Shloka 15
Brāhmaṇa-vandana: Criteria for Veneration, Disciplined Speech, and Protective Kingship (अनुशासनपर्व, अध्याय ८)
न मे पिता प्रियतरो ब्राह्मणेभ्यस्तथाभवत् । न मे पितु: पिता वापि ये चान्येडपि सुहृज्जना:
na me pitā priyataro brāhmaṇebhyas tathābhavat | na me pituḥ pitā vāpi ye cānye ’pi suhṛjjanāḥ |
Wika ni Bhishma: “Para sa akin, ang aking ama ay hindi kailanman naging higit na mahal kaysa sa mga Brahmin; gayundin ang ama ng aking ama (ang aking lolo), ni sinumang kamag-anak na may mabuting hangarin—hindi ko sila itinuring na higit na mahal kaysa sa mga Brahmin. Lagi kong inilalagay ang paggalang sa mga Brahmin sa ibabaw ng pansariling pagkakapit, sapagkat ito ang landas na nagtataguyod ng dharma.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Bhishma teaches that reverence for Brahmins and the dharmic order they represent should take precedence over personal affection for even one’s closest relatives; duty and respect for sacred learning are placed above private attachment.
In the Anushasana Parva’s instruction section, Bhishma is explaining values and conduct. Here he underscores his own hierarchy of loyalties: he did not consider his father, grandfather, or other well-wishers dearer than Brahmins, presenting this as a principled commitment to dharma.