Shloka 15

Devanagari script

स्वदेशे परदेशे वा अतिथिं नोपवासयेत्‌ । काम्यकर्मफलं लब्ध्वा गुरूणामुपपादयेत्‌

Transliteration

Bhīṣma uvāca: svadeśe paradeśe vā atithiṃ nopavāsayet | kāmyakarmaphalaṃ labdhvā gurūṇām upapādayet ||

Translation

毗湿摩说道：无论身在故土还是异乡，都不可让来到家中的宾客挨饿。凡因自己所愿而又属本分之行所获的利益，当恭敬奉献给长者与师长。

Word by Word

• स्वदेशे: in one’s own country
• स्वदेशे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वदेश
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• परदेशे: in a foreign country
• परदेशे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: परदेश
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• वा: or
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा

• अतिथिम्: a guest
• अतिथिम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: अतिथि
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• न: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न

• उपवासयेत्: should cause to fast / should keep (him) without food
• Type: Verb
• Root: उप-वास्
• Form: Optative (Vidhi-lin), Third, Singular, Parasmaipada

• काम्यकर्मफलम्: the fruit of desire-motivated acts
• काम्यकर्मफलम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: काम्यकर्मफल
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• लब्ध्वा: having obtained
• Type: Verb
• Root: लभ्
• Form: Absolutive (Gerund), Parasmaipada

• गुरूणाम्: of/for the elders (teachers)
• गुरूणाम्: Sampradana
• Type: Noun
• Root: गुरु
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural

• उपपादयेत्: should present/offer (it)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उप-पा-द् (उपपादयति)
• Form: Optative (Vidhi-lin), Third, Singular, Parasmaipada

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma
• atithi (guest)
• guru (elders/teachers)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Two duties are emphasized: (1) atithi-dharma—never let a guest go unfed, regardless of place; and (2) guru-sevā—dedicate the gains from one’s result-seeking actions to one’s elders/teachers as an act of reverence and right conduct.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Śānti Parva’s instruction on righteous living, Bhishma continues advising Yudhiṣṭhira on household ethics, highlighting hospitality to guests and respectful offering to gurus as practical expressions of dharma.