Shloka 57
अध्याय ७४: अक्रोध–क्षमा–निवासनीति
Chapter 74: Non-anger, Forbearance, and the Ethics of Residence
ब्राह्मणों द्विपदां श्रेष्ठो गौर्वरिष्ठा चतुष्पदाम् । गुरुर्गरीयसां श्रेष्ठ: पुत्र: स्पर्शवतां वर:,“मनुष्योंमें ब्राह्मण श्रेष्ठ है, चतुष्पदों (चौपायों)-में गौ श्रेष्ठठम है, गौरवशाली व्यक्तियोंमें गुरु श्रेष्ठ है और स्पर्श करनेयोग्य वस्तुओंमें पुत्र ही सबसे श्रेष्ठ है
brāhmaṇo dvipadāṁ śreṣṭho gaur variṣṭhā catuṣpadām | gurur garīyasāṁ śreṣṭhaḥ putraḥ sparśavatāṁ varaḥ ||
Among two-footed beings the brāhmaṇa is foremost; among four-footed creatures the cow is supreme; among the venerable, weighty in authority, the guru is the highest; and among all tangible possessions, a son is the greatest.
दुष्यन्त उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches a dharmic hierarchy of reverence: honor learning and spiritual discipline (brāhmaṇa), protect and esteem the cow as a key symbol of sustenance and dharma, revere the guru as the highest authority among the venerable, and recognize a son as the greatest tangible ‘wealth’ because he carries lineage, duties, and continuity.
Duṣyanta is speaking in a reflective, value-asserting mode, articulating what deserves the highest respect in different categories. The statement supports the episode’s moral framing by grounding decisions and relationships in recognized dharmic priorities—especially the importance of the guru and the significance of offspring.