Shloka 4

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

Sumitra Itihāsa Begins

Devanagari script

भीष्म उवाच पुरा दुर्योधनेनेह धृतराष्ट्राय मानद । आखेयातं तप्यमानेन श्रियं दृष्टवा तथागताम्‌

Transliteration

bhīṣma uvāca purā duryodhaneneha dhṛtarāṣṭrāya mānada | ākheyātaṃ tapyamānena śriyaṃ dṛṣṭvā tathāgatām ||

Translation

Bhīṣma nói: “Thuở trước, hỡi bậc ban vinh dự, ngay trong bối cảnh này, Duryodhana đã thuật lại cho Dhṛtarāṣṭra điều hắn tận mắt chứng kiến—rằng khi lòng hắn bừng cháy bởi nỗi dằn vặt, hắn đã thấy phú quý và thành công đến với phía bên kia.”

Word by Word

• भीष्मः: Bhishma
• भीष्मः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: भीष्म
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• उवाच: said
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच्
• Form: Perfect (Paroksha-bhuta), Third, Singular

• पुरा: formerly, once
• पुरा: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरा

• दुर्योधनेन: by Duryodhana
• दुर्योधनेन: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुर्योधन
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• इह: here (in this matter/context)
• इह: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इह

• धृतराष्ट्राय: to Dhritarashtra
• धृतराष्ट्राय: Sampradana
• Type: Noun
• Root: धृतराष्ट्र
• Form: Masculine, Dative, Singular

• मानद: O giver of honor (epithet)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मानद
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• आख्यातम्: was told/related
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-ख्या
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular, Past passive participle (kta)

• तप्यमानेन: by (one) suffering/being tormented
• तप्यमानेन: Karana
• Type: Verb
• Root: तप्
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Instrumental, Singular, Present passive participle (śatṛ/śānac in passive sense: -मान)

• श्रियम्: fortune, prosperity (Sri)
• श्रियम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्री
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश्
• Form: Absolutive (ktvā)

• तथा: thus, in that manner
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा

• आगताम्: come, arrived (fem.)
• आगताम्: Karma
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-गम्
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular, Past active participle (kta)

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma
• Duryodhana
• Dhritarashtra
• Shri (prosperity/fortune)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

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.

What is happening in the narrative?

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.