Shloka 15
Brāhmaṇa-vandana: Criteria for Veneration, Disciplined Speech, and Protective Kingship (अनुशासनपर्व, अध्याय ८)
न मे पिता प्रियतरो ब्राह्मणेभ्यस्तथाभवत् । न मे पितु: पिता वापि ये चान्येडपि सुहृज्जना:
na me pitā priyataro brāhmaṇebhyas tathābhavat | na me pituḥ pitā vāpi ye cānye ’pi suhṛjjanāḥ |
Bhishma disse: “Para mim, meu pai jamais foi mais querido do que os brâmanes; tampouco o pai de meu pai (meu avô), nem quaisquer outros parentes bem-intencionados foram por mim tidos como mais queridos do que os brâmanes. Sempre coloquei a reverência aos brâmanes acima do apego pessoal, pois este é o caminho que sustenta o dharma.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Bhishma teaches that reverence for Brahmins and the dharmic order they represent should take precedence over personal affection for even one’s closest relatives; duty and respect for sacred learning are placed above private attachment.
In the Anushasana Parva’s instruction section, Bhishma is explaining values and conduct. Here he underscores his own hierarchy of loyalties: he did not consider his father, grandfather, or other well-wishers dearer than Brahmins, presenting this as a principled commitment to dharma.