Shloka 2

Nārāyaṇa-tejas: Kṛṣṇa’s Vrata, the Fire-Manifestation, and the Sages’ Inquiry (अनुशासन पर्व, अध्याय १२६)

Devanagari script

लोको हार्यगुणानेव भूयिष्ठं तु प्रशंसति । रूपमानवयोमानश्रीमानाश्षाप्पसंशयम्‌

Transliteration

bhīṣma uvāca | loko hārya-guṇān eva bhūyiṣṭhaṃ tu praśaṃsati | rūpam ānavayo māna-śrīmān āśāppa-saṃśayam ||

Translation

毗湿摩说：世人多半只称赞那些悦目可喜、引人倾慕的德性。美貌、谦恭、名誉与富贵——这些常被视为卓越的标记，毫无疑问。

Word by Word

• लोकः: the world/people
• लोकः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• हार्यगुणान्: attractive virtues
• हार्यगुणान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: हार्यगुण
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• एव: indeed/only
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव

• भूयिष्ठम्: most/exceedingly
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भूयिष्ठ
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• तु: but/indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु

• प्रशंसति: praises
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-शंस्
• Form: Present, Third, Singular, Parasmaipada

• रूपम्: beauty/form
• रूपम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: रूप
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• आनवयम्: faultless/without defect
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनवय
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• मानम्: honour/respect
• मानम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: मान
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• श्रीमान्: prosperous/fortunate
• Type: Adjective
• Root: श्रीमत्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• आशु: quickly
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: आशु

• आप्नोति: attains/obtains
• Type: Verb
• Root: आप्
• Form: Present, Third, Singular, Parasmaipada

• संशयम्: doubt
• Type: Noun
• Root: संशय
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma
• loka (people/the world)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Bhishma notes that public praise usually follows what is outwardly pleasing—beauty, modest demeanor, social honor, and visible prosperity—so one should not equate popularity with true dharmic worth.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Anushasana Parva, Bhishma continues instructing Yudhishthira on conduct and values; here he comments on how society tends to commend attractive, agreeable qualities and external signs of success.