Shloka 16

Bhīṣma’s Counsel on Reconciliation and Partition (भीष्मोपदेशः—संधि-राज्यविभागविचारः)

Devanagari script

गुरोहि वचन प्राहुर्धर्म्य धर्मज्ञसत्तम । गुरूणां चैव सर्वेषां माता परमको गुरु:,धर्मज्ञोंमें श्रेष्ठ व्यासजी! गुरुजनोंकी आज्ञाको धर्मसंगत बताया गया है और समस्त गुरुओंमें माता परम गुरु मानी गयी है

Transliteration

yudhiṣṭhira uvāca |

guroḥ hi vacanaṁ prāhur dharmyaṁ dharmajñasattama |

gurūṇāṁ caiva sarveṣāṁ mātā paramako guruḥ ||

Translation

యుధిష్ఠిరుడు అన్నాడు—ధర్మజ్ఞులలో శ్రేష్ఠుడా! గురువు ఆజ్ఞ ధర్మ్యమని చెప్పబడింది; మరియు సమస్త గురువులలో తల్లి పరమగురువుగా భావించబడుతుంది.

Word by Word

गुरोःof the teacher

हिindeed/for

वचनम्word/command

प्राहुःthey have said/declare

धर्म्यम्righteous, in accordance with dharma

धर्मज्ञ-सत्तमO best of knowers of dharma

गुरूणाम्of teachers/elders

चand

एवindeed/just

सर्वेषाम्of all

माताmother

परमकःsupreme/most excellent

गुरुःteacher/elder

Speaker

युधिछिर उवाच

Characters & Entities

Yudhiṣṭhira

Vyāsa (implied by the address dharmajñasattama)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse teaches that obedience to a true guru’s instruction is considered dharmic, and it elevates the mother as the foremost authority among all gurus—highlighting gratitude, reverence, and ethical discipline rooted in family and tradition.

What is happening in the narrative?

Yudhiṣṭhira is speaking in a dharma-centered discussion, addressing a foremost knower of dharma (understood as Vyāsa), and articulating a principle of conduct: the legitimacy of following a guru’s command and the special preeminence of the mother among revered elders.