Shloka 4
उपदेशदोषप्रसङ्गः (Upadeśa-doṣa-prasaṅgaḥ) — The Risk of Misapplied Counsel
उपदेशो न कर्तव्यो जातिहीनस्य कस्यचित् । उपदेशे महान् दोष उपाध्यायस्य भाष्यते,किसी भी नीच जातिके मनुष्यको उपदेश नहीं देना चाहिये। उसे उपदेश देनेपर उपदेशक आचार्यके लिये महान् दोष बताया जाता है
upadeśo na kartavyo jātihīnasya kasyacit | upadeśe mahān doṣa upādhyāyasya bhāṣyate ||
Bhishma said: Instruction should not be given to anyone who is deemed ‘without caste-status’. If such instruction is given, a grave fault is said to accrue to the teacher (preceptor) who offers it.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse asserts a restrictive norm: giving formal instruction (upadeśa) to a person considered jātihīna is prohibited, and doing so is said to bring serious demerit (doṣa) upon the teacher.
In the Anuśāsana Parva’s dharma-discourse, Bhishma continues laying down rules of conduct and social-religious norms, here specifying who is considered eligible to receive instruction and warning of the teacher’s fault if the rule is violated.