Sacred Texts Hinduism Index Previous Next
1. A man has three Atigurus (or specially venerable superiors):
2. His father, his mother, and his spiritual teacher.
3. To them he must always pay obedience.
4. What they say, that he must do.
5. And he must do what is agreeable and serviceable to them.
6. Let him never do anything without their leave.
7. Those three are equal to the three Vedas (Rig-veda, Sâma-veda, and Yagur-veda), they are equal to the three gods (Brahman, Vishnu, and Siva), they are equal to the three worlds (of men, of gods, and of Brahman), they are equal to the three fires.
8. The father is the Gârhapatya (or household) fire, the mother is the Dakshina (or ceremonial) fire, and the spiritual teacher is the Âhavanîya (or sacrificial) fire.
9. He pays regard to all his duties, who pays regard to those three; he who shows no regard to
[XXXI. 1-6. M. II, 225, 226, 228, 229; Âpast. I, 4, 14, 6; Gaut. II, 50, 51.--7. M. II, 230.--8. M. II, 231; Âpast. I, 1, 3, 44.--9. M. II, 234.--10. M. II, 233.
9. 'The father is said to be of the same nature as the Gârhapatya fire, because the Âhavanîya is produced from it; the mother is said to be of the same nature as the Dakshina fire, because it {footnote p. 129} has a separate origin, or because she has the sacrificial implements, such as the pestle and mortar and the like, in her charge; and the spiritual teacher is said to be of the same nature as the Âhavanîya fire, because all oblations fall to his share, as the Smriti says (Y. I, 27), "Let him (the pupil) deliver to him (the teacher) the collected alms."' (Nand.)]
them, derives no benefit from any religious observance.
10. By honouring his mother, he gains the present world; by honouring his father, the world of gods; and by paying strict obedience to his spiritual teacher, the world of Brahman.