Shloka 64

दारुवनलीला—नीललोहितपरीक्षा, ब्रह्मोपदेशः, अतिथिधर्मः, संन्यासक्रमः

Devanagari script

अहो ऽस्य तपसो वीर्यम् इत्युक्त्वा प्रययौ च सः तस्मात्तथा पूजनीयाः सर्वे ह्यतिथयः सदा

Transliteration

aho 'sya tapaso vīryam ityuktvā prayayau ca saḥ tasmāttathā pūjanīyāḥ sarve hyatithayaḥ sadā

Translation

“അഹോ, ഇദ്ദേഹത്തിന്റെ തപസ്സിന്റെ മഹാവീര്യം എത്ര!” എന്നു പറഞ്ഞ് അവൻ പുറപ്പെട്ടു. അതിനാൽ എല്ലാ അതിഥികളും എപ്പോഴും അങ്ങനെ തന്നേ പൂജ്യർ; അതിഥി-സേവയിൽ ധർമ്മം വഴി പശുവിനെ ഉയർത്തുന്ന പതി-പരമേശ്വരനേ സേവിക്കുന്നു।

Word by Word

• aho: ah!/indeed

• asya: of this (man)

• tapasaḥ: of austerity/tapas

• vīryam: potency, spiritual power

• iti: thus

• uktvā: having said

• prayayau: went forth/departed

• ca: and

• saḥ: he

• tasmāt: therefore

• tathā: in that manner/accordingly

• pūjanīyāḥ: worthy to be worshiped/honored

• sarve: all

• hi: indeed

• atithayaḥ: guests, unannounced visitors

• sadā: always

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating the Purana; verse as a concluding injunction drawn from the episode)

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

What is the importance of this verse in the context of Linga worship?

It links daily dharma to Shiva-bhakti: honoring the atithi is treated as a form of worship, reinforcing that devotion to Mahadeva is expressed through right conduct and reverence.

How does this verse describe the nature of Shiva (Shiva-tattva)?

Shiva-tattva is implied as the hidden Pati who can be approached through dharma; the atithi becomes a sacred occasion where the paśu’s bonds (pāśa) loosen through humility, service, and purity.

What ritualistic or Yogic practice is highlighted here?

Atithi-pūjā as a dharmic observance allied to Pāśupata discipline: tapas (austerity) generates vīrya, and honoring guests preserves sattva and supports Shiva-oriented sādhanā.