Shloka 64
Āśā-prabhava (आशाप्रभव) — On the Rise and Power of Hope/Expectation
Sumitra Itihāsa Begins
शीलस्य तत्त्वमिच्छामि वेत्तुं कौरवनन्दन । प्राप्पते च यथा शीलं त॑ं चोपायं वदस्व मे
śīlasya tattvam icchāmi vettum kauravanandana | prāpyate ca yathā śīlaṃ taṃ copāyaṃ vadasva me ||
“噫，俱卢族之荣光！我愿知晓 śīla（善行、品格）的真实精髓；也请告知我，如何才能获得此等 śīla。”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames śīla (character/ethical conduct) as something with an underlying essence (tattva) and, crucially, as a quality that can be cultivated through specific means (upāya). It emphasizes practical moral formation, not just theoretical praise of virtue.
Within Bhīṣma’s instruction in the Śānti Parva, the listener asks to be taught what śīla truly is and how it is acquired—seeking both definition and method, i.e., a guide for transforming conduct into stable virtue.