Mahabharata — Anushasana Parva, Shloka 23
अन्नदान-प्रशंसा (Praise of the Gift of Food) | Annadāna-Praśaṃsā
एते न बहु मन्यन्ते न प्रवर्तन्ति चापरे । पुत्रवत् परिपाल्यास्ते नमस्तेभ्यस्तथाभयम्
ete na bahu manyante na pravartante cāpare | putravat paripālyās te namas tebhyaḥ tathābhayam ||
भीष्म ने कहा—ये (ब्राह्मण) अधिक की परवाह नहीं करते; और इनमें से कुछ तो धनार्जन के प्रयत्नों में प्रवृत्त भी नहीं होते। ऐसे ब्राह्मणों का पुत्रवत् पालन करना चाहिए। उन्हें बार-बार नमस्कार है; उनकी ओर से हमें भय न हो।
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Those who are genuinely detached and not driven by acquisition—especially Brahmins devoted to restraint—should be supported and protected like one’s own children; reverence toward such virtue is itself a dharmic duty.
In Bhishma’s instruction on dharma, he describes a class of Brahmins who do not show special regard for donors and may not even pursue wealth; he urges the listener to maintain them with filial care and to honor them, emphasizing that such people are not a threat but a moral safeguard.