12.109
Yudhiṣṭhira said.
O Bhārata, this path of dharma is great and has many branches. What, then, is considered the most essential dharma to be practiced here?
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?
Bhīṣma said.
Worship of mother, father, and teachers is highly esteemed by me; here, a man who is engaged in this attains great worlds and fame.
O Yudhishthira, whatever actions these well-honored ones would indeed recognize as righteous or opposed to dharma, that should be done.
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.
These are verily the three worlds, the three āśramas, the three Vedas, and the three sacred fires.
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.
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.
O Bhārata, conduct yourself properly in these three worlds. You will obtain fame, welfare, and the dharma that yields great rewards.
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.
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.
O Parantapa, for the one in whom these three—absence of pride, always, indeed—are teachers, neither this world nor the next exists.
Neither in this world nor in the next does his fame shine, nor is any other auspiciousness declared for him in the hereafter.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Therefore, one who desires dharma should worship, honour, and distribute with effort to teachers and the Purāṇa.
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.
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"
A teacher should never be disregarded for any reason; neither the mother nor the father is like the teacher.
They do not deserve disrespect, nor do they dishonor him. The gods together with the sages truly recognize the honor due to teachers.
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.
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.
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.
