Shloka 45

Bhaṅgāśvanopākhyāna — On comparative affection in strī–puruṣa union (भङ्गाश्वनोपाख्यानम्)

Devanagari script

इन्द्रस्तु विस्मितो दृष्ट्वा स्त्रियं पप्रच्छ तां पुनः । पुरुषोत्पादिता ये ते कथं द्वेष्या: सुतास्तव,तब इन्द्रने विस्मित होकर उस स्त्रीसे पूछा--“तुमने पुरुषरूपसे जिन्हें उत्पन्न किया था, वे पुत्र तुम्हारे द्वेषके पात्र क्यों हो गये? तथा स्त्रीरूप होकर तुमने जिनको जन्म दिया है, उनपर तुम्हारा अधिक स्नेह क्यों है? मैं इसका कारण सुनना चाहता हूँ। तुम्हें मुझसे यह बताना चाहिये”

Transliteration

indras tu vismito dṛṣṭvā striyaṃ papraccha tāṃ punaḥ | puruṣotpāditā ye te kathaṃ dveṣyāḥ sutās tava |

Translation

اِندر حیران ہو کر اُس عورت سے پھر پوچھنے لگا—“جو بیٹے تم نے مرد کے روپ میں پیدا کیے تھے، وہ تمہارے لیے نفرت کے مستحق کیسے ہو گئے؟”

Word by Word

इन्द्रःIndra

तुbut/indeed

विस्मितःastonished

दृष्ट्वाhaving seen

स्त्रियम्a woman

पप्रच्छasked

ताम्her

पुनःagain

पुरुषोत्पादिताःproduced as males / produced in male-form

येwho/which

तेthose

कथम्how/why

द्वेष्याःto be hated; hateful

सुताःsons

तवyour

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhīṣma

Indra

the woman (unnamed)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse frames an ethical inquiry into partiality: why the same parent might feel aversion toward some offspring and greater affection toward others. It invites reflection on the causes of attachment (rāga) and aversion (dveṣa) and how such biases can conflict with dharma.

What is happening in the narrative?

Indra, surprised by what he has witnessed, questions a woman about her attitude toward her children—specifically, why the sons produced when she assumed a male form have become hateful to her. The question sets up an explanation of the underlying reason for her differing feelings.