Shloka 106

गृहस्थस्य सदाचारः: शौच, तर্পण, वैश्वदेव, अतिथिधर्म, भोजन-विधि, संध्योपासन, ऋतु-धर्मः

Devanagari script

अतिथिं चागतं तत्र स्वशक्त्या पूजयेद् बुधः पादशौचासनप्रह्वस्वागतोक्त्या च पूजनम् ततश् चान्नप्रदानेन शयनेन च पार्थिव

Transliteration

atithiṃ cāgataṃ tatra svaśaktyā pūjayed budhaḥ pādaśaucāsanaprahvasvāgatoktyā ca pūjanam tataś cānnapradānena śayanena ca pārthiva

Translation

When a guest arrives there, the wise should honour him according to one’s capacity—by washing his feet, offering a seat, bowing with humility, and speaking words of welcome. Thereafter, O king, one should further honour him by giving food and providing a place to rest.

Word by Word

• अतिथिम्: a guest
• अतिथिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अतिथि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय

• आगतम्: arrived
• आगतम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-गम् (धातु; √गम्)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकृदन्त (past participle), पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; अतिथिं विशेषयति—“arrived”

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Desha (Place/देश)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक अव्यय

• स्वशक्त्या: according to one’s capacity
• स्वशक्त्या: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वशक्ति (प्रातिपदिक; स्व + शक्ति)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; करण/उपाय—“with one’s own ability”

• पूजयेत्: should honor
• पूजयेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √पूज् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• बुधः: a wise man
• बुधः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बुध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• पादशौचासनप्रह्वस्वागतोक्त्या: by foot-washing, offering a seat, bowing, and welcoming words
• पादशौचासनप्रह्वस्वागतोक्त्या: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पादशौच + आसन + प्रह्व + स्वागतोक्ति (प्रातिपदिक; समाहार)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; समाहार-द्वन्द्व/समुच्चयार्थ—“by (means of) foot-washing, seat, bowing, and words of welcome”

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय

• पूजनम्: (this is) honoring
• पूजनम्: Karta-bhava (Predicative/विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पूजन (प्रातिपदिक; √पूज् भाव)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विधेय—“worship/honoring”

• ततः: thereafter
• ततः: Kriya-viseshana (Sequence/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रमवाचक अव्यय (thereafter)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय

• अन्नप्रदानेन: by giving food
• अन्नप्रदानेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्न + प्रदान (प्रातिपदिक; अन्न-प्रदान)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; करण—“by giving food”

• शयनेन: by providing a bed
• शयनेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शयन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; करण—“by (providing) a bed/resting place”

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय

• पार्थिव: O king
• पार्थिव: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पार्थिव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (in instruction to Maitreya; vocative ‘pārthiva’ reflects the didactic style addressing a ruler/ideal king within the discourse)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: Atithi-dharma: honoring guests through respectful reception, food, and lodging

Teaching: Ethical

Quality: compassionate, prescriptive

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Hospitality—washing feet, offering a seat, humble welcome, food and rest—is sacred service that honors the divine present in the guest.

Vedantic Theme: Dharma

Application: When hosting anyone, prioritize dignity: greet warmly, offer water/seat, share food, and ensure safe rest within your means.

Vishishtadvaita: Because the Lord indwells all (antaryāmin), serving the atithi is a concrete form of bhagavad-ārādhana through service to His embodied dependents.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Vasudeva (devotional)

Bhakti Type: Dasya

Antaryamin: Yes

Characters & Entities

• Atithi (Guest)
• King (Pārthiva)

FAQs

What is the significance of honouring a guest (atithi) in the Vishnu Purana?

This verse treats guest-honouring as a concrete expression of dharma: welcoming with humility, basic comforts, food, and rest—done according to one’s means.

How does Sage Parāśara explain proper hospitality in this context?

He lists a graded, practical sequence—foot-washing, offering a seat, respectful greeting, then food and lodging—emphasizing sincerity and proportionality (svaśaktyā).

What is the theological importance of Lord Vishnu here?

Though Vishnu is not named in the verse, the Vishnu Purana frames dharma as the sustaining order rooted in Narayana; serving guests becomes a way of aligning one’s household life with that cosmic sovereignty.