Shloka 7
अध्याय ५७ — राज्ञः नित्यप्रयत्नः, रक्षा-प्रधानता, तथा त्याग-नीतिः
Chapter 57: Constant Royal Vigilance, Primacy of Protection, and Principles of Dismissal
गुरोरप्यवलिप्तस्य कार्याकार्यमजानत: । उत्पथप्रतिपन्नस्य दण्डो भवति शाश्वत:
guror apy avaliptasya kāryākāryam ajānataḥ | utpatha-pratipannasya daṇḍo bhavati śāśvataḥ ||
Bhishma enseigne que même un guru n’échappe pas à la responsabilité : si, enflé d’orgueil, il ne discerne plus ce qu’il faut faire de ce qu’il ne faut pas faire, et s’est engagé sur une voie dévoyée, alors la règle intemporelle veut que le châtiment puisse, à bon droit, s’appliquer même à lui. Le dharma est plus haut que le rang ; l’autorité sans conduite juste perd son immunité.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
No social or spiritual status grants exemption from dharma: if a guru becomes arrogant, loses discernment of duty and prohibition, and follows a wrongful path, then applying lawful punishment is upheld as an ancient, enduring rule.
In the Shanti Parva’s instruction on dharma and governance, Bhishma lays down a normative principle for rulers and society: discipline (daṇḍa) is meant to protect righteousness, and it may extend even to revered figures like a guru when their conduct becomes harmful and adharma-driven.