Shloka 11
Pānīya-dāna and Anna-dāna: The Primacy of Life-Sustaining Gifts (पानीयदान-प्रशंसा / अन्नदान-प्रशंसा)
श्रान्तमध्वनि वर्तन्तं वृद्धमर्हमुपस्थितम् । अर्चयेद् भूतिमन्विच्छन् गृहस्थो गृहमागतम्
śrāntam adhvani vartantaṃ vṛddham arham upasthitam | arcayed bhūtim anvicchan gṛhastho gṛham āgatam ||
إذا قدم إلى البيت مسافرٌ شيخٌ كريمٌ مستحقٌّ للإكرام، قد أضناه الطريق، فعلى ربّ البيت الذي يبتغي خير نفسه أن يكرمه ويستقبله بما يليق من توقير. فالضيافة هنا ليست مجرّد أدب، بل فعلٌ من أفعال الدارما يجلب اليُمن لمن يقوم به.
नारद उवाच
Educational Q&A
A householder should honor a weary, elderly, worthy traveler who arrives as a guest; such reverent hospitality is presented as a direct means to one’s own welfare and auspicious prosperity (bhūti).
Nārada states a rule of conduct for householders: when an exhausted traveler—especially an aged and deserving person—comes to the home, the proper response is to receive and honor him respectfully, treating the guest as an object of reverence.