Mahabharata — Anushasana Parva, Shloka 15
Brāhmaṇa-vandana: Criteria for Veneration, Disciplined Speech, and Protective Kingship (अनुशासनपर्व, अध्याय ८)
न मे पिता प्रियतरो ब्राह्मणेभ्यस्तथाभवत् । न मे पितु: पिता वापि ये चान्येडपि सुहृज्जना:
na me pitā priyataro brāhmaṇebhyas tathābhavat | na me pituḥ pitā vāpi ye cānye ’pi suhṛjjanāḥ |
Bhishma dit : «Pour moi, mon père ne fut jamais plus cher que les brahmanes ; pas davantage le père de mon père (mon aïeul), ni aucun autre parent animé de bienveillance ne fut tenu par moi pour plus cher que les brahmanes. J’ai toujours placé la révérence envers les brahmanes au-dessus de tout attachement personnel, car telle est la voie qui soutient le dharma.»
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Bhishma teaches that reverence for Brahmins and the dharmic order they represent should take precedence over personal affection for even one’s closest relatives; duty and respect for sacred learning are placed above private attachment.
In the Anushasana Parva’s instruction section, Bhishma is explaining values and conduct. Here he underscores his own hierarchy of loyalties: he did not consider his father, grandfather, or other well-wishers dearer than Brahmins, presenting this as a principled commitment to dharma.