Q.The following is an excerpt from the Mahabharata, in which Yudhisthira, the eldest Pandava, speaks to Sanjaya, a messenger: “Sanjaya, convey my respectful greetings to all the Brahmanas and the chief priest of the house of Dhritarashtra. I bow respectfully to teacher Drona … I hold the feet of our preceptor Kripa … (and) the chief of the Kurus, the great Bhishma. I bow respectfully to the old king (Dhritarashtra). I greet and ask after the health of his son Duryodhana and his younger brother … Also greet all the young Kuru warriors who are our brothers, sons and grandsons … Greet above all him, who is to us like father and mother, the wise Vidura (born of a slave woman) … I bow to the elderly ladies who are known as our mothers … Greet the slave women and their children, greet the aged, the maimed (and) the helpless …” Try and identify the criteria used to make this list — in terms of age, gender, kinship ties. Are there any other criteria? For each category, explain why they are placed in a particular position in the list.

This passage from the Mahabharata is a masterclass in how ancient Indian society ranked respect. Yudhisthira’s list is not random — it follows a clear hierarchy based on social and moral standing, not just age.

The first criterion is ritual and social status. Brahmanas and the chief priest come first because they hold the highest religious authority. Next come teachers — Drona (military teacher) and Kripa (preceptor) — because knowledge and training were valued above birth. Then comes Bhishma, the eldest Kuru patriarch, respected for his age, wisdom, and vow of celibacy.

Age and kinship come next. The old king Dhritarashtra is placed before his son Duryodhana, showing that seniority in the family line trumps political power. Duryodhana and his younger brother follow, then other young Kuru warriors — these are equals or juniors, so they come after elders.

Vidura is placed in a special position — “above all” — despite being born of a slave woman. This is a striking exception. Yudhisthira honours him for his wisdom and moral authority, not his birth. This shows that personal virtue could override social hierarchy. …

The excerpt you have read is from the Mahabharata, one of the two great epics of ancient India. It is a moment of profound courtesy and political awareness. Yudhisthira, the eldest Pandava, is about to go to war against his own cousins, the Kauravas. Yet before the battle begins, he sends a messenger, Sanjaya, to convey his respectful greetings to everyone in the Kaurava court. The order in which he lists these people is not random — it reflects the social and moral values of the time, especially the principle of guru-shishya (teacher-student) relationships and the hierarchy of age, gender, and kinship.

Let us break down the criteria Yudhisthira uses.

First, age and ritual seniority. The very first people Yudhisthira greets are the Brahmanas and the chief priest of Dhritarashtra’s house. In Vedic society, Brahmins were considered the highest varna because of their role as priests and custodians of sacred knowledge. They were placed first not because they were old in years, but because they were ritually senior — they were the spiritual guides of the royal family. Next comes Drona, the teacher of archery and military science to both the Pandavas and Kauravas. Then Kripa, the preceptor (teacher of the Vedas and martial arts). Then Bhishma, the “chief of the Kurus” and the grand-uncle of both sides. Notice the pattern: all these are elders in age or in the teacher-student relationship. Drona and Kripa are gurus — they command respect regardless of their age relative to Yudhisthira. Bhishma is both the eldest living Kuru and the most respected warrior. So the first criterion is age and ritual/educational seniority.

Second, kinship ties and gender. After the teachers and the eldest male, Yudhisthira greets the old king Dhritarashtra — his uncle and the father of his enemies. Then he greets Duryodhana and his younger brother (Dushasana). Here, kinship is the key: Duryodhana is his cousin, but also the crown prince. Yet note that Duryodhana is placed after his father and after the teachers. This shows that even a king’s son is lower in the hierarchy than elders and gurus. Then Yudhisthira greets “all the young Kuru warriors who are our brothers, sons and grandsons” — this is a broad category of male relatives by blood and marriage. The order within this group is not specified, but the fact that they come after the immediate family suggests that closer kinship ties (father, son, brother) take precedence over more distant ones.

Third, the special case of Vidura. Yudhisthira says: “Greet above all him, who is to us like father and mother, the wise Vidura (born of a slave woman).” This is striking. Vidura is the half-brother of Dhritarashtra and Pandu, but his mother was a slave woman, so he was not considered a full Kshatriya. Yet Yudhisthira places him above all the young warriors and even above the elderly ladies. Why? Because Vidura was known for his wisdom, his moral integrity, and his role as a trusted advisor. The criterion here is moral and intellectual authority, not birth. Yudhisthira is making a deliberate point: wisdom and virtue matter more than lineage. This is a powerful statement in a society that normally ranked people by birth.

Fourth, elderly women. Yudhisthira bows to “the elderly ladies who are known as our mothers.” These are the wives of Dhritarashtra and Pandu — his aunts and stepmothers. They are placed after the male elders and after Vidura, but before the younger women and servants. This reflects the patriarchal hierarchy of the time: women were respected, but their position in the list came after the most important men. Age, however, gave them precedence over younger women and children. …