Shloka 24
अध्याय १४६ — निशायां सात्यकिदुर्योधनयुद्धम् / Chapter 146 — Night Battle: Sātyaki and Duryodhana; Śakuni’s Encirclement of Arjuna
न ज्ञातिमवमन्यन्ते वृद्धानां शासने रता: । न देवासुरगन्धर्वा न यक्षोरगराक्षसा:
na jñātim avamanyante vṛddhānāṃ śāsane ratāḥ | na devāsura-gandharvā na yakṣoraga-rākṣasāḥ ||
Sañjaya berkata: “Mereka yang gemar mematuhi tata tertib yang ditetapkan oleh para tua-tua tidak akan meremehkan kaum kerabat sendiri. Bahkan para dewa, asura, gandharva, yakṣa, nāga, dan rākṣasa pun tidak bertindak sebaliknya.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
Respect for one’s kin is upheld as a mark of dharma, especially for those committed to the guidance and discipline of elders; the verse universalizes this norm by saying that even superhuman classes are not exceptions to it.
In the Drona Parva’s war narration, Sañjaya emphasizes a moral standard—obedience to elder counsel and the refusal to dishonor relatives—framing the conduct expected amid the turmoil of battle.