Shloka 15
Pitṛ-śrāddha-haviḥ-phala-nirdeśa
Offerings for Ancestors and Their Stated Results
न हि तेजस्विनां शापास्तेज:सु प्रभवन्ति वै । बलान्यतिबल प्राप्य दुर्बलानि भवन्ति वै
na hi tejasvināṃ śāpās tejaḥsu prabhavanti vai | balāny atibalaṃ prāpya durbalāni bhavanti vai ||
Bhishma dit : «Les malédictions des êtres rayonnants et puissants n’agissent pas véritablement sur ceux qui, eux aussi, rayonnent par leur force spirituelle et morale. De même, les forces ordinaires—si nombreuses soient-elles—deviennent faibles lorsqu’elles se heurtent à celui qui est souverainement fort.»
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
That superior inner radiance and strength (tejas) renders hostile forces—such as curses or lesser powers—ineffective; true power is not merely external but rooted in inherent excellence and moral-spiritual force.
Bhishma is instructing by a general principle: maledictions and ordinary strengths fail against one who possesses greater tejas and atibala, emphasizing hierarchy of power and the primacy of inner potency.