Shloka 12
जापक–इक्ष्वाकु–सत्यविवादः
The Jāpaka, Ikṣvāku, and the Dispute on Truth and Merit
भवन्ति चात्र श्लोका:-- अतिथ्थिर्यस्य भग्नाशो गृहात् प्रतिनिवर्तते । स दत्त्वा दुष्कृतं तस्मै पुण्यमादाय गच्छति
bhavanti cātra ślokāḥ— atithir yasya bhagnāśo gṛhāt pratinivartate | sa dattvā duṣkṛtaṃ tasmai puṇyam ādāya gacchati ||
येथे हा श्लोक सांगितला आहे—ज्याच्या घरातून अतिथीची आशा भंग होऊन तो परत जातो, तो अतिथी त्या गृहस्थाला आपले पाप देऊन आणि त्याचे पुण्य घेऊन निघून जातो.
भरद्वाज उवाच
Educational Q&A
Neglecting a guest is a serious breach of dharma: when a guest leaves disappointed, the householder incurs demerit, while the guest’s merit is said to pass away from that householder—highlighting the sacred obligation of hospitality.
Bharadvāja cites an authoritative śloka to reinforce a moral point in the Śānti Parva’s instruction: the ethical and karmic consequences of refusing or failing to honor an atithi are described through the imagery of demerit being ‘given’ and merit being ‘taken away’.