Shloka 15

Devanagari script

अतिथिर् यस्य भग्नाशो गृहात् प्रतिनिवर्तते स दत्त्वा दुष्कृतं तस्मै पुण्यम् आदाय गच्छति

Transliteration

atithir yasya bhagnāśo gṛhāt pratinivartate sa dattvā duṣkṛtaṃ tasmai puṇyam ādāya gacchati

Translation

إذا انصرف الضيف عن بيتٍ وقد انكسرت رجاؤه في الإكرام، فإنه يمضي مُسلِّمًا لصاحب البيت إثمَه، وحاملًا معه ثوابَ صاحب البيت.

Word by Word

• अतिथिः: guest
• अतिथिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अतिथि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• यस्य: whose
• यस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (Singular)

• भग्नाशः: with hope broken, disappointed
• भग्नाशः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भग्न + आशा (प्रातिपदिक); आशा-भङ्गः इति
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषण (qualifier)

• गृहात्: from the house
• गृहात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गृह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative/5th), एकवचन (Singular)

• प्रतिनिवर्तते: returns (back)
• प्रतिनिवर्तते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √वृत् (धातु) + प्रति + नि (उपसर्ग)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), आत्मनेपद

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• दत्त्वा: having given
• दत्त्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √दा (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय-भाव (Gerund/Absolutive); पूर्वक्रिया (prior action)

• दुष्कृतम्: sin, demerit
• दुष्कृतम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुष् + कृत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• तस्मै: to him (to that guest)
• तस्मै: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (Dative/4th), एकवचन (Singular)

• पुण्यम्: merit
• पुण्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• आदाय: having taken (away)
• आदाय: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √दा (धातु) + आ (उपसर्ग)
• Form: ल्यप्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (Gerund); ‘आ-√दा’ = to take away; पूर्वक्रिया

• गच्छति: goes
• गच्छति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √गम् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (in instruction to Maitreya)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: Duties and inner discipline of the gṛhastha (householder), especially hospitality and right conduct

Teaching: Ethical

Quality: authoritative

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: To turn away a guest transfers one’s puṇya to the disappointed atithi and receives his duṣkṛta, making hospitality a direct moral exchange.

Vedantic Theme: Dharma

Application: Treat guests and those seeking help with prompt, respectful attention; avoid neglect that harms others’ dignity.

Vishishtadvaita: Ethical dharma is grounded in reverence to beings as belonging to the Lord, so honoring the atithi preserves one’s puṇya as service to Nārāyaṇa’s creation.

Characters & Entities

• Atithi (guest)

FAQs

What is the significance of atithi-dharma (hospitality) in the Vishnu Purana?

This verse teaches that hospitality is not merely social courtesy but a karmic duty: refusing a guest causes one’s merit to be lost and the guest’s demerit to be incurred.

How does Sage Parāśara explain karma here in practical terms?

Parāśara presents karma as transferable in effect through conduct: a disappointed guest ‘leaves behind’ duṣkṛta for the host and ‘takes away’ the host’s puṇya, emphasizing immediate ethical accountability.

What is the theological importance of Lord Vishnu in this context?

Even without naming Vishnu directly, the teaching supports Vaishnava dharma: upholding righteous order in daily life aligns the householder with the cosmic sovereignty of Vishnu, the sustainer of dharma.