Shloka 51
Instruction on All Dharma
in the context of Rāma’s Aśvamedha
अनर्चितोऽतिथिर्गेहाद्भग्नाशो यस्य गच्छति । आजन्मसंचितात्पुण्यात्क्षणात्स हि बहिर्भवेत्
anarcito'tithirgehādbhagnāśo yasya gacchati | ājanmasaṃcitātpuṇyātkṣaṇātsa hi bahirbhavet
اگر بے تعظیم مہمان کسی کے گھر سے امید ٹوٹ کر چلا جائے تو اُس شخص کی عمر بھر کی جمع کی ہوئی نیکی کا ثواب بھی پل بھر میں چھن جاتا ہے۔
Unspecified (narrative instruction within the chapter context)
Concept: Atithi-sevā is a decisive dharma: neglecting a guest can instantly destroy lifelong merit.
Application: Keep a small, ready hospitality practice: water, a seat, kind speech, and some food; never dismiss a visitor with ‘broken hope’—offer at least reassurance and a token of care.
Primary Rasa: karuna
Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A humble courtyard at dusk: a weary traveler stands at the threshold with a small bundle, eyes lowered as he turns away, hope visibly broken. Inside, the householder hesitates amid warm lamp-light, while a faint, symbolic stream of fading golden merit (puṇya) dissolves into the night air as the guest departs unhonored.","primary_figures":["householder (gṛhastha)","unhonored guest (atithi)","symbolic personification of Puṇya (optional, as golden aura)"],"setting":"village home threshold with tulasi-vṛndāvana nearby, earthen lamps, simple utensils, evening sky","lighting_mood":"temple lamp-lit","color_palette":["lamp-gold","smoke-gray","indigo dusk","earth-ochre","tulasi green"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: a South Indian household doorway with a tulasi-vṛndāvana, the atithi turning away; the gṛhastha in contrition with hands half-folded; gold leaf halo-like motifs representing puṇya dispersing, rich reds and greens, ornate borders, gem-studded accents on vessels and lamp stands.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: intimate domestic courtyard at twilight, delicate facial expressions of regret and disappointment, cool indigo sky, fine linework on textiles, small tulasi shrine, lyrical naturalism with a winding path the guest takes away.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold outlines, warm ochres and reds, stylized eyes; the threshold scene with symbolic golden aura leaving the house as the guest exits; traditional lamp and tulasi pedestal rendered with temple-wall gravitas.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: courtyard framed by floral borders and lotus motifs; central vignette of atithi-sevā neglected, with symbolic lotuses wilting as puṇya fades; deep blues and gold, intricate patterns, devotional moral tableau."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"dramatic","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["evening temple bell","soft footsteps departing","distant conch","crackling oil lamp","brief silence after the warning"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: अनर्चितोऽतिथिः = अनर्चितः + अतिथिः; अतिथिर्गेहात् = अतिथिः + गेहात्; गेहाद्भग्नाशः = गेहात् + भग्नाशः; आजन्मसंचितात्पुण्यात् = आजन्मसंचितात् + पुण्यात्; पुण्यात्क्षणात् = पुण्यात् + क्षणात्; क्षणात्स = क्षणात् + सः; बहिर्भवेत् = बहिः + भवेत्।
FAQs
It teaches atithi-dharma: a guest should be respectfully received and cared for; neglecting them is treated as a serious moral failure.
The verse says the person is instantly deprived of the merit (puṇya) accumulated over a lifetime when a guest departs disappointed.
It frames hospitality as a form of dharma where inner virtue is measured by one’s conduct toward others, especially those who arrive seeking refuge or assistance.