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 ||
ビーシュマは言った。「リトヴィク(祭祀の司祭)、プーローヒタ(王家の祭司)、そしてアーチャーリヤ(師)は、おおむね性質が柔和で、ヴェーダの智慧を担う者たちである。刹帝利の燃え立つ威勢でさえ、婆羅門に触れれば鎮まり、静まるのだ。」
भीष्म उवाच
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.