Shloka 7
हित्वा त्वद्दर्शनं किंचिद् विघ्न॑ न प्रतिपालयेत् । तुल्योडप्यभिजने जातो न कश्रित् पर्युपासते
hitvā tvaddarśanaṃ kiñcid vighnaṃ na pratipālayet | tulyo 'py abhijane jāto na kaścit paryupāsate ||
Après avoir mis de côté la bénédiction de te voir, nul ne devrait tenir quoi que ce soit d’autre pour un « obstacle » digne d’attention. Quand bien même un homme serait ton égal et né d’une lignée noble, aucun bon maître de maison ne demeure assis chez lui en négligeant le devoir d’honorer l’hôte.
नाग उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse upholds atithi-dharma: the auspicious opportunity of meeting a worthy person (darśana) should not be set aside for lesser pretexts, and a virtuous householder must not neglect the obligation to rise and honor a guest.
A Nāga addresses someone of high standing, urging them not to treat other concerns as ‘obstacles’ that justify avoiding an encounter, and reminding them that noble householders do not remain at home ignoring the duties owed to an arriving guest.