अध्याय ७४: अक्रोध–क्षमा–निवासनीति
Chapter 74: Non-anger, Forbearance, and the Ethics of Residence
अतीवरूपसम्पन्नो न कंचिदवमन्यते । अतीव जल्पन् दुर्वाचो भवतीह विहेठक:,जो अत्यन्त रूपवान् है, वह किसी दूसरेका अपमान नहीं करता; परंतु जो रूपवान् न होकर भी अपने रूपकी प्रशंसामें अधिक बातें बनाता है, वह मुखसे खोटे वचन कहता और दूसरोंको पीड़ित करता है
atīvarūpasampanno na kaṃcid avamanyate | atīva jalpan durvāco bhavatīha viheṭhakaḥ ||
जो अत्यंत रूपवान असतो तो कोणाचाही अपमान करत नाही; पण जो रूपहीन असूनही स्वतःची स्तुती करत फार बोलतो, तो तोंडाने दुर्वचन बोलून या जगात इतरांना छळणारा ठरतो.
दुष्यन्त उवाच
True excellence (even physical beauty) should not lead to contempt for others; excessive self-praise and boastful speech, especially without real merit, tends toward harsh words and becomes a cause of harm to others.
King Duṣyanta is speaking a moral observation: he contrasts the conduct of a genuinely distinguished person—who does not insult others—with that of a braggart who talks too much in self-admiration and ends up hurting people through abusive speech.