Mahabharata — Anushasana Parva, Shloka 63
आचारप्रशंसा
Praise of Ācāra as the Basis of Longevity, Fame, and Prosperity
त्रीणि तेजांसि नोच्छिष्ट उदीक्षेत्र कदाचन
trīṇi tejāṃsi nocchiṣṭa udīkṣetra kadācana
Sinabi ni Bhīṣma: “O ikaw na hindi dapat ituring na marumi (nocchiṣṭa), huwag kailanman hamakin ang tatlong uri ng ‘tejas’—ang ningning at kapangyarihan.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
One should never treat ‘tejas’—manifested power, brilliance, or authority—with contempt. The verse frames this as an ethical rule of conduct: recognize potent forces and respond with restraint and respect rather than arrogance.
In Anuśāsana Parva, Bhīṣma continues his instruction on dharma and proper conduct. Here he addresses the listener (implicitly Yudhiṣṭhira) and introduces a rule about not slighting three forms of tejas, setting up a broader teaching that follows in the surrounding verses.