Shloka 60
उपदेशदोषप्रसङ्गः (Upadeśa-doṣa-prasaṅgaḥ) — The Risk of Misapplied Counsel
द्विजश्रेष्ठ! ब्रह्मन! इसी कारणसे मैं आपकी ओर देखकर हँसता हूँ। आपका अनादर करनेके लिये मैं आपकी हँसी नहीं उड़ाता हूँ; क्योंकि आप मेरे गुरु हैं ।।
viparyayeṇa me manyus tena santapyate manaḥ | jātiṁ smarāmy ahaṁ tubhyam atas tvāṁ prahasāmi vai ||
O best of twice-born, O brāhmaṇa—therefore I smile when I look at you. I do not laugh to dishonor you, for you are my teacher. This reversal fills me with grief, and my mind burns with distress. Remembering the bond between us across former births, I cannot help but smile when I behold you—out of sorrow and remembrance, not contempt.
पुरोहित उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even when circumstances invert social or personal roles, one should not abandon reverence for one’s guru. The speaker clarifies that outward laughter can arise from inner sorrow and remembrance, not from contempt; ethical intent (bhāva) matters in judging an act.
The priest addresses a brāhmaṇa (who is also his guru) and explains why he smiles while looking at him: a painful reversal has occurred, troubling his mind. Recalling their connection from former births, he smiles involuntarily, while explicitly denying any intention to insult his teacher.