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Library » Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (Bhāgavata Purāṇa) » Canto 8: Withdrawal of the Cosmic Creations » CHAPTER SIXTEEN

ŚB 8.16.7

Devanagari

गृहेषु येष्वतिथयो नार्चिता: सलिलैरपि ।
यदि निर्यान्ति ते नूनं फेरुराजगृहोपमा: ॥ ७ ॥

Text

gṛheṣu yeṣv atithayo
nārcitāḥ salilair api
yadi niryānti te nūnaṁ
pherurāja-gṛhopamāḥ

Synonyms

gṛheṣu — at home; yeṣu — which; atithayaḥ — uninvited guests; na — not; arcitāḥ — welcomed; salilaiḥ api — even by offering a glass of water; yadi — if; niryānti — they go away; te — such household life; nūnam — indeed; pheru-rāja — of jackals; gṛha — the homes; upamāḥ — like.

Translation

Homes from which guests go away without having been received even with an offering of a little water are like those holes in the field which are the homes of jackals.

Purport

In a field there may be holes made by snakes and mice, but when there are very big holes, it may be supposed that jackals live there. Certainly no one goes to take shelter in such homes. Thus the homes of human beings where atithis, uninvited guests, are not properly received are like the homes of jackals.