Shloka 61
Dharma-vyādha’s Analysis of Moral Decline and the Mahābhūta–Guṇa Schema (धर्मव्याधोपदेशः)
पृच्छते हुन्नदातारं गृहमायाति चाशया । त॑ पूजयाथ यत्नेन सो3तिथित्रद्यमिणश्व॒ सः
pṛcchate hy annadātāraṃ gṛham āyāti cāśayā | taṃ pūjayātha yatnena so 'tithir dharmam īkṣate ||
ヴァイシャンパーヤナは語った。彼は施食の主を尋ね、望みを抱いて家へと来る。ゆえに、その客人を心を尽くしてもてなせ。客人とは、ダルマを体現し、またそれを試す者だからである。
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches atithi-dharma: a guest arrives with hope and should be received with deliberate respect and care. Honoring the guest is presented as a direct expression of dharma, and the guest’s presence functions as a moral test of the householder’s conduct.
Vaiśampāyana states a general rule of conduct: when a guest comes to a home seeking sustenance and goodwill, the householders should honor him attentively. The statement frames hospitality not as mere courtesy but as a dharmic obligation.