Shloka 43
Bhaṅgāśvanopākhyāna — On comparative affection in strī–puruṣa union (भङ्गाश्वनोपाख्यानम्)
पुत्रास्ते कतमे राजन् जीवन्त्वेतत् प्रचक्ष्व मे । स्त्रीभूतस्य हि ये जाता: पुरुषस्याथ येडभवन्
bhīṣma uvāca | putrās te katame rājan jīvantv etat pracakṣva me | strībhūtasya hi ye jātāḥ puruṣasyātha ye ’bhavan |
Bhīṣma said: “O King, tell me this: which of your sons should be restored to life—those born of you when you had become a woman, or those born of you when you were in a man’s state?”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
A boon tests dharma by demanding clarity and truth: one must name what one truly seeks and accept the ethical weight of one’s choices, especially when lineage and identity are complicated by extraordinary circumstances.
After being pleased (as the surrounding prose indicates), Indra is ready to grant a boon and asks the king to specify which sons should be brought back to life—those born when the king was in a female form or those born when the king was in a male form—forcing an explicit decision.