Shloka 43
Chapter 2: Sudarśana Upākhyāna — Atithi-Dharma and the Conquest of Mṛtyu
Gṛhastha-Vrata
येन येन च तुष्येत नित्यमेव त्वयातिथि: । अप्यात्मन: प्रदानेन न ते कार्या विचारणा,“जिस-जिस वस्तुसे अतिथि संतुष्ट हो, वह वस्तु तुम्हें सदा ही उसे देनी चाहिये। यदि अतिथिके संतोषके लिये तुम्हें अपना शरीर भी देना पड़े तो मनमें कभी अन्यथा विचार न करना
yena yena ca tuṣyet nityam eva tvayātithiḥ | apy ātmanaḥ pradānena na te kāryā vicāraṇā ||
Apa pun yang membuat atithi (tamu) berkenan, hendaklah engkau senantiasa memberikannya. Bahkan bila demi kepuasan sang tamu engkau harus mempersembahkan dirimu sendiri, janganlah engkau menyimpan keraguan atau bimbang di hati.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches uncompromising atithi-dharma: one should give whatever genuinely pleases a guest, without hesitation—even to the extent of offering one’s own self—because honoring the guest is treated as a paramount ethical duty.
Bhīṣma is instructing on dharma, specifically the duties of householders toward guests. He emphasizes that the host must prioritize the guest’s satisfaction and should not waver or calculate when fulfilling this obligation.