Shloka 47
Yajña-bhāga-vyavasthā and the Pravṛtti–Nivṛtti Framework (यज्ञभागव्यवस्था तथा प्रवृत्तिनिवृत्तिधर्मविवेचनम्)
परीक्षेत तथा शिष्यानीक्षेत् कुलगुणादिभि: । “जैसे आगमें तपाने, काटने और कसौटीपर कसनेसे शुद्ध सोनेकी परख की जाती है, उसी प्रकार कुल और गुण आदिके द्वारा शिष्योंकी परीक्षा करनी चाहिये ।।
parīkṣeta tathā śiṣyān īkṣet kula-guṇādibhiḥ | yathāgnau tāpanāc chedanāt kaṣāyāṃ ca suvarṇasya śuddhiḥ parīkṣyate tathā kula-guṇādibhiḥ śiṣyāḥ parīkṣaṇīyāḥ | na niyojyāś ca vaḥ śiṣyā aniyoge mahābhaye |
ビーシュマは言った。「弟子たちを慎重に見極めよ。家柄、品性、その他の資質によって判断するのだ。純金が火で焼かれ、切られ、試金石で擦られて試されるように、弟子もまた血統、行い、徳によって試されねばならぬ。さらに、弟子を不当な務めや、大いなる危険を招く企てに就かせてはならない。教えの実りは各々の知性と精進に応じて現れる。ゆえに彼らを導き、険しい難局を越えさせ、安寧を求めさせよ。」
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
A teacher must carefully assess a student’s character and suitability—like assaying gold—and must not involve students in improper or dangerously harmful undertakings; learning succeeds according to aptitude and effort, so guidance should aim at the student’s welfare.
In Bhishma’s instruction discourse in the Shanti Parva, he lays down ethical norms for pedagogy: how to evaluate disciples and what kinds of actions a teacher should never demand of them.