Manava Dharmashastra 2.144

2.144

ya ubhau śravaṇau brahmaṇā vedādhyāpanenāvṛṇoti sa mātā sa pitā jñeyaḥ | nedamadhyāpakasya mātāpitṛśabdavācyatāvidhānam | ācāryādiśabdavatprasiddhārthau hi pitṛmātṛśabdau | janakaḥ ‘pitā’, jananī ‘mātā’ | upacāreṇādhyāpakastutyarthaṃ prayujyete | yathā gaurvāhīka iti | loke hyatyantopakārakā mātāpitarau prathitau, tau hitaṃ janayato, bhaktādinā ca puṣyītāḥ, svaśarīrānapekṣamapi putrahite pravartete | ato mahopakārakatvāttābhyāmupādhyāyaḥ stūyate | yo vidyāyāmupakaroti sa sarvopakārakebhyaḥ śreyān | avitathaṃ kriyāviśeṣaṇametat | avitathena satyena brahmaṇā'nakṣaravisvaravarjitena tanna druhyet | apakāro drohastadupari avajñāṃ ca | kadācana niṣpannamanthagrahaṇe taduttarakālamapi na druhyet | tathā ca niruktakāraḥ “adhyāpitā ye gurūnnādriyante viprā vācā manasā karmaṇā vā’’—‘nādriyante’ avajñāṃ kurvanti—‘‘yathaiva te śiṣyā na gurorbhojanīyāḥ’’—na bhogāya kalpante—‘‘tathaiva tānna bhunakti śrutaṃ tat’’ | pāṭhāntaramātṛṇattīti | arthāt karṇau bhinatti vidhyatītyupamayā'dhyāpanamevocyate | ‘‘aviddhakarṇaḥ kila sa smṛto naraḥ śrutaṃ na yasya śrutigocaraṃ gatam’’ iti | sarvādhyāpakānāmāyāryopādhyāyagurūṇāmayaṃ kṛtavidyasyāpi drohapratiṣedhaḥ |

He who rightly fills one’s both ears with the Veda should be regarded as his Father and Mother; one should not, at any time, do him harm.—(144)

Medhātithi’s commentary (manubhāṣya):
‘He who fills both ears with the Veda’—by teaching—‘should be regarded as his Father and Mother.’

The present verse does not enjoin that the words ‘Father’ and ‘Mother’ denote the teacher; because these two terms, ‘Father and Mother,’ have their denotations as well known as the words ‘Ācārya’ and the rest,—that the term ‘Father’ denotes the progenitor, and ‘mother’ the progenitress. As a matter of fact, these two terms have been applied here for the purpose of indirectly eulogising the Teacher; just as in such expressions as ‘the ploughman is an ox.’ Inordinary experience the father and the mother are known as one’s best benefactors; they give one birth, bring him up with food, and seek to do good to their child, even at the risk of their body. Hence, the Teacher also, being a great benefactor, is eulogised as being equal to them; the sense being that he who helps one by imparting learning is superior to all other benefactors.

‘Rightly’—is an adverb; the sense being that the Veda imparted is right, correct; not vitiated either by the omission of letters or by wrong accent.

‘Harm’ stands for injury, and also for disrespect.

‘At any time’—i.e., even after the learning of books has been accomplished, one should do him no harm. Says the author of the Nirukta—‘ The Brāhmaṇas who, after being taught, do not honour their teachers, by word, mind and act, etc., etc.’;—‘Do not honour,’ i.e., disregard;—‘Just as such pupils are of no use to the teacher’—bring him no benefit—‘so also does the learning bring no benefit to the pupils.’

‘Ātṛṇoti’ is another reading (for ‘āvṛṇoti’ in the Text), which means ‘pierces’ or ‘penetrates’ the two ears; which figuratively implies ‘teaching’; as we find in the line—‘he is called a man with impenetrated ears whose ears hare not been reached by learning.’

This verse prohibits the doing of harm, by one even after he has acquired all the learning, to all the three kinds of Teachers—the Preceptor, the Sub-teacher and the Mentor.—(144)