Shloka 15
Āśā-prabhava (आशाप्रभव) — On the Rise and Power of Hope/Expectation
Sumitra Itihāsa Begins
शीलेन हि त्रयो लोका: शक्या जेतुं न संशय: । न हि किंचिदसाध्यं वै लोके शीलवतां भवेत्
śīlena hi trayo lokāḥ śakyā jetuṁ na saṁśayaḥ | na hi kiṁcid asādhyam vai loke śīlavatāṁ bhavet ||
Durch gute Lebensführung (śīla) lassen sich wahrlich die drei Welten bezwingen—daran besteht kein Zweifel. Denn für Menschen von solcher Gesinnung bleibt in der Welt nichts unerreichbar.
घतयादट्र उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches that śīla—steady moral character and disciplined conduct—is a supreme power: it enables one to ‘conquer’ the three worlds, meaning to attain comprehensive success and mastery, and it leaves nothing truly unattainable for the virtuous.
Within the Śānti Parva’s instruction on dharma and right living, the speaker emphasizes to the listener that ethical excellence is not secondary to power or strategy; rather, it is presented as the decisive means to lasting victory and accomplishment.