Shloka 19
Phala of Vrata, Niyama, Svādhyāya, Dama, Satya, Brahmacarya, and Service (व्रत-नियम-स्वाध्याय-दम-सत्य-ब्रह्मचर्य-शुश्रूषा-फलप्रश्नः)
दृष्टस्ते5हं प्रतिगच्छस्व तात शोचत्यसौ तव देहस्य कर्ता । ददानि कि चापि मन:प्रणीत॑ प्रियातिथेस्तव कामान् वृणीष्व,“तात! तुमने मुझे देख लिया। अब तुम लौट जाओ। तुम्हारे शरीरका निर्माण करनेवाले वे तुम्हारे पिताजी शोकमग्न हो रहे हैं। वत्स! तुम मेरे प्रिय अतिथि हो। तुम्हारा कौन-सा मनोरथ मैं पूर्ण करूँ। तुम्हारी जिस-जिस वस्तुके लिये इच्छा हो, उसे माँग लो”
dṛṣṭas te 'haṃ pratigacchasva tāta śocaty asau tava dehasya kartā | dadāni kiṃ cāpi manaḥ-praṇītaṃ priyātithes tava kāmān vṛṇīṣva ||
Bhishma sprach: „Du hast mich gesehen; nun kehre zurück, mein Kind. Dein Vater—der dieses dein Leib geformt hat—ist von Kummer erfüllt. Du bist mein geliebter Gast; wähle, was immer dein Herz begehrt. Bitte um, was du willst, und ich werde es dir gewähren.“
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights atithi-dharma (the duty of honoring a guest) through generosity and respectful speech, while also affirming filial responsibility: the guest should return because his father is grieving.
Bhishma addresses a young visitor who has come to see him. Having received the visit, Bhishma urges him to go back to his sorrowing father, and—treating him as a cherished guest—offers to fulfill any wish the visitor may request.