624
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam
[Canto 1, Ch. 12]
Himalayas, entrusted Kṛpācārya with Mahārāja Parīkṣit as his disciple, and he left home satisfied because of Kṛpācārya's taking charge of Mahārāja Parīkṣit. The great administrators, kings and emperors were always under the guidance of learned  brāhmaṇas  like Kṛpācārya and thus were able to act properly in the discharge of political responsibilities.
TEXT 14
हिरण्यं गां महीं ग्रामान् हस्त्यश्चान्नृपतिर्वरान् । प्रादात्स्वन्नं च विप्रेभ्यः प्रजातीर्थे स तीर्थवित्॥१४॥
hiraṇyam gām mahīm grāmān hasty-aśvān nṛpatir varān prādāt svannam ca viprebhyaḥ prajā-tīrthe sa tīrthavit
hiraṇyam—gold; gām—cows; mahīm—land; grāmān—villages; hasti—elephants; aśvān—horses; nṛpatiḥ—the King; varān—rewards; prādāt—gave in charity; svannam—good food grains; ca—and; viprebhyaḥ—unto the brāhmaṇas; prajā-tīrthe—on the occasion of giving in charity on the birthday of a son; saḥ—he; tīrtha-vit—one who knows how, when and where charity is to be given.
TRANSLATION
Upon the birth of a son, the King, who knew how, where and when charity should be given, gave gold, land, villages, elephants, horses and good food grains to the brāhmaṇas.
PURPORT
Only the  brāhmaṇas  and  sannyāsīs  are authorized to accept charity from the householders. In all the different occasions of  saṁskāras , especially during the time of birth, marriage and death, wealth is distributed to the  brāhmaṇas  because the  brāhmaṇas  give the highest quality of service in regards to the prime necessity of humankind. The charity was substantial in the shape of gold, land, villages, horses, elephants and food grains, with other materials for cooking complete foodstuff. The  brāhmaṇas  were not, therefore, poor in the actual sense of the term. On the contrary, because