Shloka 27
स्कन्दोपाख्यानम् — उत्पातशान्तिः, स्वाहारूपविचारः, कौमारमङ्गलक्रियाः
पज्चैव गुरवो ब्रह्मन् पुरुषस्य बुभूषत: । पिता माताग्निरात्मा च गुरुश्न द्विजसत्तम,ब्राह्मणश्रेष्ठ! उन्नति चाहनेवाले पुरुषके पाँच ही गुरु हैं--पिता, माता, अग्नि, परमात्मा तथा गुरु
pañcaiva guravo brahman puruṣasya bubhūṣataḥ | pitā mātāgnir ātmā ca guruś ca dvijasattama ||
โอ พราหมณ์ผู้ประเสริฐ! สำหรับบุรุษผู้ใฝ่ความเจริญ มีครูอยู่ห้าประการ คือ บิดา มารดา ไฟศักดิ์สิทธิ์ (อัคนี) อาตมัน (ปรมาตมัน) และอาจารย์
व्याध उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches that a seeker’s moral and spiritual formation rests on honoring five foundational authorities—parents, the sacred fire (symbolizing duty, purity, and ritual obligation), the inner Self as conscience/witness, and the external guru as guide. Dharma begins with gratitude, disciplined conduct, and reverence toward these sources of instruction.
In the Vana Parva’s Vyādha episode, the hunter instructs a Brahmin on dharma. Here he defines who truly counts as ‘guru’ for one aspiring to upliftment, expanding the idea of teacher beyond formal instruction to include parents, sacred duty, and inner moral awareness.