Shloka 13
Āśā-prabhava (आशाप्रभव) — On the Rise and Power of Hope/Expectation
Sumitra Itihāsa Begins
दृष्टवा तां पाण्डवेयानामृद्धि वैश्रव्णी शुभाम् । अमित्राणां सुमहतीमनुशोचामि भारत
dṛṣṭvā tāṃ pāṇḍaveyānām ṛddhiṃ vaiśravaṇīṃ śubhām | amitrāṇāṃ sumahatīm anuśocāmi bhārata bhārata ||
Duryodhana sprach: „O Bhārata! Nachdem ich den glückverheißenden, Vaiśravaṇa (Kubera) gleichenden Reichtum der Söhne Pāṇḍus gesehen habe—so gewaltig, dass er selbst unter Feinden ohne Maß ist—versinke ich in unaufhörlicher Trauer. Denn wenn ich ihre strahlende, beinahe kuberische Pracht erblicke, verzehrt sich mein Geist in Neid und Klage, und ich finde keinen Frieden.“
दुर्योधन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse exposes envy (asūyā/īrṣyā) as a corrosive inner force: when one measures oneself against others’ prosperity, the mind falls into continual sorrow. Ethically, it warns that fixation on rivals’ success undermines discernment and fuels adharma-driven decisions.
Duryodhana reflects on the Pāṇḍavas’ magnificent prosperity—likened to Kubera’s—and confesses that the sight plunges him into relentless grief. This confession reveals his inner agitation and the emotional root of his hostility toward them.