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भङ्गास्वनोपाख्यान (bhaGgAsvanopAkhyAna)

 
Mahabharata
English
[Bhaṅgāsvanopākhyāna(ṃ)]
(“the episode relating to Bhaṅgāsvana”). § 728b (Ānuśāsanik.). Bhīshma said: In days of yore lived R.-ṛ. Bhaṅgāsvana, who, being childless, from desire of obtaining issue performed the Agnishṭuta, that is disliked by Indra, but is approved of by men desirous of offspring, in order to purge themselves of their sins (prāyaścitteshu, v. the note of PCR., p. 44). He had 100 sons. Indra began to look for an occasion against him. Once, on a hunting expedition, he was bewildered by Indra, and, afflicted with thirst, he plunged into a lake after having caused his horse to drink, and found himself changed into a woman. He took leave of his wives and children and retired to the woods, joined an ascetic and bore him 100 sons, whom he took to his former children, and made them all enjoy the kingdom as their joint property. Filled with rage, Indra, in the form of a brahman, repaired to Bhaṅgāsvana's capital, and, referring them to the example of the gods and the Asuras (the children of Kaśyapa), caused the half-brothers to slay each other. Then, in the form of a brahman, he came to the spot where Bhaṅgāsvana lived as an ascetic lady, afflicted with grief, and told him that he was Indra, and why he was angry, but was gratified and granted him a boon. He asked that those sons of his should revive that were born by him as a woman, because the affection entertained by a woman is much greater than that which is entertained by a man. Indra revived all his children, and told him to choose whichever sex he liked, that of woman or that of man. He chose to remain a woman, because in sexual intercourse the pleasure that women enjoy is always much greater than what is enjoyed by men. Indra proceeded to heaven (XIII, 12).