Shloka 6

Devanagari script

अस्मानभिगतश्चासि वयं च त्वामुपस्थिता: । कार्य चातिथ्यमस्माभिवरयं सर्वे कुटुम्बिन:

Transliteration

asmān abhigataś cāsi vayaṁ ca tvām upasthitāḥ | kāryaṁ cātithyam asmābhir varaṁ sarve kuṭumbinaḥ ||

Translation

మీరు మా వద్దకు అతిథిగా వచ్చారు, మేము కూడా మీ సేవలో నిలిచాము. కాబట్టి మీకు అతిథ్యాన్ని సమర్పించడం మా కర్తవ్యం; ఎందుకంటే మేమందరం గృహస్థులమే।

Word by Word

अस्मान्us

अभिगतःhaving come/approached

चand

असिyou are

वयम्we

चand

त्वाम्you

उपस्थिताःhaving approached/attended

कार्यम्is to be done / should be done

चand

आतिथ्यम्hospitality

अस्माभिःby us

वरयम्we choose / we offer (honour)

सर्वेall

कुटुम्बिनःhouseholders / family-men

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhīṣma

guest (atithi)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse affirms atithi-dharma: for householders, welcoming and honoring a guest is a primary obligation, not merely a courtesy. Ethical life is shown through readiness to serve and to treat the visitor as worthy of respect.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhīṣma addresses a visitor who has approached them, noting that they are present to receive him. He declares that offering hospitality is required of them, and that all householders regard such hospitality as a foremost duty.