Mahabharata — Anushasana Parva, Shloka 13
Bhaṅgāśvanopākhyāna — On comparative affection in strī–puruṣa union (भङ्गाश्वनोपाख्यानम्)
जात॑ महाबलानां मे तान् प्रवक्ष्यामि कि त्वहम् दारेषु चात्मकीयेषु पौरजानपदेषु च
jātā mahābalānāṁ me tān pravakṣyāmi ki tv aham | dāreṣu cātmakīyeṣu paurajānāpadeṣu ca ||
Sinabi ni Bhīṣma: “Nagluwal ako ng mga anak na lalaking makapangyarihan; paano ko sila babanggitin ngayon? Ngunit paano ako makababalik sa gitna ng mga babae sa sarili kong sambahayan, at sa gitna ng mga mamamayan ng lungsod at ng kanayunan?”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the ethical weight of public reputation and familial accountability: one’s actions are judged not only privately but also in the wider social sphere (household, town, and countryside), shaping a dharmic concern for how conduct affects community and kin.
Bhīṣma, while narrating, quotes a speaker (a mother figure in context) expressing hesitation and shame about returning to society after having borne powerful sons—wondering how she can face her own household women and the broader public (citizens and countryfolk).