Shloka 23
Dharma-vyādha’s Analysis of Moral Decline and the Mahābhūta–Guṇa Schema (धर्मव्याधोपदेशः)
तस्मात् त्वं सर्वयत्नेन यतस्वातिथिभोजने । पादोदकं पादघृतं दीपमन्न॑ प्रतिश्रयम्
tasmāt tvaṁ sarvayatnena yatasvātithibhojane | pādodakaṁ pādaghṛtaṁ dīpam annaṁ pratiśrayam |
Therefore, you should strive with every effort to honor and feed guests. Offer them water for washing the feet, unguent or ghee for the feet, a lamp, food, and proper shelter—these courtesies uphold dharma and sustain the sacred bond between householder and wayfarer.
मार्कण्डेय उवाच
Educational Q&A
Mārkaṇḍeya teaches that honoring guests is a central duty of the householder: one must actively provide the standard tokens of welcome—water for the feet, soothing unction, light, food, and shelter—because such care is a practical expression of dharma.
In his instruction, Mārkaṇḍeya urges the listener to be vigilant and wholehearted in atithi-sevā (service to guests), listing the concrete items traditionally offered to a traveler as part of righteous conduct.