Shloka 7

आशा-कृशता उपाख्यानम्

The Episode on the Emaciation Caused by Hope

Devanagari script

राजन! मैं आशाको वृक्षसहित पर्वतसे भी बहुत बड़ी मानता हूँ अथवा वह आकाशसे भी बढ़कर अप्रमेय है ।।

Transliteration

yudhiṣṭhira uvāca | rājan, ahaṃ āśāṃ vṛkṣasahitāt parvatād api bahutarīṃ manye, athavā sā ākāśād api bṛhatī aprameyā | eṣā caiva kuruśreṣṭha durvicintyā sudurlabhā | durlabhatvāc ca paśyāmi kim anyad durlabhaṃ tataḥ ||

Translation

ଯୁଧିଷ୍ଠିର କହିଲେ—ରାଜନ୍! ମୁଁ ଆଶାକୁ ଗଛସହିତ ପର୍ବତଠାରୁ ମଧ୍ୟ ବହୁତ ବଡ଼ ମାନେ; ସେ ଆକାଶଠାରୁ ମଧ୍ୟ ବିଶାଳ, ଅପ୍ରମେୟ। କୁରୁଶ୍ରେଷ୍ଠ! ଏହି ଆଶା ଚିନ୍ତାରେ ଧରା ପଡ଼େନି, ଅତ୍ୟନ୍ତ ଦୁର୍ଲଭ ଏବଂ ଜୟ କରିବାକୁ କଠିନ। ତାହାର ଦୁର୍ଲଭତା ଓ ଦୁର୍ଜୟତା ହେତୁ ମୁଁ ତାକୁ ଏତେ ବଡ଼ ବୋଲି ଦେଖୁଛି। ଆଶାଠାରୁ ଅଧିକ ଦୁର୍ଲଭ ଆଉ କ’ଣ ଅଛି?

Word by Word

• एषा: this (she/this thing)
• एषा: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: एतद्
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• एव: indeed/just
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव

• कुरुश्रेष्ठ: O best of the Kurus
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुरु-श्रेष्ठ
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• दुर्विचिन्त्या: hard to think about/ponder
• दुर्विचिन्त्या: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुर्विचिन्त्य
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• सुदुर्लभा: very difficult to obtain
• सुदुर्लभा: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सुदुर्लभ
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• दुर्लभत्वात्: because of (its) rarity/difficulty of attainment
• दुर्लभत्वात्: Apadana
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुर्लभत्व
• Form: Neuter, Ablative, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• पश्यामि: I see/consider
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश्
• Form: Present, First, Singular, Parasmaipada

• किम्: what?
• किम्: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: किम्
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular

• अन्यत्: other (thing)
• अन्यत्: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्य
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular

• दुर्लभम्: difficult to obtain
• दुर्लभम्: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुर्लभ
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular

• ततः: than that/thereafter; (here) than it
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः

Speaker

युधिछिर उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Yudhiṣṭhira
• Kuruśreṣṭha (addressed person)
• rājan (king, addressed person)
• āśā (hope)
• parvata (mountain)
• vṛkṣa (trees)
• ākāśa (sky)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Hope (āśā) is portrayed as immeasurable and extremely difficult to overcome; ethical steadiness requires recognizing how expectation and longing can dominate the mind, and cultivating self-mastery rather than being driven by endless anticipation.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the didactic setting of Śānti Parva, Yudhiṣṭhira addresses a king/elder as he reflects on inner obstacles to peace; he uses striking comparisons (mountain, sky) to argue that hope is the most elusive and unconquerable force among human tendencies.