Shloka 12
Āśā-prabhava (आशाप्रभव) — On the Rise and Power of Hope/Expectation
Sumitra Itihāsa Begins
दृष्टवा च तां सभां दिव्यां दिव्यपुष्पफलान्विताम् । अश्वांस्तित्तिरकल्माषान् वस्त्राणि विविधानि च
dṛṣṭvā ca tāṃ sabhāṃ divyāṃ divyapuṣpaphalānvitām | aśvāṃs tittirakalmāṣān vastrāṇi vividhāni ca, bhārata |
Duryodhana dijo: «Cuando contemplé aquel salón maravilloso, engalanado con flores y frutos celestiales—esos caballos jaspeados como perdices y vestiduras espléndidas de muchas clases—¡oh Bhārata!, y cuando vi la vasta y auspiciosa prosperidad de mis enemigos, los Pāṇḍavas, semejante a la del propio Kubera, he ido hundiéndome cada vez más en el dolor.»
दुर्योधन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how envy and fixation on others’ prosperity breeds inner suffering. Duryodhana’s grief arises not from loss of dharma but from comparison and possessiveness, illustrating an ethical warning: unchecked jealousy corrodes judgment and becomes a seed of conflict.
Duryodhana describes seeing the Pāṇḍavas’ magnificent hall and luxurious possessions—flowers, fruits, fine garments, and dappled horses. Confronted with their Kubera-like splendor, he confesses that he is overwhelmed by continuous sorrow.