Shloka 108
तस्मात् स्वशक्त्या राजेन्द्र सूर्योढम् अतिथिं नरः पूजयेत् पूजिते तस्मिन् पूजिताः सर्वदेवताः
tasmāt svaśaktyā rājendra sūryoḍham atithiṃ naraḥ pūjayet pūjite tasmin pūjitāḥ sarvadevatāḥ
لذلك، يا سيد الملوك، ينبغي للمرء أن يكرّم—بحسب طاقته—الضيف الذي يأتي عند شروق الشمس؛ فإذا كُرِّم ذلك الضيف فكأنما كُرِّمت الآلهة جميعًا.
Sage Parāśara (teaching dharma in dialogue to Maitreya; addressed here as a kingly exemplar)
Speaker: Parasara
Topic: Proper atithi-sevā (honoring the guest), especially one arriving at sunrise, and its religious fruit
Teaching: Ethical
Quality: compassionate
Concept: Honoring the atithi who comes at sunrise—within one’s means—counts as honoring all the devas, since dharma treats the guest as a locus of divine presence.
Vedantic Theme: Dharma
Application: Practice intentional hospitality: greet guests respectfully, offer water/food, and serve without ostentation but with sincerity and capacity-awareness (svaśakti).
Vishishtadvaita: The many devas are honored through a single act because all are dependent modes within the Lord’s order; service offered in dharma becomes indirectly Bhagavat-sevā.
Vishnu Form: Narayana (cosmic)
Bhakti Type: dasya
FAQs
This verse equates honoring an atithi—especially one arriving at sunrise—with honoring all the gods, making hospitality a direct act of sacred worship and social righteousness.
He emphasizes proportionality and sincerity: one should honor the guest “according to one’s means” (svaśaktyā), indicating dharma is fulfilled by devoted intent, not extravagance.
Though Vishnu is not named, the teaching reflects Vaishnava order: dharma that sustains the world is ultimately grounded in the Supreme Reality, and service to beings (like the atithi) participates in that divine cosmic governance.