Shloka 24

Bhaṅgāśvanopākhyāna — On comparative affection in strī–puruṣa union (भङ्गाश्वनोपाख्यानम्)

Devanagari script

तापसेनास्य पुत्राणामाश्रमेष्वभवच्छतम्‌ । अथ सा<55दाय तानू्‌ सर्वान्‌ पूर्वपुत्रानभाषत

Transliteration

tāpasenāsya putrāṇām āśrameṣv abhavac chatam | atha sā ādāya tān sarvān pūrvaputrān abhāṣata |

Translation

Bhishma said: In the hermitage of that ascetic, a hundred sons were born to her. Then the queen gathered all those sons and addressed her earlier-born sons, saying: “Sons! When I was in the form of a man, you were my hundred sons; and now that I have come in the form of a woman, these are my hundred sons. All of you, united together, should enjoy and administer this kingdom in a spirit of brotherhood.”

Word by Word

• तापसेन: by/through the ascetic
• तापसेन: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: तापस
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• अस्य: of him
• अस्य: Sambandha
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: इदम्
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Genitive, Singular

• पुत्राणाम्: of (his) sons
• पुत्राणाम्: Sambandha
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुत्र
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural

• आश्रमेषु: in the hermitages
• आश्रमेषु: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: आश्रम
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Plural

• अभवत्: there was/occurred
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू
• Form: Imperfect (Lan), 3rd, Singular

• शतम्: a hundred
• शतम्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: शत
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• अथ: then
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ

• सा: she
• सा: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• आदाय: having taken
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-दा
• Form: Absolutive (Gerund/Lyap)

• तान्: those (sons)
• तान्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• सर्वान्: all
• सर्वान्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• पूर्व: former/earlier
• पूर्व: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पूर्व
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• पुत्रान्: sons
• पुत्रान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुत्र
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• अभाषत: spoke (to)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भाष्
• Form: Imperfect (Lan), 3rd, Singular

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma
• the queen (unnamed in this verse)
• the ascetic (tāpasa)
• the hundred sons (earlier-born and later-born)
• āśrama (hermitage)
• kingdom (rājya, implied in the quoted speech)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse promotes dharmic governance through unity: even when lineage is complex, rightful rule should be maintained by mutual recognition and fraternal cooperation rather than rivalry.

What is happening in the narrative?

A queen, after bearing a hundred sons in an ascetic’s hermitage, gathers them and speaks to her earlier-born sons, urging both sets of sons to live as brothers and jointly enjoy/administrate the kingdom.