Shloka 28
अनुशासनपर्व अध्याय ९३ — तपस्, सदोपवास, विघसाशन, अतिथिप्रियता
Austerity, regulated fasting, residual-eating, and hospitality
ऋतुकालाभिगामी च धर्मपत्नीषु यः सदा । वेदविद्याव्रतस्नातो विप्र: पंक्ति पुनात्युत
ṛtukālābhigāmī ca dharmapatnīṣu yaḥ sadā | vedavidyāvratasnāto vipraḥ paṅktiṃ punāty uta ||
Bhishma said: The brahmin who always approaches only his lawful wives, and only in the proper season, and who has completed the disciplined course of Vedic study and learning—such a man, indeed, purifies the entire line of brahmins seated together (in a communal meal).
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
A person’s purity is grounded in disciplined conduct: fidelity to lawful wives, restraint by observing the proper season, and completion of Vedic learning and vows. Such integrity is portrayed as socially contagious—capable of purifying the wider community.
In Bhishma’s instruction on dharma (Anushasana Parva), he describes qualities of an exemplary brahmin. Here he states that a brahmin who practices regulated marital conduct and has completed Vedic study is so pure that he sanctifies the entire dining row of brahmins.