Shloka 4
मातापितृगुरुपूजा-प्रशंसा
Praise of Venerating Mother, Father, and Teacher
यच्च ते5भ्यनुजानीयु: कर्म तात सुपूजिता: । धर्माधर्मविरुद्धं वा तत् कर्तव्यं युधिष्ठिर
yac ca te 'bhyanujānīyuḥ karma tāta supūjitāḥ | dharmādharmaviruddhaṃ vā tat kartavyaṃ yudhiṣṭhira ||
Bhīṣma dit : «Mon enfant, Yudhiṣṭhira, quelle que soit l’action que tes aînés — parents et maîtres — dûment honorés t’autorisent ou t’ordonnent, c’est cela que tu dois accomplir, même si elle paraît conforme au dharma ou opposée à lui.»
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Bhīṣma emphasizes deference to duly revered elders—especially parents and teachers—presenting obedience to their sanctioned instruction as a binding duty, even when the act seems to fall into a dharma–adharma tension.
In the Śānti Parva’s instruction to Yudhiṣṭhira after the war, Bhīṣma continues outlining norms of conduct and duty, here stressing the authority of honoured elders (parents and gurus) in guiding action.