Shloka 71

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

Sumitra Itihāsa Begins

Devanagari script

भीष्म उवाच एतत्‌ कथितवानू पुत्रे धृतराष्ट्रो नराधिप: । एतत्‌ कुरुष्व कौन्तेय ततः प्राप्स्पसि तत्‌ फलम्‌

Transliteration

bhīṣma uvāca etat kathitavānū putre dhṛtarāṣṭro narādhipaḥ | etat kuruṣva kaunteya tataḥ prāpsyasi tat phalam ||

Translation

毗湿摩说道：“这便是持国王对其子所宣示之言。故而，噢，军帝之子（Kaunteya），当依此而行；如此，你必得其道之果。”

Word by Word

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

• उवाच: said
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच्
• Form: Perfect, Third, Singular

• एतत्: this (thing)
• एतत्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: एतद्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• कथितवान्: having told / told
• Type: Verb
• Root: कथ्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular, क्तवतुँ (past active participle)

• पुत्रे: to/with regard to (his) son; in the son
• पुत्रे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुत्र
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• धृतराष्ट्रः: Dhritarashtra
• धृतराष्ट्रः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: धृतराष्ट्र
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• नराधिपः: king (lord of men)
• नराधिपः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: नराधिप
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: एतद्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• कुरुष्व: do (you)! / perform!
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ
• Form: Imperative, Second, Singular, Parasmaipada

• कौन्तेय: O son of Kunti
• Type: Noun
• Root: कौन्तेय
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• ततः: then; from that
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः

• प्राप्स्यसि: you will obtain
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-आप्
• Form: Future, Second, Singular, Parasmaipada

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• फलम्: fruit; result
• फलम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: फल
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma
• Dhritarashtra
• Dhritarashtra's son (unspecified)
• Kaunteya (Yudhishthira)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Bhishma emphasizes faithful implementation of wise counsel: when one acts according to a dharmic instruction, the corresponding ‘phala’ (ethical result) is assured.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Bhishma’s discourse to Yudhishthira in the Shanti Parva, he cites a statement made by King Dhritarashtra to his son, and urges Yudhishthira (Kaunteya) to follow that guidance to obtain its promised outcome.