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 |
ついに百祭主シャタクラトゥ、神々の王インドラは、婆羅門の姿に身をやつし、都へ赴いて王子たちの間に不和を蒔いた。この語りの枠においてビーシュマは、神威でさえ仮装と策謀を用いて結束を裂きうることを示す――ひとたび争いの種が持ち込まれれば、王家はほどけ、社会のダルマも揺らぐという、倫理的に重い警告である。
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.