Shloka 8
Bhīmasya paruṣa-vākyaṃ
Bhīma’s Harsh Speech Heard by Dhṛtarāṣṭra and Gāndhārī
अहं तु पुत्रो भगवन् पिता राजा गुरुश्न मे । निदेशवर्ती च पितु: पुत्रो भवति धर्मत:
ahaṃ tu putro bhagavan pitā rājā guruś ca me | nideśavartī ca pituḥ putro bhavati dharmataḥ ||
“But I am the son, O venerable one; the king is my father and also my teacher. By dharma, a son is bound to follow his father’s commands—how, then, could he presume to issue commands to his father?”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse emphasizes putra-dharma: a son’s ethical obligation is to honor and obey his father, who is also regarded as a guru. This frames authority as flowing from parent/teacher to child, making it improper for the son to command the father.
In the Ashramavāsika context, a speaker (as reported by Vaiśaṃpāyana) expresses reluctance to direct or overrule King Dhṛtarāṣṭra, arguing that since Dhṛtarāṣṭra is his father and teacher, dharma requires the son to follow the father’s instructions rather than issue instructions to him.