Shloka 58

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

Sumitra Itihāsa Begins

Devanagari script

।। ततो भयं प्रादुरासीत्‌ प्रहादस्य महात्मन:

Transliteration

tato bhayaṃ prādurāsīt prahrādasya mahātmanaḥ | tataḥ mahātmā prahrādako baḍā bhaya huā | punar apṛcchat—“kamalālaye! tvaṃ kutra yāsi? tvaṃ hi satyavratā devī samasta-jagataḥ parameśvarī | sa śreṣṭho brāhmaṇaḥ kaḥ? etad ahaṃ yathāvat jñātum icchāmi”

Translation

Bấy giờ nỗi kinh hãi lớn dấy lên trong bậc đại nhân Prahlāda. Bị nỗi sợ ấy bao trùm, ông lại hỏi nàng: “Ôi Nương Nương ngự nơi hoa sen, nàng đi về đâu? Nàng là nữ thần giữ trọn lời chân thật, là đấng tối thượng của toàn thế gian. Vị Bà-la-môn ưu tú ấy là ai? Ta muốn biết cho thật tường tận.”

Word by Word

• ततः: then, thereafter
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः

• भयम्: fear
• भयम्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: भय
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• प्रादुरासीत्: appeared, arose
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्रादुर् + अस्
• Form: Imperfect (Lan), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• प्रह्लादस्य: of Prahlāda
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रह्लाद
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• महात्मनः: of the great-souled (one)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महात्मन्
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

Speaker

ब्राह्मण उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Prahlāda
• Kamalālayā (Śrī/Lakṣmī)
• Brāhmaṇa (unnamed)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The passage highlights dharmic inquiry: when confronted with fear or uncertainty, one should seek precise knowledge from a trustworthy, truth-aligned authority. It also underscores the ethical ideal of satya (truth) as a defining divine attribute.

What is happening in the narrative?

Prahlāda becomes afraid and urgently questions the lotus-dwelling goddess (Śrī/Lakṣmī), asking where she is going and requesting the true identity of an excellent brāhmaṇa, indicating a turning point that requires clarity and discernment.