Shloka 42
Āśā-prabhava (आशाप्रभव) — On the Rise and Power of Hope/Expectation
Sumitra Itihāsa Begins
ब्राह्मण उवाच यदि राजन प्रसन्नस्त्वं मम चेदिच्छसि प्रियम् । भवत: शीलमिच्छामि प्राप्तुमेष वरो मम
brāhmaṇa uvāca yadi rājan prasannastvaṁ mama ced icchasi priyam | bhavataḥ śīlam icchāmi prāptum eṣa varo mama ||
ब्राह्मण उवाच— यदि राजन् प्रसन्नस्त्वं मम चेदिच्छसि प्रियम् । भवतः शीलमिच्छामि प्राप्तुम्—एष वरो मम ॥
ब्राह्मण उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse elevates moral character (śīla) above material rewards: the highest gift a ruler can confer is not wealth or power but the cultivation and transmission of virtuous conduct.
A Brahmin addresses a king who is willing to grant a boon. Instead of asking for external benefits, the Brahmin requests to obtain the king’s own śīla—his exemplary character—as the chosen boon.