Shloka 13
Āśā-prabhava (आशाप्रभव) — On the Rise and Power of Hope/Expectation
Sumitra Itihāsa Begins
दृष्टवा तां पाण्डवेयानामृद्धि वैश्रव्णी शुभाम् । अमित्राणां सुमहतीमनुशोचामि भारत
dṛṣṭvā tāṃ pāṇḍaveyānām ṛddhiṃ vaiśravaṇīṃ śubhām | amitrāṇāṃ sumahatīm anuśocāmi bhārata bhārata ||
ドゥルヨーダナは言った。「おお、バーラタよ。パーンドゥの子らの、ヴァイシュラヴァナ（クベーラ）にも比すべき吉祥なる繁栄を見てしまった――敵の中にあってさえ測り知れぬほどの大いなるそれを見て、私は絶え間ない悲嘆に沈む。彼らの輝く威光が、ほとんどクベーラのごとく見えるたび、我が心は嫉妬と嘆きに焼かれ、安らぎを得られぬのだ。」
दुर्योधन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse exposes envy (asūyā/īrṣyā) as a corrosive inner force: when one measures oneself against others’ prosperity, the mind falls into continual sorrow. Ethically, it warns that fixation on rivals’ success undermines discernment and fuels adharma-driven decisions.
Duryodhana reflects on the Pāṇḍavas’ magnificent prosperity—likened to Kubera’s—and confesses that the sight plunges him into relentless grief. This confession reveals his inner agitation and the emotional root of his hostility toward them.