Shloka 26

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

Devanagari script

सहिता भ्रातरस्ते5थ राज्यं बुभुजिरे तदा । तान्‌ दृष्टवा भ्रातृभावेन भुज्जानान्‌ राज्यमुत्तमम्‌

Transliteration

sahitā bhrātaras te ’tha rājyaṃ bubhujire tadā | tān dṛṣṭvā bhrātṛbhāvena bhuñjānān rājyam uttamam |

Translation

Bhishma said: “Then those brothers, united, began to enjoy and administer the kingdom together. Seeing them living in a spirit of brotherhood and jointly enjoying that excellent realm, Indra, the lord of the gods, became filled with anger and reflected: ‘I have only done a favor to this royal sage; I have done him no harm at all.’”

Word by Word

• सहिता: together/associated
• सहिता: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सहित
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• भ्रातरः: brothers
• भ्रातरः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: भ्रातृ
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• ते: they/those
• ते: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• अथ: then/thereupon
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ

• राज्यम्: kingdom
• राज्यम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: राज्य
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• बुभुजिरे: enjoyed/partook of
• Type: Verb
• Root: भुज्
• Form: Perfect (Liṭ), Third, Plural, Parasmaipada

• तदा: at that time
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा

• तान्: them
• तान्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश्
• Form: Absolutive (क्त्वा), Parasmaipada (usage)

• भ्रातृभावेन: with brotherly feeling
• भ्रातृभावेन: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: भ्रातृभाव
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• भुञ्जानान्: enjoying/partaking
• भुञ्जानान्: Karma
• Type: Verb
• Root: भुज्
• Form: Present active participle (शतृ), Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• राज्यम्: kingdom
• राज्यम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: राज्य
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• उत्तमम्: excellent/best
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उत्तम
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma
• brothers (unnamed)
• Indra (Devaraja)
• a Rajarshi (royal sage, implied in the prose continuation)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Shared rule grounded in bhrātṛbhāva (brotherly solidarity) is portrayed as a high ethical ideal in governance; the episode also warns that even apparent virtue can provoke envy or resentment, especially when power and prestige are involved.

What is happening in the narrative?

A group of brothers jointly enjoy/administrate an excellent kingdom in harmony. Observing this unity, Indra becomes angry and thinks he has only helped the royal sage and has not harmed him—setting up a conflict driven by Indra’s reaction to their flourishing.