Shloka 58
Āśā-prabhava (आशाप्रभव) — On the Rise and Power of Hope/Expectation
Sumitra Itihāsa Begins
।। ततो भयं प्रादुरासीत् प्रहादस्य महात्मन:
tato bhayaṃ prādurāsīt prahrādasya mahātmanaḥ | tataḥ mahātmā prahrādako baḍā bhaya huā | punar apṛcchat—“kamalālaye! tvaṃ kutra yāsi? tvaṃ hi satyavratā devī samasta-jagataḥ parameśvarī | sa śreṣṭho brāhmaṇaḥ kaḥ? etad ahaṃ yathāvat jñātum icchāmi”
عندئذٍ اعترى الخوفُ العظيمُ برهلادا النبيل. وقد غلبه ذلك الفزع، عاد يسألها: «يا ساكنةَ اللوتس، إلى أين تمضين؟ أنتِ الإلهةُ الملتزمةُ بالصدق، والسيدةُ العليا للعالم بأسره. من كان ذلك البراهمنُ الفاضل؟ أريد أن أعرف الأمر على وجه الدقة».
ब्राह्मण उवाच
Educational Q&A
The passage highlights dharmic inquiry: when confronted with fear or uncertainty, one should seek precise knowledge from a trustworthy, truth-aligned authority. It also underscores the ethical ideal of satya (truth) as a defining divine attribute.
Prahlāda becomes afraid and urgently questions the lotus-dwelling goddess (Śrī/Lakṣmī), asking where she is going and requesting the true identity of an excellent brāhmaṇa, indicating a turning point that requires clarity and discernment.