Shloka 231
Bhaṅgāśvanopākhyāna — On comparative affection in strī–puruṣa union (भङ्गाश्वनोपाख्यानम्)
तत्रावगाढ: स्त्रीभूतो दैवेनाहं कृत: पुरा । नामगोत्राणि चाभाष्य दाराणां मन्त्रिणां तथा
tatrāvagāḍhaḥ strībhūto daivenāhaṃ kṛtaḥ purā | nāmagotrāṇi cābhāṣya dārāṇāṃ mantriṇāṃ tathā
“There, I was plunged into that situation; by fate I was made to assume the form of a woman long ago. And I spoke out the names and lineages—those of the wives, and likewise of the counsellors.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores how personal identity and social roles can be altered by fate, yet one remains accountable for truthful speech and proper acknowledgment of social relations (names, lineages, and household/courtly associations). It hints at the ethical weight carried by words spoken within family and political contexts.
Bhishma recounts a past episode in which, due to divine/fated circumstances, he assumed a female form and, in that situation, spoke aloud identifying details—names and lineages—connected with wives and counsellors, indicating a disclosure or formal naming within a household or courtly setting.