Shloka 28
Bhaṅgāśvanopākhyāna — On comparative affection in strī–puruṣa union (भङ्गाश्वनोपाख्यानम्)
ततो ब्राह्मणरूपेण देवराज: शतक्रतुः । भेदयामास तान् गत्वा नगरं वै नृपात्मजान्,तब देवराज इन्द्रने ब्राह्मणका रूप धारण करके उस नगरमें जाकर उन राजकुमारोंमें फूट डाल दी
tato brāhmaṇarūpeṇa devarājaḥ śatakratuḥ | bhedayāmāsa tān gatvā nagaraṃ vai nṛpātmajān |
Then Śatakratu, the king of the gods (Indra), assuming the guise of a brāhmaṇa, went into the city and sowed dissension among those princes. In this narrative frame, Bhīṣma highlights how even a divine power may employ disguise and stratagem to fracture unity—an ethically charged reminder that discord, once introduced, can unravel royal households and destabilize dharma in society.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the peril of bheda (manufactured division): when unity among rulers is broken—whether by human or even divine stratagem—social and political dharma becomes vulnerable. It invites ethical reflection on means versus ends, and on the destructive power of fomenting discord.
Bhīṣma narrates that Indra, taking on the appearance of a brāhmaṇa, enters a city and deliberately creates a rift among the princes (sons of kings), thereby setting them against one another.