History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v3.c39.21

v3.c39.21

The motive of this injunction to honour guests was clear, viz. universal kindliness. Other motives were added by smṛtis in order to emphasize the observance of this duty. The Śāṅ. gṛ. II. 17. 1 says "Even if a man constantly gathers grass (i. e. maintains himself by collecting the grains that fall in a field when the crop is taken away) and performs agnihotra, a brāhmaṇa guest who stays in his house without receiving the honour (due as a guest) takes away the (merit) of all his good works".¹⁸⁰¹ Manu III. 100 says the same. Āp. Dh. S. II. 3. 6. 6 says that by honouring guests one secures heaven and freedom from misfortune.¹⁸⁰² Vide also Āp. Dh. S. II. 3. 7. 16. One verse quoted in numerous works like the Viṣṇu Dh. S. 67. 33, Śāntiparva 191. 12, Viṣṇupurāṇa III. 9. 15, Mārkaṇḍeya 29. 31, Brahmapurāṇa 114. 36 is 'when a guest returns from the house of a person with his hope of getting food shattered, he (the guest) transfers his own sins to the householder and departs taking with him the householder's merit (puṇya)'. The Vāyupurāṇa (71. 74) and Bṛhat-Parāśara (Jīvānanda, part 2, p. 99) say that *yogins* and *siddhas* (those who have attained transcendant powers) wander over this earth in various forms for the benefit of men; therefore one should with folded hands welcome a guest. If one is not able to feed many guests, then Baud. Dh. S. (II. 3. 15-18) declares that one should feed him who is endowed with superior qualities or who is the first to arrive or who is a *śrotriya*.