Shloka 21
स्कन्दोपाख्यानम् — उत्पातशान्तिः, स्वाहारूपविचारः, कौमारमङ्गलक्रियाः
एतौ मे परम॑ ब्रह्मनू पिता माता च दैवतम् । एतौ पुष्पै: फलै रत्नैस्तोषयामि सदा द्विज,ब्रह्मन्! ये माता-पिता ही मेरे सर्वश्रेष्ठ देवता हैं। मैं सदा फ़ूल, फल तथा रत्नोंसे इन्हींको संतुष्ट करता हूँ
etau me paramaṁ brahmanū pitā mātā ca daivatam | etau puṣpaiḥ phalai ratnaistōṣayāmi sadā dvija brahman ||
ബ്രാഹ്മണാ! എനിക്ക് ഈ അച്ഛനും അമ്മയും തന്നെയാണ് പരമദൈവം. ഹേ ദ്വിജാ! ഞാൻ എപ്പോഴും പുഷ്പം, ഫലം, രത്നം മുതലായവകൊണ്ട് ഇവരെ തന്നെ സന്തോഷിപ്പിക്കുന്നു.
व्याध उवाच
Educational Q&A
True dharma is shown through lived conduct: honoring and serving one’s parents is presented as the highest form of worship, even above external ritualism.
In the Vana Parva dialogue, the hunter instructs a Brahmin by pointing to his own parents and declaring them his supreme deities, explaining that he regularly pleases them with offerings such as flowers, fruits, and valuables.