Katha:1.1.8

Mantra 1.1.8

Original Text:

आशाप्रतीक्शे संगतँ सूनृतां चेष्टापूर्ते पुत्रपशूँश्च सर्वान् ।
	एतद्वृङ्क्ते पुरुषस्याल्पमेधसो यस्यानश्नन्वसति ब्राह्मणो गृहे ॥ ८ ॥

āśāpratīkśe saṃgatam̐ sūnṛtāṃ ceṣṭāpūrte putrapaśūm̐śca sarvān ।
	etadvṛṅkte puruṣasyālpamedhaso yasyānaśnanvasati brāhmaṇo gṛhe ॥ 8 ॥

Sanskrit Term	Transliteration	Hindi Meaning	English Word or Meaning	Comments
आशा	āśā	इच्छा – किसी वस्तु की प्राप्ति की आकांक्षा	hope – desire for attainment of something not yet possessed
प्रतीक्षा	pratīkṣā	प्रतीक्षा – निश्चित वस्तु की प्राप्ति की प्रतीक्षा	expectation – anticipation of something definite and attainable
संगतम्	saṅgatam	सत्संग – श्रेष्ठ पुरुषों का साथ	company with good people – association with virtuous persons
सूनृताम्	sūnṛtām	मधुर वाणी – सत्य और प्रिय वचन	true and pleasant discourse – truthful and agreeable speech
चेष्टा	iṣṭā	यज्ञ – धार्मिक अनुष्ठान के फल	sacrifices – results of ritual offerings
पूर्ते	pūrte	दान – धर्मार्थ कार्यों के फल	acts of pious liberality – results of charitable acts (like building wells, gardens)
पुत्रपशून्	putrapaśūn	संतान और पशु – संतान और संपत्ति	children and cattle – progeny and wealth in the form of livestock
सर्वान्	sarvān	सभी – उपर्युक्त सभी वस्तुएँ	all – all the aforementioned
एतत्	etat	यह – उपर्युक्त सब	this – all these
वृङ्क्ते	vṛṅkte	नष्ट कर देता है – छीन लेता है	destroys – takes away, deprives
पुरुषस्य	puruṣasya	मनुष्य का – गृहस्वामी का	of the man – of the householder
अल्पमेधसः	alpamedhasaḥ	अल्प बुद्धि वाले – कम विवेक वाले	of little intelligence – lacking discrimination or wisdom
यस्य	yasya	जिसके – जिस व्यक्ति का	whose – of whom
अनश्नन्	anaśnan	उपवास करता हुआ – बिना भोजन किए	fasting – not having eaten
वसति	vasati	निवास करता है – ठहरता है	stays – dwells, abides
ब्राह्मणः	brāhmaṇaḥ	ब्राह्मण अतिथि – वेदज्ञ अतिथि	Brāhmaṇa guest – a guest who is a knower of the Veda
गृहे	gṛhe	घर में – गृह में	in the house – in the home

Translation/Explanation

Hindi: जिस गृहस्वामी के घर में, उपवास करता हुआ ब्राह्मण अतिथि ठहरता है, उस अल्पबुद्धि व्यक्ति की आशा, प्रतीक्षा, सत्संग, मधुर वाणी, यज्ञ, दान, संतान और पशु आदि सभी वस्तुएँ नष्ट हो जाती हैं। अर्थात्, अतिथि का कभी भी तिरस्कार नहीं करना चाहिए।

English: For the householder of little intelligence, in whose home a Brāhmaṇa guest (brāhmaṇa) stays fasting (anaśnan), all his hope (āśā), expectation (pratīkṣā), company with good people (saṅgatam), true and pleasant discourse (sūnṛtām), sacrifices (iṣṭā), acts of pious liberality (pūrte), children and cattle (putrapaśūn)—all these are destroyed. Thus, a guest should never be neglected under any circumstances.

Commentary

Hope, i.e., desire for something not definitely known but attainable. Expectation, anticipation of something definite and attainable. Company with good people, i.e., the fruit resulting from association with virtuous persons. True and pleasant discourse, i.e., the fruit of truthful and agreeable speech. Iṣṭa, i.e., the fruit of a sacrifice. Pūrta, i.e., the fruit resulting from charitable acts such as the laying out of a garden, etc. Putrapaśūn, i.e., children and cattle. All this is destroyed for the person of little intelligence in whose house a Brāhmaṇa, fasting, stays. The meaning is that a guest is, therefore, under no circumstances to be neglected.

Concept List

āśā
pratīkṣā
saṅgatam
sūnṛtā
iṣṭā
pūrta
putrapaśūn
alpamedhas
brāhmaṇa
atithi