Shloka 7
मातापितृगुरुपूजा-प्रशंसा
Praise of Venerating Mother, Father, and Teacher
पिता वै गार्हपत्यो<ग्निर्मातानिनिर्दक्षिण: स्मृत: । गुरुराहवनीयस्तु साग्नित्रेता गरीयसी
bhīṣma uvāca | pitā vai gārhapatyo 'gnir mātā cāgnir dakṣiṇaḥ smṛtaḥ | gurur āhavanīyas tu sāgnitretā garīyasī ||
Bhishma disse: “O pai deve ser considerado o fogo Gārhapatya; a mãe é lembrada como o fogo Dakṣiṇa; e o mestre é a forma do fogo Āhavanīya. Assim, esta tríade de ‘fogos’ encarnada nos pais e no preceptor é mais pesada em honra do que os fogos rituais comuns.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Parents and the teacher deserve the same (or greater) reverence as the sacred ritual fires; serving and honoring them is presented as a central ethical duty within dharma.
In Bhishma’s instruction on dharma in the Shanti Parva, he uses Vedic ritual symbolism—identifying father, mother, and guru with the three fires—to emphasize their supreme sanctity and the obligation to honor them.