Shloka 4
Āśā-prabhava (आशाप्रभव) — On the Rise and Power of Hope/Expectation
Sumitra Itihāsa Begins
भीष्म उवाच पुरा दुर्योधनेनेह धृतराष्ट्राय मानद । आखेयातं तप्यमानेन श्रियं दृष्टवा तथागताम्
bhīṣma uvāca purā duryodhaneneha dhṛtarāṣṭrāya mānada | ākheyātaṃ tapyamānena śriyaṃ dṛṣṭvā tathāgatām ||
Sinabi ni Bhīṣma: “Noon, O tagapagkaloob ng dangal, sa mismong bagay na ito, isinalaysay ni Duryodhana kay Dhṛtarāṣṭra ang kanyang nasaksihan—kung paanong habang siya’y sinusunog ng pighating nasa loob, nakita niyang ang kasaganaan at tagumpay ay napunta sa kabilang panig.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the ethical danger of inner torment—especially envy and resentment—when one sees another’s prosperity. It frames such agitation as a moral and psychological condition that distorts judgment, a recurring concern in Bhishma’s counsel on righteous conduct and governance.
Bhishma recalls an earlier episode: Duryodhana reported to Dhritarashtra what he had observed. The report is colored by Duryodhana’s own ‘burning’ state of mind, as he sees fortune and success coming to others, setting the stage for reflection on motives and consequences.