Shloka 38
Indratīrtha–Ādityatīrtha: Balarāma’s Ritual Bathing, Dāna, and Sacred-Historical Recollections
ब्राह्मं रूपं ततः कृत्वा महादेवो महायशा:
brāhmaṃ rūpaṃ tataḥ kṛtvā mahādevo mahāyaśāḥ
Vaiśampāyana berkata: Kemudian Mahādeva yang termasyhur mengambil rupa seperti seorang brāhmaṇa—menandakan peralihan daripada kuasa ketuhanan yang nyata kepada cara bertindak yang selaras dengan kewibawaan suci dan penahanan diri.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
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.