Shloka 21
मातापितृगुरुपूजा-प्रशंसा
Praise of Venerating Mother, Father, and Teacher
न संदुष्यति तत् कृत्वा न च ते दूषयन्ति तम् । धर्माय यतमानानां दिदुर्देवा महर्षिभि:,पिता-माता यदि कोई अपराध करें तो भी वे सदा अवध्य ही हैं; क्योंकि पुत्र या शिष्य पिता-माता और गुरुका अपराध करके भी उनकी दृष्टिमें दूषित नहीं होते हैं। वे गुरुजन पुत्र या शिष्यपर स्नेहवश दोषारोपण नहीं करते; बल्कि सदा उसे धर्मके मार्गपर ही ले जानेका प्रयत्न करते हैं। ऐसे पिता-माता आदि गुरुजनोंका महत्त्व महर्षियोंसहित देवता ही जानते हैं
na saṃduṣyati tat kṛtvā na ca te dūṣayanti tam | dharmāya yatamānānāṃ vidur devā maharṣibhiḥ ||
Bhishma said: “Even if one were to commit an offence against them, one does not become tainted thereby, nor do they (the elders) brand him as tainted. The gods, together with the great seers, know the true stature of those who strive to lead others toward dharma—such as parents and teachers—who, out of affection, do not fix blame on the son or disciple but continually endeavor to guide him onto the righteous path.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Parents and teachers, as benevolent guides toward dharma, are to be regarded as fundamentally non-condemnable; even if a son or disciple errs toward them, they do not (by nature and duty) fix lasting blame but seek to reform and lead him back to righteousness.
In Shanti Parva, Bhishma instructs Yudhishthira on dharma after the war. Here he emphasizes the special moral status of elders—especially parents and gurus—highlighting their forgiving, corrective role recognized by gods and great seers.