Shloka 11
मातापितृगुरुपूजा-प्रशंसा
Praise of Venerating Mother, Father, and Teacher
इन तीनोंकी आज्ञाका कभी उल्लंघन न करे
bhīṣma uvāca | imāṃs trīnājñāṃ kadācit na laṅghayet, etebhyo bhojanaṃ dattvā pūrvaṃ svayaṃ na bhuñjīta, eteṣu doṣāropaṇaṃ na kuryāt, sadā ca teṣāṃ sevāyāṃ saṃlagnas tiṣṭhet | etad eva paramam puṇyakarma | nṛpaśreṣṭha, teṣāṃ sevayā tvaṃ kīrtiṃ pavitraṃ yaśaś ca uttamalokāṃś ca sarvān prāpsyasi ||
Bhīṣma berkata: “Jangan pernah melanggar perintah ketiga orang itu. Jangan makan sebelum memberi mereka makan; jangan menimpakan kesalahan kepada mereka; dan senantiasalah tekun melayani mereka. Inilah sungguh laku kebajikan yang tertinggi. Wahai raja terbaik, dengan melayani mereka engkau akan meraih kemasyhuran, nama baik yang suci, dan semua dunia yang paling luhur.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Bhishma teaches that the highest merit lies in disciplined reverence: obeying the injunctions of the revered three, feeding them before oneself, refraining from blaming them, and remaining steadily devoted to their service—actions that yield both moral purity and exalted reward.
In the Shanti Parva’s instruction on dharma, Bhishma addresses the king (Yudhiṣṭhira) and prescribes concrete household and ethical conduct—especially prioritizing the care and honor of a specified triad—promising fame and higher spiritual attainments as the fruit of such service.