Shloka 38
बक-गौतमाख्यानम् / The Baka–Gautama Account
On Gratitude and Friendship Ethics
चन्द्रमा विमल॑ व्योम यथाभ्युदिततारकम् । विकीर्याग्निं तथा भूतमुत्थितं श्रूयते तदा
candramā vimalaṃ vyoma yathābhyuditatārakam | vikīryāgniṃ tathā bhūtam utthitaṃ śrūyate tadā ||
Bhishma berkata: “Seperti bulan terbit di langit yang bening setelah bintang-bintang muncul, demikianlah—dengan menghamburkan api korban ke segala penjuru—suatu makhluk roh yang mengerikan dikatakan bangkit di sana pada saat itu. Peristiwa ngeri ini, aku dengar, telah diceritakan oleh para resi.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores how ritual space and moral order (dharma) are portrayed as sensitive to disturbance: a sacrificial setting, meant for auspicious order, becomes the stage for a fearful manifestation. It also signals the Mahābhārata’s reliance on transmitted testimony—‘it is said/heard’—to frame extraordinary events within respected tradition.
Bhīṣma describes (as heard from sages) a terrifying incident: in a sacrificial arena, a dreadful spirit-being arises after scattering the sacred fire. The emergence is likened to the moon appearing in a clear sky once the stars are visible, emphasizing sudden, striking visibility.