Shloka 36

Āśā-prabhava (आशाप्रभव) — On the Rise and Power of Hope/Expectation

Sumitra Itihāsa Begins

Devanagari script

धर्मात्मानं जितक्रोधं॑ नियतं संयतेन्द्रियम्‌ । समासिज्चन्ति शास्तार: क्षौद्रं मथ्विव मक्षिका:

Transliteration

dharmātmānaṁ jitakrodhaṁ niyataṁ saṁyatendriyam | samāsiñcanti śāstāraḥ kṣaudraṁ mathv iva makṣikāḥ ||

Translation

Prahlāda nói: “Các bậc thầy không ngừng ‘tắm gội’ cho người có tâm dharma—kẻ đã thắng giận, sống trong kỷ luật và chế ngự các căn—như đàn ong làm ẩm và làm đầy tổ mật bằng vị ngọt. Cũng vậy, những vị Bà-la-môn dạy đạo nuôi dưỡng ta bằng lời cam lộ của śāstra, gìn giữ ta trong tự chế và trên con đường dharma.”

Word by Word

• धर्मात्मानम्: one whose nature is righteous
• धर्मात्मानम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धर्मात्मन्
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• जितक्रोधम्: having conquered anger
• जितक्रोधम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जितक्रोध
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• नियतम्: disciplined, restrained
• नियतम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नियत
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• संयतेन्द्रियम्: with controlled senses
• संयतेन्द्रियम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: संयतेन्द्रिय
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• समासिञ्चन्ति: they sprinkle, they moisten
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-आ-√सिच्
• Form: Present, Third, Plural, Parasmaipada

• शास्तारः: teachers, instructors
• शास्तारः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: शास्तृ
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• क्षौद्रम्: honey
• क्षौद्रम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षौद्र
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• मथु: honey (sweet substance)
• मथु: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: मथु
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• इव: like, as
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव

• मक्षिकाः: bees
• मक्षिकाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: मक्षिका
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Plural

Speaker

प्रह्माद उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Prahlāda
• brāhmaṇas (teachers)
• śāstra (scriptural teaching)
• bees (makṣikāḥ)
• honey/honeycomb (kṣaudra, mathu)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

A person established in dharma should conquer anger and restrain the senses; such inner discipline makes one fit to receive and be continually nourished by scriptural instruction, compared to a honeycomb being filled by bees with sweetness.

What is happening in the narrative?

Prahlāda describes his ethical formation: teachers (brāhmaṇas) keep him steady in restraint and dharma by repeatedly instructing him with śāstric wisdom, using the vivid image of bees saturating a honeycomb with nectar.