Shloka 47
Bhaṅgāśvanopākhyāna — On comparative affection in strī–puruṣa union (भङ्गाश्वनोपाख्यानम्)
रूयुवाच स्त्रियास्त्वभ्यधिक: स्नेहो न तथा पुरुषस्य वै | तस्मात् ते शक्र जीवन्तु ये जाता: स्त्रीकृतस्य वै,स्त्रीने कहा--इन्द्र! स्त्रीका अपने पुत्रोंपर अधिक स्नेह होता है, वैसा स्नेह पुरुषका नहीं होता है। अतः इन्द्र! स्त्रीरूपमें आनेपर मुझसे जिनका जन्म हुआ है, वे ही जीवित हो जायूँ
bhīṣma uvāca | striyās tv abhyadhikaḥ sneho na tathā puruṣasya vai | tasmāt te śakra jīvantu ye jātāḥ strīkṛtasya vai ||
സ്ത്രീ പറഞ്ഞു— “ഹേ ശക്രാ! സ്ത്രീയുടെ സ്നേഹം തീർച്ചയായും കൂടുതലാണ്; പുരുഷന്റെത് അങ്ങനെ അല്ല. അതിനാൽ, ഹേ ഇന്ദ്രാ, ഞാൻ സ്ത്രീരൂപത്തിൽ ഉണ്ടായപ്പോൾ ജനിച്ചവരേ ജീവിക്കട്ടെ.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the ethical insight that maternal (or feminine-coded) affection is portrayed as especially intense and self-giving, and it uses that premise to justify a compassionate request: that those connected through such a birth relationship should be granted life.
Bhishma reports a statement addressed to Indra (Śakra): invoking the idea that a woman’s love for her children is greater than a man’s, the speaker asks Indra to restore to life those who were born when the speaker had taken on a female form.