Shloka 25
Śīla-prāpti and Śīla-lakṣaṇa (शीलप्राप्ति-शीललक्षणम्) | On the Acquisition and Marks of Character
गुरवो हि परं धर्म यं ब्रूयुस्तं तथा कुरु । गुरूणां हि प्रसादाद वै श्रेय: परमवाप्स्यसि
guravo hi paraṃ dharmaṃ yaṃ brūyus taṃ tathā kuru | gurūṇāṃ hi prasādād vai śreyaḥ param avāpsyasi, rājan ||
Kāmandaka berkata: “Para guru sesungguhnya adalah kewibawaan tertinggi dalam dharma. Apa jua dharma yang mereka ajarkan, amalkanlah tepat sebagaimana itu. Kerana rahmat para guru, wahai raja, engkau akan mencapai kebaikan yang tertinggi.”
कामन्दक उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches that a king (or any seeker) should treat the guidance of qualified gurus as the highest standard for dharma and follow it precisely; the guru’s favor and approval become the means to attaining the supreme welfare (śreyas).
In Śānti Parva’s instruction on righteous conduct and governance, Kāmandaka addresses a king, urging him to conform his actions to what his teachers prescribe, emphasizing that the guru’s grace leads to ultimate good.