Mahabharata 3.201.62 — Vana Parva, Adhyaya 201, Shloka 62
Dharma-vyādha’s Analysis of Moral Decline and the Mahābhūta–Guṇa Schema (धर्मव्याधोपदेशः)
अतः राजेन्द्र! तुम भी इन ब्राह्मणोंका विधिपूर्वक पूजन करो। जो रास्ता चलनेसे थककर दुबला हो गया है, जिसका शरीर धूलसे भरा है और जो अन्नदाताका पता पूछता हुआ भोजनकी आशासे घरपर आ जाता है, उसका तुम यत्नपूर्वक सत्कार करो; क्योंकि वह अतिथि है, इसलिये ब्राह्मण ही है। अर्थात् ब्राह्मणके ही तुल्य है ।।
ataḥ rājendra! tvam api ime brāhmaṇān vidhivat pūjaya. yaḥ pathi calanena śrāntaḥ kṛśo bhavati, yasya gātraṃ dhūlidhūsaritaṃ, yaś ca annadātāraṃ pṛcchan bhojanāśayā gṛham āgacchati, taṃ tvam yatnena satkuru; sa hy atithiḥ, tasmād brāhmaṇa eva—brāhmaṇatulyaḥ. taṃ yāntam anugacchanti devāḥ sarve savāsavāḥ; tasmin sampūjite prītā nirāśā yānty apūjite.
वैशम्पायन उवाच—अतः राजेन्द्र, त्वमपि ब्राह्मणान् एतान् विधिपूर्वकं पूजय। योऽध्वना कृशो जातः, पांसुभिरवकीर्णाङ्गः, अन्नदातारं पृच्छन् भोजनाशया गृहमायाति—तं यत्नेन सत्कुरु; स ह्यतिथिः, ब्राह्मणतुल्य एव। तं यान्तमनुगच्छन्ति देवाḥ सर्वे सवासवाः; तस्मिन् सम्पूजिते प्रीताः, अपूजिते निराशाः प्रतिनिवर्तन्ते।
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches atithi-dharma: a weary traveler seeking food must be honored with careful hospitality. Such a guest is treated as Brahmin-like, and honoring him pleases the gods; neglecting him brings divine displeasure.
Vaiśampāyana instructs a king (addressed as rājendra) to perform proper worship and hospitality toward Brahmins and especially toward an arriving guest. He underscores the point by stating that Indra and the gods accompany the guest and respond according to how the host receives him.
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