Shloka 61
Āśā-prabhava (आशाप्रभव) — On the Rise and Power of Hope/Expectation
Sumitra Itihāsa Begins
शीलेन हि त्रयो लोकास्त्वया धर्मज्ञ निर्जिता: । तद्विज्ञाय सुरेन्द्रेण तव शीलं हतं प्रभो
śīlena hi trayo lokās tvayā dharmajña nirjitāḥ | tad vijñāya surendreṇa tava śīlaṃ hataṃ prabho ||
«En verdad, por tu buena conducta habías conquistado los tres mundos, oh conocedor del dharma. Al comprenderlo, Indra, señor de los dioses, ha abatido y arrebatado tu buena conducta, oh noble».
ब्राह्मण उवाच
Educational Q&A
Moral victory is rooted in śīla (steady good conduct). When character is compromised—whether by inner weakness or external temptation—even great achievements and spiritual authority become vulnerable.
A brāhmaṇa addresses a dharma-knowing figure, praising how his virtue once brought universal triumph, then warns that Indra, perceiving the source of that power, has undermined or removed that very śīla—signaling a turning point where ethical strength is being tested or diminished.