Shloka 4
अग्निरकोरों विषं शस्त्र विप्रो भवति कोपित: । गुरुहिं सर्वभूतानां ब्राह्मण: परिकीर्तित:,कुपित किया हुआ ब्राह्मण अग्नि, सूर्य, विष एवं शस्त्रके समान भयंकर होता है। ब्राह्मणको समस्त प्राणियोंका गुरु कहा गया है
agnir arkō viṣaṁ śastraṁ vipro bhavati kopitaḥ | guruhiṁ sarvabhūtānāṁ brāhmaṇaḥ parikīrtitaḥ ||
The Grandsire said: “When provoked, a brāhmaṇa becomes as fearsome as fire, the sun, poison, and a weapon. For the brāhmaṇa is proclaimed to be the teacher and guide of all living beings.” The statement underscores the ethical warning that disrespecting or enraging a spiritual authority can bring consequences as destructive as the most dangerous forces, and it affirms the brāhmaṇa’s normative role as moral instructor within dharma.
पितामह उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches that a learned brāhmaṇa, when enraged, can be as destructive as elemental and lethal forces (fire, sun, poison, weapons), so one should act with restraint and respect toward spiritual/moral authorities; it also affirms the brāhmaṇa’s role as guru—an ethical guide for society.
Pitāmaha is delivering a cautionary maxim within the Adi Parva’s early instruction-oriented context, emphasizing the danger of provoking a brāhmaṇa and highlighting the traditional view of the brāhmaṇa as the teacher of all beings.