Shloka 26
मातापितृगुरुपूजा-प्रशंसा
Praise of Venerating Mother, Father, and Teacher
येन प्रीणात्युपाध्यायं तेन स्याद् ब्रह्म पूजितम् । मातृतः पितृतश्वैव तस्मात् पूज्यतमो गुरु:
yena prīṇāty upādhyāyaṁ tena syād brahma pūjitam | mātṛtaḥ pitṛtaś caiva tasmāt pūjyatamo guruḥ ||
Por qualquer conduta com que o discípulo alegre e satisfaça o upādhyāya (mestre de ensino), por essa mesma conduta o Brahman supremo é adorado. Portanto, o guru é digno da mais alta reverência—mais venerável até do que mãe e pai.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Serving and pleasing one’s teacher through proper conduct is itself a form of worship of Brahman; hence the guru deserves the highest honor, even surpassing the reverence owed to parents.
In Shanti Parva, Bhishma instructs on dharma and right conduct; here he emphasizes the spiritual significance of honoring the teacher, framing it as direct worship of the Supreme.