Shloka 29
Bhaṅgāśvanopākhyāna — On comparative affection in strī–puruṣa union (भङ्गाश्वनोपाख्यानम्)
भ्रातृणां नास्ति सौक्षात्रं येष्वेकस्य पितु: सुताः । राज्यहेतोर्विवदिता: कश्यपस्य सुरासुरा:
bhrātṝṇāṃ nāsti saukṣātraṃ yeṣv ekasya pituḥ sutāḥ | rājyahetor vivaditāḥ kaśyapasya surāsurāḥ ||
Bhishma dit : «Même entre frères, fils d’un même père, on ne trouve pas souvent une véritable affection fraternelle. Les dieux et les asuras sont tous deux fils de Kashyapa, et pourtant, pour la souveraineté, ils demeurent en querelle incessante les uns contre les autres.»
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Bhishma warns that shared parentage does not guarantee harmony: attachment to power and sovereignty can override natural bonds, so one should restrain ambition and cultivate dharmic self-control to preserve relationships and social order.
In his instruction, Bhishma illustrates a moral point by citing a cosmic example: although devas and asuras share the same father, Kashyapa, they still fight over dominion—showing how the desire for rule breeds conflict even among kin.