Shloka 35
अन्नदान-प्रशंसा (Praise of the Gift of Food) | Annadāna-Praśaṃsā
अपरेषां परेषां च परेभ्यश्षापि ये परे,छोटे-बड़े और बड़ोंसे भी बड़े जो क्षत्रिय तेज और बलसे तप रहे हैं, उन सबके तेज और तप ब्राह्मणोंके पास जाते ही शान्त हो जाते हैं
apareṣāṃ pareṣāṃ ca parebhyaś cāpi ye pare, kṣatriyāḥ tejaḥ-balena tapyante ye mahābalāḥ; teṣāṃ sarveṣāṃ tejas-tapaḥ brāhmaṇeṣu upasaṃkrānteṣu śāmyati
Bhishma said: Whether they are lesser, greater, or even greater than the great—those Kshatriyas who blaze with prowess and strength, as if heated by their own power—when they come into the presence and sphere of Brahmanas, the fire of their might and the heat of their austerity are pacified. The teaching is that spiritual authority and restraint embodied by Brahmanas can calm the aggressive brilliance of worldly power, placing force under the governance of dharma.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Worldly power (kshatriya tejas and bala) must be governed by dharma; the presence of Brahmanas symbolizes spiritual discipline and moral authority that can pacify aggression and pride, turning force toward restraint and right conduct.
In Bhishma’s instruction on conduct and social-religious order, he contrasts the blazing might of even the greatest warriors with the calming influence of Brahmanas, asserting that their spiritual standing causes the warriors’ fiery intensity to subside.