Shloka 29
मातापितृगुरुपूजा-प्रशंसा
Praise of Venerating Mother, Father, and Teacher
किसी भी बर्तावके कारण गुरु अपमानके योग्य नहीं होता। इसी तरह माता और पिता भी अनादरके योग्य नहीं हैं। जैसे गुरु माननीय हैं, वैसे ही माता-पिता भी हैं ।।
bhīṣma uvāca | na te ’vamānam arhanti na teṣāṃ dūṣayet kṛtam | gurūṇām eva satkāraṃ vidur devā maharṣibhiḥ ||
Bhishma disse: Eles nunca são dignos de desprezo, nem se deve falar com censura do que tenham feito. A honra prestada aos mais velhos—especialmente aos mestres—é reconhecida pelos deuses e pelos grandes rishis como honra verdadeira.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
One should not insult or disparage one’s primary elders—especially the guru (and by extension parents). Even if their actions appear flawed, dharma requires restraint from contempt and emphasizes honoring them as a pillar of moral and spiritual life.
In the Shanti Parva’s instruction on dharma, Bhishma is teaching Yudhishthira principles of righteous conduct. Here he stresses the inviolability of respect toward elders/teachers (and the parental role implied in the surrounding context), noting that such reverence is upheld as authoritative even by gods and great sages.