Mahabharata — Anushasana Parva, Shloka 496
Devaśarmā–Vipula Dialogue on Ahorātra–Ṛtu as Moral Witnesses (अनुशासन पर्व, अध्याय ४३)
यदि त्वेतदहं कुर्यामाश्चर्य स्यात् कृतं मया । “यहाँ गुरुने जो आज्ञा दी है, उसका पालन मुझे अवश्य करना चाहिये। यदि मैं ऐसा कर सका तो मेरे द्वारा यह एक आश्चर्यजनक कार्य सम्पन्न होगा
yadi tv etad ahaṁ kuryām āścaryaṁ syāt kṛtaṁ mayā |
ພີສະມະກ່າວວ່າ: «ຖ້າຂ້ອຍເຮັດສິ່ງນີ້ໄດ້ ມັນຈະເປັນການອັນນ່າອັດສະຈັນທີ່ຂ້ອຍໄດ້ສຳເລັດ. ຄຳສັ່ງຂອງອາຈານທີ່ໃຫ້ໄວ້ຢູ່ນີ້ໃນວັນນີ້ ຈຳເປັນຕ້ອງເຊື່ອຟັງ; ຖ້າຂ້ອຍປະຕິບັດໄດ້ ມັນຈະເປັນວຽກອັນພິເສດຂອງຂ້ອຍ»។
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores dharma as disciplined obedience: honoring a teacher’s instruction is presented as a demanding moral act, and successfully fulfilling it is portrayed as a rare and admirable achievement.
Bhīṣma reflects on an intended course of action tied to a command or instruction. He frames compliance as difficult yet obligatory, and he anticipates that carrying it out would be considered an extraordinary accomplishment.