Āśā-prabhava (आशाप्रभव) — On the Rise and Power of Hope/Expectation
Sumitra Itihāsa Begins
तत्तु कर्म तथा कुर्याद् येन श्लाघ्येत संसदि । शीलं समासेनैतत् ते कथितं कुरुसत्तम
tattu karma tathā kuryād yena ślāghyeta saṃsadi | śīlaṃ samāsenaitat te kathitaṃ kurusattama ||
ಆದುದರಿಂದ, ತುಂಬಿದ ಸಭೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ಪ್ರಶಂಸೆಗೆ ಪಾತ್ರವಾಗುವಂತೆ ಕರ್ಮವನ್ನು ಮಾಡಬೇಕು. ಓ ಕರುಶ್ರೇಷ್ಠನೇ, ಸಂಕ್ಷೇಪವಾಗಿ ಇದನ್ನೇ ನಿನಗೆ ಶೀಲದ ಸಾರವೆಂದು ಹೇಳಿದೆನು.
धृतराष्ट उवाच
Act in such a way that your deeds are publicly commendable; this public praiseworthiness is presented as a concise marker of śīla—good character expressed through action.
Dhṛtarāṣṭra addresses a Kuru noble ("kurusattama"), summarizing an ethical instruction: the practical test of conduct is whether it would earn praise in an assembly, and he states this as the brief definition of śīla.