Shloka 24
अन्नदान-प्रशंसा (Praise of the Gift of Food) | Annadāna-Praśaṃsā
ऋ्विक्पुरोहिताचार्या मृदुब्रह्म॒धरा हि ते । क्षात्रेणापि हि संसृष्टं तेज: शाम्यति वै द्विजे
ṛtvij-purohita-ācāryā mṛdu-brahma-dharā hi te | kṣātreṇāpi hi saṃsṛṣṭaṃ tejaḥ śāmyati vai dvije ||
Bhishma said: “Ritviks (sacrificial priests), purohitas (royal chaplains), and acharyas (teachers) are generally gentle in disposition and bearers of Vedic wisdom. Even the fiery power of the kshatriya, when it comes into contact with a brahmin, becomes pacified.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Brahminical learning and gentle discipline are presented as a moral counterbalance to royal/warrior force: the kshatriya’s tejas should be moderated by the counsel and presence of Veda-bearing teachers and priests, so power remains aligned with dharma.
In Bhishma’s instruction on dharma (Anushasana Parva), he characterizes ritviks, purohitas, and acharyas as gentle Vedic custodians and explains their social-ethical role: when a kshatriya approaches such a dvija, the warrior’s aggressive heat naturally settles, enabling guidance, restraint, and righteous governance.