Shloka 26
मातापितृगुरुपूजा-प्रशंसा
Praise of Venerating Mother, Father, and Teacher
येन प्रीणात्युपाध्यायं तेन स्याद् ब्रह्म पूजितम् । मातृतः पितृतश्वैव तस्मात् पूज्यतमो गुरु:,जिस कर्मसे शिष्य उपाध्याय (विद्यागुरु) को प्रसन्न करता है, उसीके द्वारा परब्रह्म परमात्माकी पूजा सम्पन्न हो जाती है; अतः गुरु माता-पितासे भी अधिक पूजनीय है
yena prīṇāty upādhyāyaṁ tena syād brahma pūjitam | mātṛtaḥ pitṛtaś caiva tasmāt pūjyatamo guruḥ ||
Bhishma said: By whatever conduct a student gladdens and satisfies his teacher, by that very conduct the Supreme Brahman is worshipped. Therefore the guru is worthy of the highest reverence—indeed more venerable than one’s mother and father.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Serving and pleasing one’s teacher through proper conduct is itself a form of worship of Brahman; hence the guru deserves the highest honor, even surpassing the reverence owed to parents.
In Shanti Parva, Bhishma instructs on dharma and right conduct; here he emphasizes the spiritual significance of honoring the teacher, framing it as direct worship of the Supreme.