Shloka 63

आचारप्रशंसा

Praise of Ācāra as the Basis of Longevity, Fame, and Prosperity

Devanagari script

त्रीणि तेजांसि नोच्छिष्ट उदीक्षेत्र कदाचन

Transliteration

trīṇi tejāṃsi nocchiṣṭa udīkṣetra kadācana

Translation

Bhīṣma sprach: „O du, der nicht als unrein zu behandeln ist (nocchiṣṭa), blicke niemals verächtlich auf die drei Arten von ‘tejas’—Glanz und Kraft.“

Word by Word

• त्रीणि: three
• त्रीणि: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: त्रि
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Plural

• तेजांसि: splendors, energies, powers
• तेजांसि: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: तेजस्
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Plural

• न: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न

• उच्छिष्ट: leftover food; leavings; (ritually) remnants
• उच्छिष्ट: Karma
• Type: Noun/Adjective
• Root: उच्छिष्ट
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular

• उदीक्षेत: should look at; should regard; should observe
• Type: Verb
• Root: ईक्ष्
• Form: Optative (Vidhi-lin), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• त्र: there; in that matter (enclitic particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: त्र

• कदाचन: ever; at any time
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कदाचन

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

One should never treat ‘tejas’—manifested power, brilliance, or authority—with contempt. The verse frames this as an ethical rule of conduct: recognize potent forces and respond with restraint and respect rather than arrogance.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Anuśāsana Parva, Bhīṣma continues his instruction on dharma and proper conduct. Here he addresses the listener (implicitly Yudhiṣṭhira) and introduces a rule about not slighting three forms of tejas, setting up a broader teaching that follows in the surrounding verses.