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 ||
Bhīṣma nói: “Ta đã sinh ra những người con trai dũng mãnh; nay ta sẽ nói về họ thế nào? Nhưng làm sao ta có thể trở về giữa nữ quyến trong nhà mình, và giữa dân trong thành cùng dân nơi thôn dã?”
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).