Shloka 52
Bhaṅgāśvanopākhyāna — On comparative affection in strī–puruṣa union (भङ्गाश्वनोपाख्यानम्)
स्त्रिया: पुरुषसंयोगे प्रीतिरभ्यधिका सदा । एतस्मात् कारणाच्छक्र स्त्रीत्वमेव वृणोम्पहम्
striyāḥ puruṣa-saṃyoge prītir abhyadhikā sadā | etasmāt kāraṇāc chakra strītvam eva vṛṇomi aham, devendra |
Bhishma nói: “Trong sự giao hòa với người nam, niềm khoái lạc của người nữ luôn lớn hơn. Vì lẽ ấy, hỡi Śakra—chúa tể chư thiên—ta chọn chính thân phận nữ nhi.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse asserts a comparative claim about sensual delight in sexual union—stating that a woman’s pleasure is greater—and uses that claim to justify a deliberate preference for womanhood. It frames bodily experience as a factor in personal choice, while remaining within a didactic dialogue addressed to Indra.
Bhīṣma addresses Indra (Śakra/Devendra) and states a reasoned preference: because women are said to experience greater pleasure in union with men, he declares that he would choose to be a woman. The line functions as a pointed remark within a moral-discursive context rather than battlefield narration.