Shloka 58
Āśā-prabhava (आशाप्रभव) — On the Rise and Power of Hope/Expectation
Sumitra Itihāsa Begins
।। ततो भयं प्रादुरासीत् प्रहादस्य महात्मन:,तब महात्मा प्रह्नादको बड़ा भय हुआ। उन्होंने पुन: पूछा--“कमलालये! तुम कहाँ जा रही हो, तुम तो सत्यव्रता देवी और सम्पूर्ण जगत्की परमेश्वरी हो। वह श्रेष्ठ ब्राह्मण कौन था? यह मैं ठीक-ठीक जानना चाहता हूँ
tato bhayaṃ prādurāsīt prahrādasya mahātmanaḥ | tataḥ mahātmā prahrādako baḍā bhaya huā | punar apṛcchat—“kamalālaye! tvaṃ kutra yāsi? tvaṃ hi satyavratā devī samasta-jagataḥ parameśvarī | sa śreṣṭho brāhmaṇaḥ kaḥ? etad ahaṃ yathāvat jñātum icchāmi”
Then great fear arose in the noble Prahlāda. Overcome by that fear, he questioned her again: “O Lotus-dwelling Lady, where are you going? You are the goddess devoted to truth, the supreme sovereign of the entire world. Who was that excellent brāhmaṇa? I wish to know this precisely.”
ब्राह्मण उवाच
Educational Q&A
The passage highlights dharmic inquiry: when confronted with fear or uncertainty, one should seek precise knowledge from a trustworthy, truth-aligned authority. It also underscores the ethical ideal of satya (truth) as a defining divine attribute.
Prahlāda becomes afraid and urgently questions the lotus-dwelling goddess (Śrī/Lakṣmī), asking where she is going and requesting the true identity of an excellent brāhmaṇa, indicating a turning point that requires clarity and discernment.