Chaitanya Bhagavata
by Bhumipati Dāsa | 2008 | 1,349,850 words
The Chaitanya Bhagavata 1.5.23, English translation, including a commentary (Gaudiya-bhasya). This text is similair to the Caitanya-caritamrita and narrates the pastimes of Lord Caitanya, proclaimed to be the direct incarnation of Krishna (as Bhagavan) This is verse 23 of Adi-khanda chapter 5—“Eating the Mendicant Brahmana’s Offerings”.
Verse 1.5.23
Bengali text, Devanagari and Unicode transliteration of verse 1.5.23:
অতিথি-ব্যভার-ধর্ম যেন-মতে হয সব করিলেন জগন্নাথ মহাশয ॥ ২৩ ॥
अतिथि-व्यभार-धर्म येन-मते हय सब करिलेन जगन्नाथ महाशय ॥ २३ ॥
atithi-vyabhāra-dharma yena-mate haya saba karilena jagannātha mahāśaya || 23 ||
atithi-vyabhara-dharma yena-mate haya saba karilena jagannatha mahasaya (23)
English translation:
(23) Jagannātha Miśra received the brāhmaṇa with the etiquette due to a guest.
Commentary: Gauḍīya-bhāṣya by Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura:
A stranger who stays in a householder’s residence for one day and leaves the next is called an atithi, or guest. The householders have the opportunity to serve such guests for only one day. It is the vyavahāra- dharma, or rule of etiquette, for a householder to serve his guests.
Honoring guests is as good as serving the spiritual master; in other words, a guest is as worshipable as Lord Nārāyaṇa.