Shloka 66

Devanagari script

जगाम भिन्त्वा मूर्धानं दिवमभ्युत्पपात ह । भीष्मजीने अपने देहके सभी द्वारोंको बंद करके प्राणोंको सब ओरसे रोक लिया था; इसलिये वह उनका मस्तक (ब्रह्मरन्ध्र) फोड़कर आकाशमें चला गया

Transliteration

jagāma bhittvā mūrdhānaṃ divam abhyutpapāta ha |

Translation

Waiśampāyana berkata: Ia memecahkan puncak kepalanya (brahma-randhra), lalu melesat naik dan pergi ke surga. Sebab Bhīṣma telah menutup segala pintu tubuh dan mengekang napas-hayat dari segala arah; maka daya hidup itu keluar menembus brahma-randhra dan melayang ke angkasa.

Word by Word

• जगाम: went
• जगाम: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परस्मैपद) / परोक्षभूत (perfect), प्रथम, एकवचन

• भिन्त्वा: having split/pierced
• भिन्त्वा: Karma
• Type: Verb
• Root: भिद् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), कर्तरि

• मूर्धानम्: the head (crown of the head)
• मूर्धानम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: मूर्धन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• दिवम्: to heaven, the sky
• दिवम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिव्/द्यौ (प्रातिपदिक: दिव)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• अभि: towards, unto
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अभि (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)

• उत्पपात: leapt up, sprang
• उत्पपात: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: पत् (धातु) (उत्- उपसर्ग)
• Form: लङ् (अनद्यतनभूत, imperfect), प्रथम, एकवचन

• ह: indeed (emphatic particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ह (निपात/अव्यय)

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Bhīṣma
• diva (heaven)
• mūrdhan (crown of the head)
• brahmarandhra (implied)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights yogic mastery at the time of death: through restraint of the senses and control of prāṇa, a disciplined person can direct the life-force to depart through the brahmarandhra. Ethically, it presents Bhīṣma’s end as conscious, self-governed, and aligned with dharma rather than driven by fear or confusion.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana narrates Bhīṣma’s final departure: he ‘splits’ the crown of the head and rises to heaven—an idiom for the prāṇa leaving through the cranial aperture after he has closed the bodily ‘doors’ and restrained the breaths by yogic concentration.