Mahabharata — Anushasana Parva, Shloka 17
ब्राह्मण–क्षत्रिय-श्रेष्ठता-विवादः
Arjuna–Vāyu Dialogue on Brāhmaṇa and Kṣatriya Precedence
दिग्गजानां च तच्छूत्वा देवता: पितरस्तथा । ऋषयश्न महाभागा: पूजयन्ति सम रेणुकम्,दिग्गजोंके मुखसे यह बात सुनकर महाभाग देवता, पितर और ऋषि रेणुक नागकी भूरि-भूरि प्रशंसा करने लगे
diggajānāṁ ca tac chrutvā devatāḥ pitaras tathā | ṛṣayaś ca mahābhāgāḥ pūjayanti sma reṇukam ||
Hearing those words spoken by the elephants of the quarters, the blessed gods, the Pitṛs (ancestral spirits), and the great Ṛṣis began to honor and extol Reṇuka with abundant praise—affirming his worthiness and the moral authority of what had been proclaimed.
रेणुक उवाच
Educational Q&A
When a statement aligned with dharma is voiced with authority, it gains recognition across all orders of beings—divine, ancestral, and sage-like—showing that true merit naturally attracts honor and affirmation.
After the diggajas speak, the gods, Pitṛs, and Ṛṣis hear their words and respond by honoring Reṇuka, offering abundant praise as a public validation of his stature.