Shloka 49
Āśā-prabhava (आशाप्रभव) — On the Rise and Power of Hope/Expectation
Sumitra Itihāsa Begins
इत्युक्त्वान्तहितं तद् वै शक्रं चान्वाविशत् प्रभो | तस्मिंस्तेजसि याते तु तादृग्रूपस्ततो5पर:
ity uktvāntahitaṃ tad vai śakraṃ cānvāviśat prabho | tasmiṃs tejasi yāte tu tādṛg-rūpas tato 'paraḥ ||
Having spoken thus, that being vanished from sight and entered into Śakra (Indra), O lord. And when that radiance had passed into him, another then appeared, assuming a form just like the former—suggesting a mysterious succession of presences and the subtle, transformative power of divine energy.
ब्राह्मण उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the subtlety of divine power (tejas): it can withdraw from perception, merge into a deity like Indra, and yet manifest again in another comparable form—implying that outward appearance is not a reliable measure of inner reality or spiritual agency.
After speaking, a certain presence disappears and enters into Śakra (Indra). Once that radiance has merged, another figure appears with a similar form, indicating a succession or replacement of manifestations connected with the same spiritual energy.