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 berkata: “Wahai Bhārata! Ketika aku menyaksikan balairung yang menakjubkan itu, berhias bunga dan buah surgawi—kuda-kuda berbintik seperti burung partridge, serta pakaian beraneka ragam yang gemilang—dan ketika aku memandang kemakmuran musuhku, para Pāṇḍava, yang luas dan mujur bagaikan milik Kubera sendiri, sejak saat itu aku kian tenggelam dalam duka tanpa henti.”
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.