English Commentaries

One who seeks refuge must be protected 1.62.9-11

In the “Vanaparvan”, Yudhishthira says to Bhima during the ghoshayatra, “How can you say such words to Kauravas who have approached us in fear seeking refuge? Even an ordinary king gives protection to him who seeks refuge by all means and you are Vrikodara (How can you not protect?) O Pandavas, giving a boon, kingdom and birth of a son-all the three together are not equal to the single act of rescuing an enemy from afflictions”.
During mahaprasthana these are the words of Yudhishthira to Indra-‘Turning away one who has sought refuge, killing a woman, robbing a brahmin of his possessions and betraying a friend –these four together are according to me, O Shakra, equal to abandoning a devotee’.

Obedience to elders: 1.62.17

Viswamitra cursed his sons to suffer in the mortal world subsisting on dog’s flesh. Manu says, ‘the arrogant ones who disobey their parents and preceptor would submerge head down in a pit filled with puss, faeces and urine. One who insults parents is reborn as a donkey. By making the parents and preceptor wail he is reborn as a Sarika. By tormenting them he is reborn as a tortoise. By abusing them he becomes an ass. By censuring them he becomes a dog. By enjoying (sexual pleasure) at their cost he becomes a worm and by hating them he becomes an insect. Even in distress one-especially a brahmin must not insult a preceptor, father, mother, brother and ancestor’.
In the “Anu Parvan of the Mahabharata too, it is stated, ‘One must obey a preceptor, whether right or wrong. There is no doubt that censuring preceptor burns away the lives of disciples’.