Shloka 25
Bhaṅgāśvanopākhyāna — On comparative affection in strī–puruṣa union (भङ्गाश्वनोपाख्यानम्)
पुरुषत्वे सुता यूय॑ स्त्रीत्वे चेमे शतं सुता: । एकत्र भूज्यतां राज्यं भ्रातृभावेन पुत्रका:
puruṣatve sutā yūyaṁ strītve ceme śataṁ sutāḥ | ekatra bhujyatāṁ rājyaṁ bhrātṛbhāvena putrakāḥ ||
Bhishma said: “When I was in a male form, you were my sons; and when I came into a female form, these too are my hundred sons. Therefore, my children, let the kingdom be enjoyed together in one place, in the spirit of brotherhood.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches that rightful governance should be guided by dharma—especially concord among kin. By emphasizing shared parentage across differing forms, it urges the heirs to renounce exclusivist claims and rule cooperatively with a sense of brotherhood.
A parent figure addresses two sets of a hundred sons born in different embodied conditions (male and female forms) and instructs them to enjoy/hold the kingdom jointly, treating one another as brothers rather than competing factions.