Shloka 20

Keśava-tattva-kathana

On the Principle of Keśava: Cosmogony and Divine Epithets

Devanagari script

तालुदेशमथोद्दाल्य ब्राह्मणस्य महात्मन: । ज्योतिर्ज्वाला सुमहती जगाम त्रिदिवं तदा,इसी समय महात्मा ब्राह्मणके तालुदेश (ब्रह्म-रन्ध्र) का भेदन करके एक ज्योतिर्मयी विशाल ज्वाला निकली और स्वर्गकी ओर चल दी

Transliteration

tāludeśam athoddālya brāhmaṇasya mahātmanaḥ | jyotirjvālā sumahatī jagāma tridivaṃ tadā ||

Translation

Kemudian, setelah menembus daerah langit-langit mulut (brahma-randhra) sang brāhmaṇa berhati agung, muncullah nyala cahaya yang amat besar dan cemerlang, lalu seketika bergerak menuju alam surgawi.

Word by Word

तालु-देशम्the palate-region (brahma-randhra area)

अथthen

उद्दाल्यhaving split/cleft open

ब्राह्मणस्यof the brahmin

महात्मनःof the great-souled

ज्योतिः-ज्वालाa flame of light; a luminous flame

सुमहतीvery great, huge

जगामwent

त्रि-दिवम्to heaven (the threefold heaven)

तदाat that time

Speaker

भीष्य उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhīṣma

brāhmaṇa (unnamed)

tāludeśa / brahma-randhra

jyotir-jvālā (radiant flame)

tridiva (heaven)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse presents an idealized yogic departure: through purity, austerity, and inner realization, the life-force (symbolized as a radiant flame) rises through the highest aperture (brahma-randhra) toward a higher state, suggesting a meritorious or liberated end aligned with dharma.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhīṣma describes the moment of a great brāhmaṇa’s passing: the brahma-randhra is said to be pierced, a huge luminous flame emerges, and it travels upward to tridiva (heaven), marking an auspicious transition from embodied life to a celestial destination.