruh dunia bebas daripada gelap serta dipenuhi penerangan.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The passage highlights the ethical and spiritual idea that inner discipline (tapas) can restore order and clarity when natural supports fail. Atri’s calm, beneficent use of ascetic power models restraint and service: power is meant to remove darkness—literal and symbolic—rather than to dominate.
The gods appeal for help; Atri responds by taking on a moon-like form that dispels darkness. When the moon and sun appear dim, he amplifies illumination through his austerities, spreading light over the battlefield and making the world bright again.