Nṛga-upākhyāna: Brāhmaṇa-sva and the Consequence of Misappropriated Gift-Cattle (कृकलास-रूपे नृगोपाख्यानम्)
अभुकक्त्वातिथये चाजन्न॑ प्रयच्छेद् य: समाहित: । स वैब्रद्याविदां लोकान् प्राप्तुयाद् भरतर्षभ
abhuktvātithaye cājñān prayacched yaḥ samāhitaḥ | sa vai brahmavidāṁ lokān prāpnuyād bharatarṣabha ||
毗湿摩说道:婆罗多族之雄啊,若有人心神收摄、专注不散,纵使自身饥饿,仍以食物施与来宾(atithi),此施者将往生于知梵(Brahman)者之诸世界。此颂赞叹克己待客为上乘之达摩:为敬奉神圣的来宾之义务,甘受自身之不便。
भीष्म उवाच
The verse teaches that true hospitality and charity are proven by sacrifice: giving food to a guest even when one is hungry oneself, done with a steady and sincere mind, leads to exalted spiritual merit—symbolized as reaching the realms of Brahman-knowers.
In the Anushasana Parva, Bhishma instructs Yudhisthira on dharma. Here he highlights atithi-sevā (service to guests) and dāna as a superior ethical practice, promising a lofty posthumous destination for one who prioritizes the guest over personal comfort.