12.109
युधिष्ठिर उवाच॥
Yudhiṣṭhira said.
महानयं धर्मपथो बहुशाखश्च भारत। किं स्विदेवेह धर्माणामनुष्ठेयतमं मतम् ॥१२-१०९-१॥
O Bhārata, this path of dharma is great and has many branches. What, then, is considered the most essential dharma to be practiced here?
किं कार्यं सर्वधर्माणां गरीयो भवतो मतम्। यथायं पुरुषो धर्ममिह च प्रेत्य चाप्नुयात् ॥१२-१०९-२॥
What, in your opinion, is the most important duty among all dharmas, by which a person may attain dharma both in this life and after death?
भीष्म उवाच॥
Bhīṣma said.
मातापित्रोर्गुरूणां च पूजा बहुमता मम। अत्र युक्तो नरो लोकान्यशश्च महदश्नुते ॥१२-१०९-३॥
Worship of mother, father, and teachers is highly esteemed by me; here, a man who is engaged in this attains great worlds and fame.
यदेते ह्यभिजानीयुः कर्म तात सुपूजिताः। धर्म्यं धर्मविरुद्धं वा तत्कर्तव्यं युधिष्ठिर ॥१२-१०९-४॥
O Yudhishthira, whatever actions these well-honored ones would indeed recognize as righteous or opposed to dharma, that should be done.
न तैरनभ्यनुज्ञातो धर्ममन्यं प्रकल्पयेत्। यमेतेऽभ्यनुजानीयुः स धर्म इति निश्चयः ॥१२-१०९-५॥
One should not institute any other duty that is not permitted by them. The duty which these permit, that alone is to be regarded as duty—this is the settled conclusion.
एत एव त्रयो लोका एत एवाश्रमास्त्रयः। एत एव त्रयो वेदा एत एव त्रयोऽग्नयः ॥१२-१०९-६॥
These are verily the three worlds, the three āśramas, the three Vedas, and the three sacred fires.
पिता ह्यग्निर्गार्हपत्यो माताग्निर्दक्षिणः स्मृतः। गुरुराहवनीयस्तु साग्नित्रेता गरीयसी ॥१२-१०९-७॥
The father is indeed regarded as Agni, the household fire; the mother is considered Agni, the southern fire. The teacher is the sacrificial fire, but among those with the three fires, the teacher is the greatest.
त्रिष्वप्रमाद्यन्नेतेषु त्रीँल्लोकानवजेष्यसि। पितृवृत्त्या त्विमं लोकं मातृवृत्त्या तथापरम् ॥ ब्रह्मलोकं गुरोर्वृत्त्या नित्यमेव चरिष्यसि ॥१२-१०९-८॥
By not being negligent in these three, you will conquer the three worlds. By following the conduct of the father, you will attain this world; by following the conduct of the mother, likewise the next world. By following the conduct of the teacher, you will always attain the world of Brahma.
सम्यगेतेषु वर्तस्व त्रिषु लोकेषु भारत। यशः प्राप्स्यसि भद्रं ते धर्मं च सुमहाफलम् ॥१२-१०९-९॥
O Bhārata, conduct yourself properly in these three worlds. You will obtain fame, welfare, and the dharma that yields great rewards.
नैतानतिशयेज्जातु नात्यश्नीयान्न दूषयेत्। नित्यं परिचरेच्चैव तद्वै सुकृतमुत्तमम् ॥ कीर्तिं पुण्यं यशो लोकान्प्राप्स्यसे च जनाधिप ॥१२-१०९-१०॥
One should never transgress these, never overeat, nor cause harm. Always serve; that is truly the highest virtue. By this, O ruler of men, you will attain fame, merit, glory, and heavenly worlds.
सर्वे तस्यादृता लोका यस्यैते त्रय आदृताः। अनादृतास्तु यस्यैते सर्वास्तस्याफलाः क्रियाः ॥१२-१०९-११॥
All the worlds of that person are not respected if these three are respected. But if all these are not respected, then all his actions are fruitless.
नैवायं न परो लोकस्तस्य चैव परन्तप। अमानिता नित्यमेव यस्यैते गुरवस्त्रयः ॥१२-१०९-१२॥
O Parantapa, for the one in whom these three—absence of pride, always, indeed—are teachers, neither this world nor the next exists.
न चास्मिन्न परे लोके यशस्तस्य प्रकाशते। न चान्यदपि कल्याणं पारत्रं समुदाहृतम् ॥१२-१०९-१३॥
Neither in this world nor in the next does his fame shine, nor is any other auspiciousness declared for him in the hereafter.
तेभ्य एव तु तत्सर्वं कृत्यया विसृजाम्यहम्। तदासीन्मे शतगुणं सहस्रगुणमेव च ॥ तस्मान्मे सम्प्रकाशन्ते त्रयो लोका युधिष्ठिर ॥१२-१०९-१४॥
But to them, I send forth all this by action. That returned to me a hundredfold and a thousandfold. Therefore, O Yudhishthira, the three worlds shine forth to me.
दशैव तु सदाचार्यः श्रोत्रियानतिरिच्यते। दशाचार्यानुपाध्याय उपाध्यायान्पिता दश ॥१२-१०९-१५॥
A single good teacher is considered superior to ten Vedic scholars; one sub-teacher is equal to ten teachers, and one father is equal to ten sub-teachers.
पितॄन्दश तु मातैका सर्वां वा पृथिवीमपि। गुरुत्वेनाभिभवति नास्ति मातृसमो गुरुः ॥ गुरुर्गरीयान्पितृतो मातृतश्चेति मे मतिः ॥१२-१०९-१६॥
A single mother, or even the whole earth, outweighs ten fathers in greatness; there is no teacher equal to the mother. The teacher is greater than both the father and the mother—this is my belief.
उभौ हि मातापितरौ जन्मनि व्युपयुज्यतः। शरीरमेतौ सृजतः पिता माता च भारत ॥ आचार्यशिष्टा या जातिः सा दिव्या साजरामरा ॥१२-१०९-१७॥
O Bhārata, both mother and father are involved at birth; these two create the body, father and mother. But the birth which is imparted by the teacher is divine, transcending both mortals and immortals.
अवध्या हि सदा माता पिता चाप्यपकारिणौ। न संदुष्यति तत्कृत्वा न च ते दूषयन्ति तम् ॥ धर्माय यतमानानां विदुर्देवाः सहर्षिभिः ॥१२-१०९-१८॥
Mother and father are always not to be killed, even if they cause harm; by acting thus, one is not tainted, nor do they taint him. The gods, along with the sages, recognize those who strive for righteousness.
य आवृणोत्यवितथेन कर्णा; वृतं ब्रुवन्नमृतं सम्प्रयच्छन्। तं वै मन्ये पितरं मातरं च; तस्मै न द्रुह्येत्कृतमस्य जानन् ॥१२-१०९-१९॥
He who protects the ears with truth, speaks truth, and bestows immortality—I consider him as both father and mother; knowing his deeds, one should never harm such a person.
विद्यां श्रुत्वा ये गुरुं नाद्रियन्ते; प्रत्यासन्नं मनसा कर्मणा वा। यथैव ते गुरुभिर्भावनीया; स्तथा तेषां गुरवोऽप्यर्चनीयाः ॥१२-१०९-२०॥
Those who, after hearing knowledge, do not respect their teacher—whether they are near in mind or in action—should be regarded by teachers just as they are; likewise, their teachers also are to be honored.
तस्मात्पूजयितव्याश्च संविभज्याश्च यत्नतः। गुरवोऽर्चयितव्याश्च पुराणं धर्ममिच्छता ॥१२-१०९-२१॥
Therefore, one who desires dharma should worship, honour, and distribute with effort to teachers and the Purāṇa.
येन प्रीताश्च पितरस्तेन प्रीतः पितामहः। प्रीणाति मातरं येन पृथिवी तेन पूजिता ॥१२-१०९-२२॥
He by whom the ancestors are pleased, by him the grandfather is also pleased. He who pleases the mother, by him the earth is worshipped.
येन प्रीणात्युपाध्यायं तेन स्याद्ब्रह्म पूजितम्। मातृतः पितृतश्चैव तस्मात्पूज्यतमो गुरुः ॥ ऋषयश्च हि देवाश्च प्रीयन्ते पितृभिः सह ॥१२-१०९-२३॥
Whoever pleases the teacher, by that act Brahman is worshipped. The teacher is more worthy of reverence than even the mother and father; therefore, the teacher is the most venerable. The sages and the gods are pleased together with the ancestors. "12-109-23"
न केनचन वृत्तेन ह्यवज्ञेयो गुरुर्भवेत्। न च माता न च पिता तादृशो यादृशो गुरुः ॥१२-१०९-२४॥
A teacher should never be disregarded for any reason; neither the mother nor the father is like the teacher.
न तेऽवमानमर्हन्ति न च ते दूषयन्ति तम्। गुरूणामेव सत्कारं विदुर्देवाः सहर्षिभिः ॥१२-१०९-२५॥
They do not deserve disrespect, nor do they dishonor him. The gods together with the sages truly recognize the honor due to teachers.
उपाध्यायं पितरं मातरं च; येऽभिद्रुह्यन्ति मनसा कर्मणा वा। तेषां पापं भ्रूणहत्याविशिष्टं; तस्मान्नान्यः पापकृदस्ति लोके ॥१२-१०९-२६॥
Those who offend their teacher, father, or mother, whether in thought or in action, incur a sin equal to the killing of a fetus; therefore, there is no greater sinner in the world.
मित्रद्रुहः कृतघ्नस्य स्त्रीघ्नस्य पिशुनस्य च। चतुर्णां वयमेतेषां निष्कृतिं नानुशुश्रुमः ॥१२-१०९-२७॥
We have not heard of any atonement for these four: one who harms a friend, one who is ungrateful, one who kills a woman, and one who slanders others.
एतत्सर्वमतिदेशेन सृष्टं; यत्कर्तव्यं पुरुषेणेह लोके। एतच्छ्रेयो नान्यदस्माद्विशिष्टं; सर्वान्धर्माननुसृत्यैतदुक्तम् ॥१२-१०९-२८॥
All this has been established by extension as what should be done by a person in this world. This is the highest good; there is nothing superior to this. Having followed all dharmas, this has been declared.
