Shloka 15
Adhyāya 177: Pañca-mahābhūta-vicāra and Vṛkṣa-jīva-lakṣaṇa
Five Elements Inquiry and the Status of Plant Life
निर्दशन्नधरोष्ठ॑ च क़ुद्धो दारुणभाषिता । कस्तमिच्छेत् परिद्रष्टं दातुमिच्छति चेन्महीम्
nirdashann adharauṣṭhaṃ ca kruddho dāruṇabhāṣitā | kas tam icchet paridraṣṭuṃ dātum icchati cen mahīm ||
Por la ira, se muerde sin cesar el labio inferior y profiere palabras duras y crueles. ¿Quién querría siquiera mirarlo, aunque estuviese dispuesto a entregar la soberanía de toda la tierra?
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Anger revealed through hostile body-language and harsh speech makes a person socially and morally repulsive; even immense material offers (like dominion over the earth) cannot compensate for a lack of self-restraint and gentle, dharmic conduct.
In the Shanti Parva’s instruction on righteous living and governance, Bhishma warns about the visible marks and consequences of anger—biting the lip and speaking cruelly—and stresses that such behavior destroys respect and willingness to associate, regardless of wealth or power.