Shloka 513
Āśā-prabhava (आशाप्रभव) — On the Rise and Power of Hope/Expectation
Sumitra Itihāsa Begins
शरीरान्नि:सृतस्तस्य प्रह्मदस्य महात्मन: । महाराज! तदनन्तर महात्मा प्रह्नादके शरीरसे एक तीसरा पुरुष प्रकट हुआ, जो अपने तेजसे प्रज्वलित-सा हो रहा था
śarīrān niḥsṛtas tasya prahrādasya mahātmanaḥ | mahārāja! tad-anantaraṃ mahātmā prahrādake śarīra se eka tīsarā puruṣaḥ prakaṭa huā, yo apane tejasā prajvalita-sā ho rahā thā |
Der Brāhmane sprach: „Aus dem Leib des großherzigen Prahlāda trat (ein weiteres Wesen) hervor. O großer König! Unmittelbar danach offenbarte sich aus Prahlādas Körper eine dritte Gestalt, als stünde sie in Flammen ihres eigenen Glanzes.“
ब्राह्मण उवाच
Educational Q&A
The passage highlights the idea that inner spiritual potency (tejas) can manifest outwardly; greatness of soul (mahātman-hood) is associated with transformative, luminous power, reinforcing Shānti Parva’s ethical emphasis on inner discipline and virtue as the source of true authority.
In a framed dialogue, the brāhmaṇa narrator tells the king that from the great-souled Prahlāda’s body another figure emerged; immediately afterward a third radiant person appeared, described as if blazing with splendor—signaling a supernatural or symbolic manifestation within the story.