Taittiriya Upanishad 1.12Famous
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देवपितृकार्याभ्यां न प्रमदितव्यम्। मातृदेवो भव। पितृदेवो भव। आचार्यदेवो भव। अतिथिदेवो भव। यान्यनवद्यानि कर्माणि तानि सेवितव्यानि नो इतराणि। यान्यस्माकं सुचरितानि तानि त्वयोपास्यानि नो इतराणि।
devapitṛkāryābhyāṃ na pramaditavyam | mātṛdevo bhava | pitṛdevo bhava | ācāryadevo bhava | atithidevo bhava | yānyanavadyāni karmāṇi tāni sevitavyāni no itarāṇi | yānyasmākaṃ sucaritāni tāni tvayopāsyāni no itarāṇi |
"Do not neglect duties to gods and ancestors. Let your mother be your god. Let your father be your god. Let your teacher be your god. Let your guest be your god. Only those actions that are blameless should be performed, not others. Only our good conducts should you follow, not others."
What This Means:
Four people are to be treated as divine: mother, father, teacher, and guest. Follow only blameless actions and the good examples of your teachers.
Going Deeper:
The famous "Matri devo bhava" teaching establishes the hierarchy of reverence. The visible gods (parents, teacher, guest) represent the invisible Divine.
How To Apply This:
Treat your mother, father, teacher, and guests with the reverence due to the Divine. They are God's representatives.
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