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 ||
此处亦引偈曰：“若有宾客，所望既失，自某人之家门前失意而返，则彼家主乃是将自身之罪业付与宾客，而携宾客之福德而去。”此教诫昭示：拒绝款待之伦理代价极其沉重；且在灵性果报上，被怠慢之宾客的功德将从疏忽的主人处转移而去。
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’.