Shloka 10
Āśā-prabhava (आशाप्रभव) — On the Rise and Power of Hope/Expectation
Sumitra Itihāsa Begins
शत्रुनगरीपर विजय पानेवाले वीर! तुमने भी तो महान् ऐश्वर्य प्राप्त किया है? तुम्हारे समस्त भाई, मित्र और सम्बन्धी सदा तुम्हारी सेवामें उपस्थित रहते हैं ।।
ācchādayasi prāvārān aśnāsi piśitāudanam | ājāneyā vahanty aśvāḥ kenāsi hariṇaḥ kṛśaḥ ||
Dhritarashtra preguntó: «Oh héroe vencedor de ciudades enemigas, ¿acaso no has alcanzado también un gran poder y riqueza? Todos tus hermanos, amigos y parientes están siempre a tu servicio. Te cubres con ropas finas, comes arroz con carne, y caballos de pura sangre tiran de tu carro. ¿Por qué, entonces, te vuelves pálido y enjuto?»
धृतराष्ट उवाच
Educational Q&A
External prosperity—fine clothing, rich food, and royal conveyance—cannot remove inner torment. The verse points to the moral-psychological truth emphasized in Śānti Parva: adharma, grief, or remorse can consume a person even amid abundance.
Dhṛtarāṣṭra addresses a victorious warrior (contextually, a figure who has gained power and comforts after conflict) and wonders why he appears pallid and emaciated despite enjoying royal luxuries and constant support from relatives and allies.