अग्निं हुत्वा प्रदायार्घ्यमतिथिं प्रतिपूजयेत्।
अन्यथा खलु काकुत्स्थ तपस्वी समुदाचरन्।
दुःसाक्षीव परे लोके स्वानि मांसानि भक्षयेत्॥
agniṁ hutvā pradāyārghyam atithiṁ pratipūjayet
anyathā khalu kākutstha tapasvī samudācaran
duḥsākṣīva pare loke svāni māṁsāni bhakṣayet
agnim = unto the sacred fire; hutvā = one should offer oblations; pradāya = offer; arghyam = arghya; atithim = one’s guest; pratipūjayet = and then honor; anyathā = otherwise; khalu = certainly; kākutstha = O descendant of Kakutstha; tapasvī = an ascetic; samudācaran = who acts; duḥsākṣī = a false witness; iva = is like; pare loke = in his next life; svāni māṁsāni = his own flesh; bhakṣayet = he will eat.
One should offer oblations unto the sacred fire, offer arghya and then honor one’s guest. O descendant of Kakutstha, an ascetic who acts otherwise is like a false witness—he will certainly eat his own flesh in his next life.
1 When Rāvaṇa visits her in the guise of a sannyāsī.
This instruction, apparently for Rāma, is actually for Sītā because it is inappropriate for Rāma, who was [already] described [in the previous verse] as being expert in dharma, to be instructed in this manner.
Therefore, Sītā will honor Rāvaṇa [as a guest].1
“An ascetic who acts otherwise” refers to one who does not offer oblations unto the sacrificial fire or honor his guests.
The sage states in the next verse that Rāmacandra is a special guest.
GLOSS. The sage anticipates that Rāma might state, “A brāhmaṇa should not worship a kṣatriya.” Therefore, Agastya indicates that all guests are worshipable by describing the nature of dharma.
“In his next life” means “in the abode of Yamarāja.”
That every guest, what to speak of the Supreme Being, is meant to be honored is stated in the next verse.