Atithir Yasya Bhagnasho
अतिथिर्यस्य भग्नाशो
Also known as: atithir yasya bhagnasho · atithir yasya bhagnasho grihat pratinivartate · atithi devo bhava shloka · guest hospitality sanskrit verse · subhashita on atithi satkara
Read in your language / script
✦ Meaning
Atithir Yasya Bhagnasho is a striking Subhashita on the sacred Indian duty of atithi-satkara, the honouring of guests. It declares that a guest turned away disappointed carries off the householder's accumulated merit and leaves behind his own sins. The verse underscores the ancient ideal 'atithi devo bhava' — the guest is to be revered as divine — by spelling out the spiritual cost of failing in hospitality.
Origin & Story
Subhashita (Sanskrit niti literature) · Traditional (anonymous wisdom verse) · Classical Sanskrit literature
Rooted in the Vedic and dharmic ideal of atithi devo bhava — 'treat the guest as God' — this verse belongs to the Subhashita tradition of pithy moral sayings. It dramatises the duty of hospitality by describing the unseen exchange of merit and demerit that follows when a guest is welcomed or, fatefully, turned away with broken hopes, thereby teaching the householder to honour every visitor.
✦ As told in scripture
It is traditionally believed that homes which never turn away a guest are blessed with abundance and grace, while the merit lost in sending away even one disappointed visitor can quietly undo years of virtuous deeds — such is the power the scriptures attach to atithi-satkara.
The Mantra
Tap any line — or the ▶ button — to hear it recited
अतिथिर्यस्य भग्नाशो गृहात्प्रतिनिवर्तते। स तस्मै दुष्कृतं दत्त्वा पुण्यमादाय गच्छति॥
atithir yasya bhagnāśo gṛhāt pratinivartate। sa tasmai duṣkṛtaṁ dattvā puṇyam ādāya gacchati॥
Meaning:The guest who turns back from a house with his hopes broken (turned away unwelcomed) leaves behind for that householder all his own demerits and departs carrying away the householder's merit. The verse warns that to send away a guest disappointed is to lose one's spiritual merit and inherit the guest's sins.
Word-by-Word Meaning
Click any word to hear its pronunciation
Benefits of Chanting Atithir Yasya Bhagnasho
Reinforces the timeless dharma of welcoming and honouring guests
Reminds the householder of the spiritual rewards of hospitality
Cultivates generosity, warmth and selflessness toward all who arrive
Echoes the Vedic ideal of 'atithi devo bhava' — the guest as divine
Encourages a household to never turn away the needy or the visitor disappointed
A vivid reminder that kindness shown to a guest preserves one's own merit
How to Chant Atithir Yasya Bhagnasho
Recite the verse with awareness of its message that a disappointed guest carries away one's merit. Let it inspire a warm, ungrudging welcome to everyone who comes to your door. Reflect on the ancient ideal of atithi-satkara and resolve never to send away a guest or a needy visitor empty-handed or disheartened.