Shloka 18
Āśā-prabhava (आशाप्रभव) — On the Rise and Power of Hope/Expectation
Sumitra Itihāsa Begins
दुर्योधन उवाच कथं तत् प्राप्पते शीलं श्रोतुमिच्छामि भारत । येन शीलेन तै: प्राप्ता क्षिप्रमेव वसुन्धरा,दुर्योधनने पूछा--भारत! जिसके द्वारा उन राजाओंने शीघ्र ही भूमण्डलका राज्य प्राप्त कर लिया, वह शील कैसे प्राप्त होता है? यह मैं सुनना चाहता हूँ
duryodhana uvāca kathaṃ tat prāpyate śīlaṃ śrotum icchāmi bhārata | yena śīlena taiḥ prāptā kṣipram eva vasundharā ||
Duryodhana said: “O Bhārata, I wish to hear how that noble conduct (śīla) is attained—by which those kings quickly obtained sovereignty over the earth. By what kind of character and discipline does one win the world so swiftly?”
दुर्योधन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames śīla (stable moral character and disciplined conduct) as the decisive means to attain and sustain sovereignty. It implies that political success is not merely force or strategy, but rooted in ethical disposition and self-governance.
Duryodhana, addressing “Bhārata,” asks to be instructed on the kind of conduct by which certain kings rapidly gained dominion over the earth. The question sets up a discourse on the qualities and disciplines that lead to rulership and worldly success.