Shloka 108
गृहस्थस्य सदाचारः: शौच, तर্পण, वैश्वदेव, अतिथिधर्म, भोजन-विधि, संध्योपासन, ऋतु-धर्मः
तस्मात् स्वशक्त्या राजेन्द्र सूर्योढम् अतिथिं नरः पूजयेत् पूजिते तस्मिन् पूजिताः सर्वदेवताः
tasmāt svaśaktyā rājendra sūryoḍham atithiṃ naraḥ pūjayet pūjite tasmin pūjitāḥ sarvadevatāḥ
Therefore, O lord of kings, a man should honor—according to his means—the guest who arrives at sunrise; for when that guest is duly honored, it is as though all the gods have been honored.
Sage Parāśara (teaching dharma in dialogue to Maitreya; addressed here as a kingly exemplar)
Speaker: Parasara
Topic: Proper atithi-sevā (honoring the guest), especially one arriving at sunrise, and its religious fruit
Teaching: Ethical
Quality: compassionate
Concept: Honoring the atithi who comes at sunrise—within one’s means—counts as honoring all the devas, since dharma treats the guest as a locus of divine presence.
Vedantic Theme: Dharma
Application: Practice intentional hospitality: greet guests respectfully, offer water/food, and serve without ostentation but with sincerity and capacity-awareness (svaśakti).
Vishishtadvaita: The many devas are honored through a single act because all are dependent modes within the Lord’s order; service offered in dharma becomes indirectly Bhagavat-sevā.
Vishnu Form: Narayana (cosmic)
Bhakti Type: dasya
FAQs
This verse equates honoring an atithi—especially one arriving at sunrise—with honoring all the gods, making hospitality a direct act of sacred worship and social righteousness.
He emphasizes proportionality and sincerity: one should honor the guest “according to one’s means” (svaśaktyā), indicating dharma is fulfilled by devoted intent, not extravagance.
Though Vishnu is not named, the teaching reflects Vaishnava order: dharma that sustains the world is ultimately grounded in the Supreme Reality, and service to beings (like the atithi) participates in that divine cosmic governance.