Shloka 17
मातापितृगुरुपूजा-प्रशंसा
Praise of Venerating Mother, Father, and Teacher
दशाचार्यानुपाध्याय उपाध्यायान् पिता दश | पितृन् दश तु मातैका सर्वा वा पृथिवीमपि
daśācāryān upādhyāya upādhyāyān pitā daś | pitṝn daśa tu mātāikā sarvā vā pṛthivīm api ||
Bhīṣma said: “An upādhyāya is to be honored as ten teachers; a father as ten upādhyāyas; but a single mother surpasses ten fathers—indeed, she is worthy of reverence even above the whole earth.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse ranks objects of reverence to stress that the mother deserves the highest honor: teachers are venerable, fathers are more venerable still, but the mother surpasses even many fathers—implying that gratitude, service, and non-injury toward one’s mother are paramount duties within dharma.
In Śānti Parva, Bhīṣma instructs Yudhiṣṭhira on righteous conduct and social-ethical duties. Here he uses a numerical comparison to emphasize the exceptional sanctity of the mother’s role and the moral obligation to honor her above other respected figures.