Atithi or Guest Reception (study)
by Sarika. P. | 2022 | 41,363 words
This page relates 鈥楻eferences to Hospitality in the Raghuvamsha鈥� of the study on Atithi-Saparya鈥擳he ancient Indian practice of hospitality or 鈥済uest reception鈥� which, in the Indian context, is an exalted practice tracable to the Vedic period. The spirit of Vedic guest-reception (atithi-saparya) is reflected in modern tourism in India, although it has deviated from the original concept. Technically, the Sanskrit term Atithi can be defined as one who arrives from a far place with hunger and thirst during the time of the Vaishvadeva rite鈥攁 ceremony that includes offering cooked food to all Gods.
Go directly to: Footnotes.
Part 1 - References to Hospitality in the 搁补驳丑耻惫补峁兣沘
Classical Sanskrit Literature also has vast reference to atithi-蝉补辫补谤测腻. Indian culture is very close to nature, so poets and writers often ascribe humane features to nature. Poets fancy that mountain, river, trees, birds, animals etc. as welcome their atithis. Even the natural objects are portrayed as performing duties.
The beautiful poem 搁补驳丑耻惫补峁兣沘 begins with a poetic description of King 顿颈濒墨辫补鈥檚 visit to 痴补蝉颈峁ａ弓丑腻艣谤补尘补. There the reception offered by the sage to the king is vividly described. The king was not alone; He was accompanied by his beloved wife 厂耻诲补办峁峁嘺. K膩lid膩sa describes that the hermitage purified the guests with the holy 诲丑奴尘补蝉 rising from sacrificial fire.[1] The sages, who have perfect control over their mind and sense organs welcomed 顿颈濒墨辫补.[2] The King 顿颈濒墨辫补 and 厂耻诲补办峁峁嘺, touched Sage 痴补蝉颈峁ａ弓丑补鈥檚 feet. The sage, along with his wife reciprocated the warmth.[3] 痴补蝉颈峁ａ弓丑补 reveals 顿颈濒墨辫补 that, it was because of his indifferent behaviour to 碍腻尘补诲丑别苍耻 that insighted her to curse him against having a son. And that by appeasing 碍腻尘补诲丑别苍耻 now with at most care, he will be blessed by a son.
顿颈濒墨辫补 and 厂耻诲补办峁峁嚹� brought up 狈补苍诲颈苍墨 (daughter of 碍腻尘补诲丑别苍耻) to please 碍腻尘补诲丑别苍耻. When 顿颈濒墨辫补 went to forest with 狈补苍诲颈苍墨, the climbing plants shed flowers on them for welcoming them. This has been fancied as the hospitality of nature towards him by the poet.
We get another beautiful episode from the graceful pen of K膩lid膩sa. It is the Kautsa episode. Kautsa, after his closure of Brahmacarya, was in dire need of money. Then he approached the king Raghu. The story is well known. What carries much importance is the fact that Kautsa was a 蝉苍腻迟补办补. Kautsa, the disciple of Varatantu, approached Raghu for accumulating the remuneration demanded by his preceptor. Raghu had already given away in charity the whole of his belongings during the 痴颈艣惫补箩颈迟 sacrifice. Hence Raghu received Kautsa with earthen vessels. Such was his plight.[4] The king got from Kubera a huge amount of gold (the latter, who was afraid of the king, filled the treasure of Raghu with gold coins). Kautsa refused to take more than what he wanted. But king Raghu forced him to accept the whole his wealth that he got from Kubera to Kautsa. This shows the hospitality of Raghu even in his deprived condition.
King Bhoja is depicted by K膩lid膩sa as always finding pleasure in honouring his atithis. During the occasion of his sisters marriage (滨苍诲耻尘补迟墨蝉惫补测补峁僾补谤补), he issues orders to give distinct and honorable reception for all kings.[5]
While briefing the story of 搁腻尘腻测补峁嘺 K膩lid膩sa has not left out the occasions of atithi-蝉补辫补谤测腻. When 艢r墨 搁腻尘补 killed 罢腻峁璦办补 and returned to the hermitage of 痴颈艣惫腻尘颈迟谤补, the disciples of 痴颈艣惫腻尘颈迟谤补 treat 艢r墨 搁腻尘补 and 尝补办峁补峁嘺 very well.[6] 痴颈艣惫腻尘颈迟谤补 went to the palace of Janaka at Mithila along with 搁腻尘补 and 尝补办峁补峁嘺. Janaka came forward with offerings to receive them.[7] 顿补艣补谤补迟丑补 offered hospitality to sage 艢补迟腻苍补苍诲补 the messenger of King Janaka.[8]
When 厂墨迟腻 lived in the hermitage of 痴腻濒尘墨办颈, she offered hospitality to atithis according to the precepts.[9] In 搁补驳丑耻惫补峁兣沘, at the end of the 础艣惫补尘别诲丑补 sacrifice, 艢r墨 搁腻尘补 is described as respectfully honouring atithis, 补产丑测腻驳补迟补蝉, relatives etc.[10]
Footnotes and references:
[1]:
abhyutthit膩gnipi艣unairatith墨n膩艣ramonmukh膩n |
pun膩na峁� pavanoddh奴tairdhumair膩hutigandhibhi岣� || 搁补驳丑耻惫补峁兣沘, 1.53
[2]:
tasmai 蝉补产丑测腻岣� sabh膩ry膩ya goptre guptatamendriy膩岣� |
arha峁嚹乵arhate cakrurmunayo nayacak峁峁 || ibid., 1.55
[3]:
[4]:
sa m峁涐箛maye v墨tahira峁噈ayatv膩tp膩tre nidh膩y膩rghyamanargha艣墨la岣� |
艣rutaprak膩艣a峁� ya艣as膩 prak膩艣a岣� pratyujjag膩m膩tithim膩titheya岣� || ibid., 5.2
[5]:
iti svasurbhojakulaprad墨pa岣� 蝉补峁僷腻诲测补 辫腻峁噄驳谤补丑补峁嘺峁� sa 谤腻箩腻 |
mah墨pat墨n膩峁� p峁泃hagarha峁嚹乺tha峁� sam膩dide艣膩dhik峁泃膩nadhi艣r墨岣� || ibid., 7.29
[6]:
膩sas膩da munir膩tmanastata岣� 艣i峁avargaparikalpit膩rha峁嘺m |
baddhapallavapu峁伱眏alidruma峁� dar艣anonmukham峁沢a峁� tapovanam || ibid., 11.23
[7]:
谤腻驳丑补惫腻苍惫颈迟补尘耻辫补蝉迟丑颈迟补峁� 尘耻苍颈峁� ta峁� ni艣amya janako jane艣vara岣� |
arthak膩masahita峁� saparyay膩 dehabaddhamiva dharmamabhyag膩l || ibid., 11.35
[8]:
tasya kalpitapuraskriy膩vidhe岣� 艣u艣ruv膩n vacanamagrajan 尘补苍补岣� |
uccac膩la balabhitsakho va艣墨 sainyare峁噓mu峁t膩rkad墨dhiti岣� || ibid., 11.51
[9]:
tatr膩bhi峁kaprayat膩 vasant墨 prayuktap奴j膩 vidhin膩tithibhya岣� |
vanyena s膩 valkalin墨 艣ar墨ra峁� patyu岣� praj膩sa峁僼ataye babh膩ra || ibid., 14.82
[10]:
峁涐梗墨nvis峁沯ya yaj帽膩nte suh峁沝a艣ca purask峁泃膩n |
r膩ma岣� s墨t膩gata峁� sneha峁� nidadhe tadapatyayo岣� || ibid., 15.86