Let your mother be a god. Let your father be a god. Let your teacher be a god. Let your guest be a god.

This anuvāka contains one of the highest ethical teachings of Hinduism: to treat others as divinities. The phrase “X-devo bhava” literally means “let X be your god” — recognizing the divine presence in the human beings around us.

The progression is intentional:

• Mātṛ and Pitṛ — the parents, source of physical existence
• Ācārya — the teacher, source of spiritual knowledge
• Atithi — the unexpected guest, representing the stranger, the pilgrim

This teaching transforms human relationships into sevā (devotional service). When we see others as gods, our treatment of them is elevated: we offer them the best, we speak to them with respect, we anticipate their needs.

In the context of yoga, this is a practice of bhakti (devotion) applied to daily life. It is also a means of purifying the mind — when we cultivate the vision of the divine in all, we dissolve the barriers of ego and the separate “I.”

This practice of honoring the other as divine is the foundation of a harmonious society and inner transformation.