Shloka 7
“आप हमारे घर अतिथिके रूपमें आये हैं और हम आपकी सेवामें उपस्थित हुए हैं। आपका आतिथ्य करना हमारा कर्तव्य है; क्योंकि हम सब लोग गृहस्थ हैं ।। मूलं फलं वा पर्ण वा पयो वा द्विजसत्तम | आहारहेतोरन्नं वा भोक्तुमर्हसि ब्राह्मण,द्विजश्रेष्ठ ब्राह्मणदेव! आप क्षुधाकी निवृत्तिके लिये हमारे लाये हुए फल-मूल, साग, दूध अथवा अन्नको अवश्य ग्रहण करनेकी कृपा करें
āpa asmākaṁ gṛhe atithirūpeṇa āgatāḥ smaḥ ca vayaṁ bhavat-sevāyāṁ upasthitāḥ smaḥ | bhavataḥ ātithyaṁ kartum asmākaṁ kartavyaṁ, yataḥ vayaṁ sarve gṛhasthāḥ || mūlaṁ phalaṁ vā parṇaṁ vā payo vā dvijasattama | āhāra-hetoḥ annaṁ vā bhoktum arhasi brāhmaṇa ||
Bhishma said: “You have come to our house as a guest, and we stand ready to serve you. To offer hospitality to you is our duty, for we are householders. O best of the twice-born, O Brahmin—please accept, to relieve your hunger, whatever we have brought: roots or fruits, leafy greens, milk, or cooked food. You are worthy to partake.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
A householder’s dharma includes honoring and feeding a guest—especially a Brahmin—according to one’s means. Even simple offerings (roots, fruits, greens, milk, or cooked food) become righteous when given with respect and the intent to relieve hunger.
Bhishma addresses a visiting Brahmin as an honored guest, declares hospitality to be the duty of householders, and invites him to eat whatever food is available—ranging from forest fare to cooked grain—so that his hunger may be satisfied.