Manava Dharmashastra 2.205

2.205

uktā guruvṛttiridānīmanyatrātidiśyate | adhyayanadharmatvātsarvasyāsya gururatrācāryo vijñeyaḥ | tasya yo gururatasminsannihite guruvadvartitavyam | sannihita iti na tadgṛhagamanamabhivādanārthaṃ kartavyam | gurugṛhe vasan guruṇā'nisṛṣṭo ananujñātaḥ svān gurūn mātāpitṛprabhṛtīnnrābhivādayituṃ gacchet, na punargurugṛhe sthitasya yadi sve gurava āgacchanti tadā tadabhivādane gurvājñā'pekṣitavyā | “kuta etat ?” mātāpitroratyantamānyatvāt | pitṛvyamātulādīnāmapyabhivādanapravṛttasya na kaścidguruvṛttervighnaḥ | ārādhanārtha evāyaṃ sarvaḥ prayāsaḥ | mātāpitṛgurusannipāte kaḥ kramo'bhivādanasyetyuktaṃ “sarvamahatī mātā”| pitrācāryayostu vikalpaḥ | yataḥ pitṛtvādhyāropeṇācāryasya gauravaṃ vihitam ataḥ pitā śreṣṭhaḥ, yataścoktaṃ “garīyān brahmadaḥ pitā” (ślo0 146 ) iti tata ācāryaḥ | ato'yaṃ vikalpaḥ |

Medhātithi’s commentary (manubhāṣya):
The present verse permits the afore-mentioned behaviour towards one’s Teacher to be adopted in certain other cases.

Since the whole of the present deals with study, the term ‘guru’ should throughout be taken in the sense of ‘teacher.’ If the teacher of one’s Teacher happens to be near, he should behave towards him as towards his own teacher.

‘When he happens to be close by.’—This implies that it is not incumbent upon the pupil to go over to the house of his teacher’s teacher for the purpose of paying respects to him.

While living in the Teacher’s house,—‘until he is permitted by his Teacher’—allowed by him to do so,—he should not go to pay respects to his own ‘elders’;—to his father, mother, etc. This does not mean that when these elders come to his Teacher’s house, hc shall wait for the Teacher’s permission before he offers obeisance to them.

“Whence do you get this meaning?”

It follows from the fact that one’s parents are the highest objects of veneration; and as regards the paternal uncle, maternal uncle and other relations, if one salutes them, this does not stand in the way of his proper behaviour towards the Teacher. For after all, all his efforts are meant to win the Teacher’s favour.

As regards the order to be observed in saluting the mother, the father and the Teacher, when all these happen to be together,—it has already been declared that the Mother is superior to all; and as between the Father and the Teacher, there is option: In as much as the respect due to the Teacher is by reason of the position of the ‘Father’ having been imposed upon him, the Father should be regarded as superior; but since it has been declared (in 146) that ‘the father imparting the Veda is superior,’ it would follow that the Teacher is superior. It is for this reason that there is option.—(205)