Shloka 8

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

Sumitra Itihāsa Begins

Devanagari script

धृतराष्ट उवाच किमर्थ तप्यसे पुत्र श्रोतुमिच्छामि तत्त्वत: । श्र॒ुत्वा त्वामनुनेष्यामि यदि सम्यग्‌ भविष्यति

Transliteration

dhṛtarāṣṭra uvāca kimarthaṁ tapyase putra śrotum icchāmi tattvataḥ | śrutvā tvām anuneṣyāmi yadi samyag bhaviṣyati ||

Translation

持国王说道：“我儿，你为何忧苦如焚？我愿清楚听明真相。待我听罢，若合乎道理，我将设法劝诫你，使你心神安定。”

Word by Word

• [{'term': 'kimartham', 'definition': 'for what purpose? why?'}, {'term': 'tapyase', 'definition': 'you are afflicted

• you burn (with sorrow/anguish)'}, {'term': 'putra', 'definition': 'son (a form of address)'}, {'term': 'śrotum icchāmi', 'definition': 'I wish to hear'}, {'term': 'tattvataḥ', 'definition': 'in truth

• as it really is'}, {'term': 'śrutvā', 'definition': 'having heard'}, {'term': 'tvām', 'definition': 'you'}, {'term': 'anuneṣyāmi', 'definition': 'I will advise

• I will guide'}, {'term': 'yadi', 'definition': 'if'}, {'term': 'samyak', 'definition': 'rightly

• in a fitting manner'}, {'term': 'bhaviṣyati', 'definition': 'it will be

Speaker

धृतराष्ट उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Dhṛtarāṣṭra
• putra (son, unnamed)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Before offering advice, one should first seek the truth of the other person’s distress (tattvataḥ), and then counsel only if it is fitting (samyak). Ethical guidance begins with careful listening and discernment.

What is happening in the narrative?

Dhṛtarāṣṭra addresses his son, noticing his anguish, and asks the reason for his suffering. He requests an accurate account and promises to offer counsel and consolation if doing so would be appropriate.