Shloka 30

Āśā-prabhava (आशाप्रभव) — On the Rise and Power of Hope/Expectation

Sumitra Itihāsa Begins

Devanagari script

ब्राह्मणस्त्वब्रवीद्‌ राजन्‌ यस्मिन्‌ काले क्षणो भवेत्‌ | तदोपादेष्टुमिच्छामि यदाचर्यमनुत्तमम्‌

Transliteration

brāhmaṇas tv abravīd rājan yasmin kāle kṣaṇo bhavet | tadopadeṣṭum icchāmi yad ācaryam anuttamam ||

Translation

El brāhmaṇa dijo: «Oh rey, cuandoquiera que halles un momento propicio, entonces deseo recibir de ti la enseñanza de esa regla de conducta insuperable: el dharma supremo que debe practicarse».

Word by Word

• ब्राह्मणः: the Brahmin
• ब्राह्मणः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• तु: but/indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु

• अब्रवीत्: said/spoke
• Type: Verb
• Root: ब्रू
• Form: Imperfect (Laṅ), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• राजन्: O king
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन्
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• यस्मिन्: in which (time)
• यस्मिन्: Adhikarana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: यद्
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Locative, Singular

• काले: at the time
• काले: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: काल
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• क्षणः: an opportunity/moment
• क्षणः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षण
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• भवेत्: may be/should occur
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू
• Form: Optative (Liṅ), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• तदा: then/at that time
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा

• उपादेष्टुम्: to instruct/teach
• Type: Verb
• Root: उप-आ-√दिश्
• Form: Infinitive (Tumun)

• इच्छामि: I wish/desire
• Type: Verb
• Root: इष्
• Form: Present (Laṭ), 1st, Singular, Parasmaipada

• यत्: which/that (thing)
• यत्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: यद्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• आचर्यम्: to be practiced/observed
• आचर्यम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आचर्य
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• अनुत्तमम्: unsurpassed/supreme
• अनुत्तमम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनुत्तम
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

Speaker

घतयाट्र उवाच

Characters & Entities

• brāhmaṇa (the brāhmaṇa speaker)
• rājan (the king addressed)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse emphasizes readiness for ethical instruction: when the king has the proper occasion, the brāhmaṇa will impart the highest, unsurpassed standard of conduct (anuttama ācāra), highlighting that dharma is best taught and received at an appropriate moment.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Shānti Parva’s didactic setting, a brāhmaṇa addresses a king and signals his intention to teach him supreme practical dharma, requesting only that the king provide the right opportunity/time to receive the instruction.