गुरूणां माता गरीयसी

गुरूणां माता गरीयसी॥४॥७४॥

सर्व्वावस्थासु माता भर्तव्या॥४॥७५॥

चाणक्यसूत्रं

gurūṇāṁ mātā garīyasī||4||74||

sarvvāvasthāsu mātā bhartavyā||4||75||

cāṇakyasūtraṁ

Chanakya underlines the supreme importance of Mother

Of all the elders, mother is the most respected.

Whatever may be once condition, one should look after his mother with utmost care.

The prime duty of a man is to take care of his family.

And more important is that he should ensure the welfare of his elders like mother, father, and preceptors.

Chanakya states no room for any doubts that of the parents and elders, mother deserves the greatest care.

He goes further to state that one's own poverty or other difficult circumstances would not be justification for neglecting the welfare of one's mother.

पितुरप्यधिका माता गर्भधारण पोषणात्

अतो हि त्रिषु लोकेषु नास्ति मातृसमो गुरुः॥

piturapyadhikā mātā garbhadhāraṇa poṣaṇāt

ato hi triṣu lokeṣu nāsti mātṛsamo guruḥ||

Mother is more important than the father because it is she who carries us for ten months in her womb and after we are born, she nurtures us with her breast-milk which represents her own life.

Therefore there is no preceptor or relative in this world for us to equal our mother.

वृद्धौ च मातपितरौ साध्वी भार्या सुतः शिशुः

अप्यकार्यशतं कृत्वा भर्तव्या मनुरब्रवीत्॥

vṛddhau ca mātapitarau sādhvī bhāryā sutaḥ śiśuḥ

apyakāryaśataṁ kṛtvā bhartavyā manurabravīt||

Manu has said.

" Elderly parents, the affectionate and pious wife and the infant child should be tended for and protected by a person with all sincerity, even if he is forced to find the means for that through disgraceful activities"..

It is not an endorsement for the performance of disgraceful activities, but the statement is made to underline the prime duty of a person to look after his family.