Shloka 53
Bhaṅgāśvanopākhyāna — On comparative affection in strī–puruṣa union (भङ्गाश्वनोपाख्यानम्)
रमिताभ्यधिकं स्त्रीत्वे सत्यं वै देवसत्तम । स्त्रीभावेन हि तुष्यामि गम्यतां त्रिदशाधिप
ramitābhyadhikaṃ strītve satyaṃ vai devasattama | strībhāvena hi tuṣyāmi gamyatāṃ tridaśādhipa ||
“Wahai yang terbaik di antara para dewa, sungguh benar: dalam keadaan sebagai wanita aku merasakan kenikmatan asmara yang lebih besar; karena itu aku puas dalam wujud perempuan. Wahai penguasa para dewa, silakan berangkat.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse foregrounds satya (truthful speech) and personal integrity: the speaker openly states their lived satisfaction with a particular embodied condition and refuses external pressure, implying that ethical clarity includes honest acknowledgment of one’s experience and contentment rather than mere conformity.
Bhishma, addressing Indra (lord of the gods), declares that in the state of womanhood they have felt greater pleasure and are therefore satisfied with that form; consequently, they ask Indra to depart, signaling a firm decision and closure of the divine encounter.