Shloka 28
Adhyāya 223: Nāradasya Guṇa-kathana
Catalogue of Nārada’s Virtues
न त्वेतदनुरूपं ते यशसो वा कुलस्य च । समृद्धार्थोडसमृद्धार्थ यन्मां कत्थितुमिच्छसि
na tv etad anurūpaṃ te yaśaso vā kulasya ca | samṛddhārtho 'samṛddhārthaṃ yan māṃ katthitum icchasi ||
ఇది నీ యశస్సుకీ నీ కులానికీ తగినది కాదు—నీవు ఇప్పుడు సమృద్ధిగా ఉండి, సమృద్ధి కోల్పోయిన నన్ను ఎదుట పెట్టుకొని గొప్పలు చెప్పదలచడం.
(भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Bhishma teaches that true nobility is shown through restraint and humility: boasting—especially before someone who has fallen into misfortune—violates the standards of dharma, damages one’s reputation (yaśas), and is unworthy of a good lineage (kula).
In the Shanti Parva’s instruction-setting, Bhishma rebukes a would-be speaker for trying to praise himself or speak boastfully in Bhishma’s presence, pointing out the impropriety of flaunting one’s current prosperity before someone who has lost his own.