Mahabharata — Anushasana Parva, Shloka 46
आचारप्रशंसा
Praise of Ācāra as the Basis of Longevity, Fame, and Prosperity
अकृत्वा देवपूजां च नाभिगच्छेत् कदाचन । अन्यत्र तु गुरुं वृद्ध धार्मिक वा विचक्षणम्,देवपूजा किये बिना गुरु, वृद्ध, धार्मिक तथा विद्वान् पुरुषको छोड़कर दूसरे किसीके पास न जाय
akṛtvā devapūjāṃ ca nābhigacchet kadācana | anyatra tu guruṃ vṛddhaṃ dhārmikaṃ vā vicakṣaṇam ||
Sinabi ni Bhishma: “Huwag kailanman pumunta upang makipagkita kaninuman nang hindi muna sumasamba sa mga diyos. Ang tanging pagbubukod ay kung pupunta sa isang guro, sa nakatatanda, o sa taong matuwid at may malinaw na paghatol.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Maintain a disciplined, reverent daily conduct: begin engagements with divine worship, while recognizing that service to a guru, elders, and truly righteous or wise persons is itself an urgent and sanctifying duty that may be approached even without prior ritual.
In the Anushasana Parva, Bhishma instructs Yudhishthira on dharma and proper conduct. Here he gives a practical rule of etiquette and spirituality: ordinarily worship first, then go about social interactions, with an explicit exception for approaching teachers, elders, and virtuous or discerning people.