Shloka 19
मातापितृगुरुपूजा-प्रशंसा
Praise of Venerating Mother, Father, and Teacher
उभौ हि मातापितरौ जन्मन्येवोपयुज्यत: । परंतु मेरा विश्वास यह है कि गुरुका पद पिता और मातासे भी बढ़कर है; क्योंकि माता-पिता तो केवल इस शरीरको जन्म देनेके ही उपयोगमें आते हैं ।। शरीरमेव सृजत: पिता माता च भारत
ubhāv hi mātāpitarau janmany evopayujyataḥ | parantu me viśvāsa eṣaḥ yat guroḥ padaṃ pituḥ mātur api vardhate; yato mātāpitarau kevalaṃ śarīrasya janma-dāne eva upayujyete || śarīram eva sṛjataḥ pitā mātā ca bhārata ||
ພີສະມະກ່າວວ່າ: «ແມ່ແລະພໍ່ທັງສອງ ແທ້ຈິງແລ້ວຈໍາເປັນຢ່າງຍິ່ງໃນຂະນະເກີດ. ແຕ່ຄວາມເຊື່ອຂອງຂ້າແມ່ນວ່າ ສະຖານະຂອງຄູ (guru) ສູງກວ່າແມ່ພໍ່ດ້ວຍຊ້ໍາ; ເພາະແມ່ພໍ່ມີປະໂຫຍດຫຼັກໆໃນການໃຫ້ກໍ່ເກີດແຕ່ຮ່າງກາຍນີ້. ໂອ ພາຣະຕະ, ຜູ້ສ້າງແຕ່ຮ່າງກາຍຄື ພໍ່ແລະແມ່».
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Bhishma distinguishes biological parenthood from formative guidance: parents give the physical body, but the guru’s role is higher because the teacher shapes character, knowledge, and dharma—what makes a person truly fit to live rightly.
In the Shanti Parva’s instruction on righteous conduct, Bhishma addresses the listener as ‘Bharata’ and explains why reverence for the guru is paramount, grounding the claim in the different kinds of ‘giving’—bodily birth versus ethical and intellectual formation.