Shloka 2
Nārāyaṇa-tejas: Kṛṣṇa’s Vrata, the Fire-Manifestation, and the Sages’ Inquiry (अनुशासन पर्व, अध्याय १२६)
लोको हार्यगुणानेव भूयिष्ठं तु प्रशंसति । रूपमानवयोमानश्रीमानाश्षाप्पसंशयम्
bhīṣma uvāca | loko hārya-guṇān eva bhūyiṣṭhaṃ tu praśaṃsati | rūpam ānavayo māna-śrīmān āśāppa-saṃśayam ||
Bhishma said: People, for the most part, praise only those qualities that are pleasing and attractive. Beauty, humility, honor, and prosperity—these are commonly taken as marks of excellence, without doubt.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Bhishma notes that public praise usually follows what is outwardly pleasing—beauty, modest demeanor, social honor, and visible prosperity—so one should not equate popularity with true dharmic worth.
In Anushasana Parva, Bhishma continues instructing Yudhishthira on conduct and values; here he comments on how society tends to commend attractive, agreeable qualities and external signs of success.