Shloka 71
Ādi-parva Adhyāya 3 — Janamejaya’s Rite, Dhaumya’s Parīkṣā, and Uttanka’s Kuṇḍala Quest (सर्पसत्रप्रस्तावना–गुरुपरीक्षा–उत्तङ्कोपाख्यान)
ततस्तमश्रिनावूचतु:--आवाभ्यां पुरस्ताद् भवत उपाध्यायेनैवमेवाभिष्टृता भ्यामपूपो दत्त उपयुक्त: स तेनानिवेद्य गुरवे त्वमपि तथैव कुरुष्व यथा कृतमुपाध्यायेनेति,तब दोनों अश्विनीकुमार बोले--“वत्स! पहले तुम्हारे उपाध्यायने भी हमारी इसी प्रकार स्तुति की थी। उस समय हमने उन्हें जो पूआ दिया था, उसे उन्होंने अपने गुरुजीको निवेदन किये बिना ही काममें ले लिया था। तुम्हारे उपाध्यायने जैसा किया है, वैसा ही तुम भी करो”
tatas tam aśvināv ūcatuḥ—āvābhyāṃ purastād bhavata upādhyāyenaivam evābhiṣṭutābhyām apūpo datta upayuktaḥ; sa tenānivedya gurave tvam api tathaiva kuruṣva yathā kṛtam upādhyāyeneti.
Pagkaraan, sinabi ng dalawang Aśvin sa kanya: “Anak, noon pa man ay pinuri rin kami ng iyong guro sa ganitong paraan. Nang panahong iyon, binigyan namin siya ng pūpa, at ginamit niya iyon nang hindi muna ipinapaalam sa kanyang sariling guro. Ikaw man ay gawin mo rin ang ginawa ng iyong guro.”
राम उवाच
Educational Q&A
The passage foregrounds the ethical danger of justifying questionable conduct by citing precedent. Even if a respected teacher acted without offering to his guru, that does not automatically make imitation righteous; the narrative invites reflection on proper respect and obligation toward one’s guru.
The Aśvin twins address a person who has praised them. They recall that the person’s teacher once praised them similarly, received a cake from them, and used it without informing his own guru. They then instruct the current recipient to do the same—mirroring the teacher’s earlier act.