Shloka 18
The Origin of the Lauhitya River
and the King of Tīrthas
यमाश्रित्य नरो याति ब्रह्मलोकमनामयम् । द्विज उवाच । कथं च ब्रह्मणो मोहो ह्यमोघा का वरांगना
yamāśritya naro yāti brahmalokamanāmayam | dvija uvāca | kathaṃ ca brahmaṇo moho hyamoghā kā varāṃganā
యముని ఆశ్రయించి మనిషి నిరామయమైన బ్రహ్మలోకాన్ని పొందుతాడు. ద్విజుడు అన్నాడు—“బ్రహ్మునికి మోహం ఎలా కలిగింది? ఆ అమోఘా శ్రేష్ఠ స్త్రీ ఎవరు?”
Dvija (a brāhmaṇa narrator/questioner) — dialogue marker “dvija uvāca”
Concept: Higher lokas (like Brahmaloka) are attainable through prescribed supports, yet delusion can still arise—hence the need to understand causes and adopt purifying means.
Application: Ask precise questions about the roots of one’s confusion; seek trustworthy narration (śāstra-kathā) to replace speculation with understanding.
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Type: celestial_realm
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A learned dvija, seated on kusa grass, raises his hands in respectful inquiry, his eyes fixed on the storyteller. Behind him, a faint vision of Brahmaloka appears—radiant, stainless, and serene—while the question hangs: how could moha touch Brahmā, and who is the ‘Amoghā’ woman?","primary_figures":["Dvija questioner","storyteller/narrator figure (sage or divine speaker implied)","visionary Brahmaloka (symbolic)"],"setting":"Hermitage assembly with palm-leaf manuscripts, sacrificial fire, and a subtle celestial vista in the background.","lighting_mood":"temple lamp-lit","color_palette":["ochre","smoky amber","ivory","lapis blue","copper"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: dvija in white with sacred thread, hands in añjali; narrator on a raised seat; a gold-leaf aura depicting Brahmaloka in the upper panel; rich maroon-green borders, ornate lamps, gem-like highlights.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: intimate hermitage scene with delicate firelight, refined facial expressions of curiosity; a translucent celestial realm painted like a cloud-vision; cool blues with warm lamp glow.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold outlines, dvija and teacher in frontal composition, stylized yajña-kuṇḍa flames; Brahmaloka as a circular mandala-like vignette above; red/yellow/green pigments with strong contrast.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: central Q&A vignette framed by lotus borders; hanging lamps and floral garlands; deep indigo background with gold script-like ornamentation; devotional symmetry emphasizing śravaṇa (hearing)."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"narrative","suggested_raga":"Bhupali","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["crackling sacrificial fire","soft bell punctuations","page-turn of palm leaves","night insects"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: यमाश्रित्य = यम् + आश्रित्य (म् + आ → मा). ह्यमोघा = हि + अमोघा (इ + अ → य).
FAQs
It states that by taking refuge in (or aligning with) Yama—understood as the cosmic regulator of death and dharma—one attains Brahmaloka, described as a realm free from affliction.
The speaker is identified by the phrase “dvija uvāca” (“the brāhmaṇa said”), indicating a question-and-answer narrative structure typical of Purāṇic instruction.
The verse links posthumous destiny with dharma (personified by Yama) and raises a theological inquiry about how even Brahmā can be subject to moha (delusion), setting up a teaching on cosmic order and the limits of embodied or role-based knowledge.