Shloka 17
मातापितृगुरुपूजा-प्रशंसा
Praise of Venerating Mother, Father, and Teacher
दशाचार्यानुपाध्याय उपाध्यायान् पिता दश | पितृन् दश तु मातैका सर्वा वा पृथिवीमपि
daśācāryān upādhyāya upādhyāyān pitā daś | pitṝn daśa tu mātāikā sarvā vā pṛthivīm api ||
উপাধ্যায় দশজন আচার্যের সমান পূজ্য, পিতা দশজন উপাধ্যায়ের সমান; কিন্তু এক জননী দশ পিতারও ঊর্ধ্বে—তিনি যেন সমগ্র পৃথিবীরও অধিক বন্দনীয়।
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse ranks objects of reverence to stress that the mother deserves the highest honor: teachers are venerable, fathers are more venerable still, but the mother surpasses even many fathers—implying that gratitude, service, and non-injury toward one’s mother are paramount duties within dharma.
In Śānti Parva, Bhīṣma instructs Yudhiṣṭhira on righteous conduct and social-ethical duties. Here he uses a numerical comparison to emphasize the exceptional sanctity of the mother’s role and the moral obligation to honor her above other respected figures.