Manava Dharmashastra 3.102

3.102

atitherdharmo'tithidharmaḥ| sa yayorasti tāvatithidharmiṇau | atithidharmaśca prāgvyākhyātaḥ | kuṭumbaṃ gṛhaṃ, tatra prāptāvāgatau | vaiśyaśūdrāvapi bhojayet | kṣatriyavata | tayostu bhojanakālaḥ kṣatriyakālātpareṇa | yata āha bhojayetsaha bhṛtyaistau | 'bhṛtyā' atra dāsā ucyante | teṣāṃ ca bhojanakālo bhuktavatsvatithijñātibāndhaveṣu sarveṣvarvāgdampatibhyām | sahaśabda ekakālatāmātralakṣaṇārthaḥ | ānṛśaṃsyaṃ kāruṇyamanukampāṃ prayojayan pramāṇīkurvannāśrayanniti yāvat | anena pūjyatāṃ vārayati | anugrāhyo hyanukampyo, na pūjyaḥ | anukampyeṣu yadi ca śakyate'nugrahaḥ kartuṃ tataḥ kriyate'bhyudayārthinā, na tvakaraṇādatitheratikramaḥ | etaduktaṃ bhavati | yādṛśo'tithibhojanādutkṛṣṭo dharmaḥ anukampyānugrahānna tādṛśastato nikṛṣṭaḥ |

The Vaiśya and the Śūdra also, when arrived in the family in the character of guests, he should feed, along with his servants,—showing his compassionate disposition.—(112)

Medhātithi’s commentary (manubhāṣya):
Those that have the character of guests are said to arrive ‘in the character of guests;’ the ‘character of the guest’ has been already described.

‘Family’—House.

‘Arrived’—Come.

He should feed the Vaiśya and the Śūdra also, like the Kṣatriya. The time, for feeding them is after the quests, relations and friends have eaten, but before the House-holder and his wife.

‘Along with’ means simply ‘at the same time.’

‘Compassionate disposition’—sympathy, pity.

‘Showing’—providing proof of, having recourse to.

This last clause has been added with a view to show that those here mentioned are not objects of respect. It is one who is to be kindly treated that deserves compassion, and not one who is to be worshipped. Towards pergons deserving kindly treatment, if help can be accorded, this is done by everyone who desires his own welfare. But its omission does not mean ill-treatment of the guest. What is meant is that the merit derived from helping the person deserving compassion is not similar to that derived from entertaining the guest; it is inferior to this latter.—(112)