Shloka 17
शान्ति पर्व (अध्याय 38): युधिष्ठिरस्य राजधर्म-जिज्ञासा तथा भीष्मोपसर्पण-प्रस्तावना | Shanti Parva Chapter 38: Yudhishthira’s Inquiry into Rajadharma and the Prelude to Approaching Bhishma
तांस्तु वै पूजयामास कौन्तेयो विधिवद् द्विजान् | धौम्यं गुरु पुरस्कृत्य ज्येष्ठं पितरमेव च,कुन्तीकुमार युधिष्ठिरने गुरु धौम्य तथा ताऊ धृतराष्ट्रको आगे करके उन सभी ब्राह्मणोंका विधिपूर्वक पूजन किया
tāṁs tu vai pūjayāmāsa kaunteyo vidhivad dvijān | dhaumyaṁ guru-puraskṛtya jyeṣṭhaṁ pitaram eva ca ||
Vaiśaṃpāyana said: Then the son of Kuntī (Yudhiṣṭhira) duly honored those twice-born brāhmaṇas according to proper rite and custom, placing his preceptor Dhaumya in the foremost position, and also giving precedence to the eldest father-figure as well. The scene underscores the ethic of dharma: reverence to teachers, elders, and the learned is not mere formality but a deliberate act of righteous governance and self-discipline.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Dharma is expressed through disciplined reverence: honoring the learned (dvijas), giving precedence to one’s guru, and respecting elders/father-figures. Proper conduct (vidhivat) is presented as an ethical foundation for righteous leadership.
Yudhiṣṭhira formally performs due honors to assembled brāhmaṇas, explicitly placing his preceptor Dhaumya at the forefront and also honoring the senior-most elder regarded as a father-figure.