Shloka 26
मोक्षोपाय-निर्णयः
Determination of the Means to Liberation
श्रेयस: श्रेयसो<प्येवं वृत्तं लोको<नुवर्तते । सदैव हि गुरोर्वृत्तमनुवर्तन्ति मानवा:
śreyasaḥ śreyaso 'pyevaṁ vṛttaṁ loko 'nuvartate | sadaiva hi guror vṛttam anuvartanti mānavāḥ ||
अशा रीतीने जो श्रेष्ठ आहे—आणि श्रेष्ठांमध्येही जो परम श्रेष्ठ आहे—त्याच्या सद्वर्तनाचेच लोक अनुकरण करतात. कारण मनुष्य स्वभावतः नेहमीच वडीलधाऱ्यांचे व गुरूंचे आचरण अनुसरतात.
हुमत्सेन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Society takes its moral direction from exemplars: people naturally imitate the conduct of the best persons, especially elders and teachers; therefore the virtuous must be careful that their behavior itself teaches dharma.
In the didactic setting of the Śānti Parva, Humatsena states a general principle about human psychology and social ethics: the world follows the behavior of superior persons, and humans habitually copy the conduct of gurus and elders.