यदि कर्मविपाकेन गृही भवति वित्तवान् । अतिथ्येनातिथिः पूज्यस्तदहं वच्मि सत्तमौ
If, by the result of past actions, the householder becomes wealthy, then the guest must be honored as a guest; this I declare to the virtuous.
समागतेष्वतिथिषु भक्त्या दद्यात्तृणादिकम् । तृणाभावेन वै ब्रूयाद्भूमौ तिष्ठेति भक्तितः
When guests arrive, one should offer grass and the like with devotion; if there is no grass, one should respectfully say, 'Sit on the ground.'
पादप्रक्षालनार्थं तुदद्यादुदकमुत्तमम् । अतो मधुरया वाचा पृच्छेच्च कुशलादिकम्
For washing the feet, one should give excellent water; then, with sweet words, inquire about their well-being and other matters.
फलादिकं ततो दद्याद्भक्त्या भोजनहेतवे । तदभावेन मतिमान्मुदा विप्र प्रकाशयेत्
After that, one should offer fruits and the like with devotion for their meal; if these are lacking, the wise householder should joyfully explain the situation to the Brahmin.
वदेच्चाहं महापापी दरिद्र प्रवरोऽतिथे । कर्त्तुमिच्छामि भक्तिं ते दैवतंत्रंविरोधकम्
He should say, 'I am a great sinner, poor, and you are an eminent guest; I wish to serve you with devotion, though I am constrained by fate.'
अनेन विधिना दीनः सत्यक्त्वातिथिपूजनम् । स्वाचारपतितो नान्यो यथोक्तं फलमाप्नुयात्
By this method, even the destitute, having sincerely honored the guest, though fallen from proper conduct, will attain the result as stated.
अनर्चितोऽतिथिर्यस्य गच्छेद्वै गृहिणो गृहात् । जन्मकोट्यर्जितं पुण्यं तस्य गच्छति संक्षयम्
If a guest departs from a house without being honored, the merit accumulated over millions of births by the householder is diminished.
एक एवातिथिर्येन भक्तिभावेन पूज्यते । हरेत्तस्य हरिः सद्यो पातकं कोटिजन्मजम्
If even one guest is honored with devotion, Hari immediately removes the sins accumulated over millions of births.
सत्यं वच्मि हितं वच्मि दृढं वच्मि प्रयत्नतः । विनातिथिसपर्याभिर्गृहिणो नास्ति वा गतिः
I speak the truth, I speak what is beneficial, I speak firmly and with effort: without the service of guests, householders have no path.
सत्यं सत्यं पुनः सत्यमागंतुपूजया विना । गतिर्नास्त्येव नास्त्येव नास्त्येव गृहिधर्मिणाम्
Truly, truly, again truly, without honoring arriving guests, there is absolutely no path, no path, no path for householders.
ज्ञातिधर्म इति ख्यातो वल्लभो द्वापरे युगे । बभूव सर्वधर्मज्ञस्तस्य श्रीवल्लभाह्वया
In the Dvāpara Yuga, there was a renowned man named Jñātidharma, beloved and learned in all the sacred duties; his wife was called Śrīvallabhā.
तेन सर्वाणि कर्माणि कृतानि ज्ञातिसेविना । सौराष्ट्रे वसतिं चक्रे तया सह सभार्यया
He, devoted to serving his kin, performed all duties and established his residence in Saurāṣṭra together with his wife.
तत्र दुर्ग्रहसंचाराद्द्वादशाब्दं च वासवः । न ववर्षांबु तेनासीद्दुर्भिक्षं सुमहद्द्विजौ
There, due to the movement of malefic planets, Indra did not send rain for twelve years, and thus a great famine befell, O twice-born ones.
तस्मिन्महति दुर्भिक्षे लोकास्तद्देशवासिनः । बभूवुर्दुःखिताः सर्वे मर्यादामपि तत्यजुः ५० 7.25.
During that severe famine, all the people dwelling in that region became afflicted with suffering and even abandoned their customary codes of conduct.
ज्ञानभद्रो महायोगी युगे द्वापर संज्ञके । दुर्भिक्षहृतसंपत्तिर्बभूवात्यन्तदुःखितः
Jñānabhadra, a great yogi in that Dvāpara age, lost his wealth to the famine and became extremely distressed.
क्षुधाकुलान्सुतान्दृष्ट्वा दारांश्च द्विजसंमतौ । फलमूलादनार्थाय जगामोत्पत्यकां गिरेः
Seeing his children and wife, esteemed among twice-born, tormented by hunger, he went to the slope of a mountain in search of fruit and roots.
गिरेरुपत्यकाप्रांते चिरायुः स बुभुक्षितः । कूष्माण्डफलमेकं च लेभे ब्राह्मणसत्तमौ
At the edge of the mountain’s slope, that long-lived and hungry one, together with the excellent brāhmaṇa, found a single gourd-fruit.
समादाय फलं तच्च हर्षितोऽसौ निजालयम् । जवैर्जगाम विप्रेन्द्रो ज्ञानभद्रो महायशाः
Taking that fruit, delighted, the illustrious brāhmaṇa lord Jñānabhadra quickly returned to his own home.
एतस्मिन्नन्तरे विप्र मेघैर्न्नीलपदैरिव । आवृते गगने वृष्टिर्महासारैर्बभूव ह
Meanwhile, O brāhmaṇa, the sky became covered with clouds as if with blue lotuses, and a great downpour of rain occurred.
स मुनिश्च तया वृष्ट्या प्लाविताखिलविग्रह । वनाद्वनचरः कश्चिच्छीतार्तश्चाययौ गृहम्
And that sage, drenched by the rain, with all his limbs soaked, returned home, as did a certain forest-dweller, shivering from the cold.
दृष्ट्वातिथिं तु शीतार्तं ववंदे शिरसा ततः । ददौ तृणासनं भक्त्या तस्मै पाद्यादिकं ततः
Seeing the guest afflicted by cold, he bowed his head in respect, offered him a seat of grass with devotion, and then gave him water for washing the feet and other customary offerings.
ततो मधुरया वाचा तेनैवातिथिना सह । तस्थौ स्वस्थेन मनसा प्रज्ञालापं प्रकुर्वता
Then, with sweet words, he remained with that guest, his mind at ease, engaging in wise conversation.
गृहिण्या सह गोपेन स्वामिसेवा सुदक्षया । ततः कूष्माण्डकं नव्यं पक्वमत्यंत यत्नतः
Together with his wife, skilled in serving her lord, he and the cowherd carefully cooked the fresh gourd-fruit.
संप्राप्य हर्षिता साध्वी ददौ भागं विधाय सा । अथासौ दुर्बलो गोपो दिनविंशमुपोषणात्
Having obtained it, the virtuous wife, delighted, apportioned the fruit and gave a share; and the weak cowherd, having fasted for twenty days, received it.
आतिथेयो महाभागं ददौ चातिथये मुदा । ततस्तद्गृहिणी साध्वी स्वामिभक्तिपरायणा
The honored guest joyfully gave the largest portion to the host; then the virtuous wife, devoted to serving her husband, ...
ददौ सा पतितं भागं तस्मै चातिथये मुदा । अथातिथेस्तयोस्तत्र दंपत्योः सुमहात्मनोः
... gave her own portion to the guest with gladness; thus, between the two great-hearted spouses and the guest, ...
अभूद्भागद्वयं भुक्त्वा सुप्रीतो द्विजसत्तम । विष्णुवत्पूजितस्ताभ्यां सोऽतिथिर्दृढभक्तितः
After eating the two portions, the excellent brāhmaṇa guest was greatly pleased; worshipped by them with firm devotion as if he were Viṣṇu himself.
विश्रामं रात्रौ तत्रैव प्रातः स्नात्वा चिरं ययौ । गतैवमुपवासेन दिनानामेकविंशतिः
He rested there that night, and in the morning, after bathing, departed; thus, through fasting, twenty-one days passed.
दंपती तौ महात्मानौ पंचतां ययतुस्ततः । तेन पुण्यप्रभावेण दंपती तौ महाशयौ
Those two great-souled spouses then departed from this world; by the power of their merit, those noble husband and wife—
प्रापतुर्विष्णुसायुज्यं दुर्ल्लभं योगिनामपि । तयोः पुण्यप्रभावेण विहितातिथिपूजया
—attained union with Viṣṇu, which is difficult even for yogis to obtain. By the power of their merit, through the worship offered to guests—