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

普罗诃罗陀说道：“师长们不断‘沐浴’那持法之人——已胜忿怒，守于戒律，制伏诸根者——正如群蜂以甘甜之蜜濡润并充盈蜂房。同样，教诲的婆罗门以经论（śāstra）甘露般的言辞滋养我，使我安住自制，行于达摩之道。”

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.