Atithi or Guest Reception (study)
by Sarika. P. | 2022 | 41,363 words
This page relates 鈥楪arhasthya and Atithi-saparya in Smritis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.
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Part 8 - G膩rhasthya and Atithi-蝉补辫补谤测腻 in 厂尘峁泃颈蝉
厂尘峁泃颈蝉 explain atithi-蝉补辫补谤测腻 in an extended manner, more of same in nature of 顿丑补谤尘补艣腻蝉迟谤补蝉, Eventhough there are several developments taken place, because of the travel through time.
As cited earlier itself atithi-蝉补辫补谤测腻 is the duty of 驳峁沨补蝉迟丑补. 厂尘峁泃颈蝉 also mention 辫补帽肠补尘补丑腻测补箩帽补蝉 as inevitable part in life of a 驳峁沨补蝉迟丑补. 狈峁泍补箩帽补 or 尘补苍耻峁补测补箩帽补 is frequently pointed out in 厂尘峁泃颈蝉, in relation with 驳峁沨补蝉迟丑补. Just as the 顿丑补谤尘补蝉奴迟谤补蝉, 厂尘峁泃颈蝉 also denote to the characteristics of an atithi. 惭补苍耻蝉尘峁泃颈 says that a Brahmin who stays for only one night and one who coming from another village is considered as an atithi. A person who has very good knowledge in Vedas should be considered as an atithi, states 驰腻箩帽补惫补濒办测补蝉尘峁泃颈. According to 笔补谤腻艣补谤补蝉尘峁泃颈 one who arrives from far away place with hunger and thirst, at the time of 痴补颈艣惫补诲别惫补 rite is an atithi.[1] Similarly, 笔补谤腻艣补谤补蝉尘峁泃颈, says that one who arrived at the end of the 惫补颈艣惫补诲别惫补 sacrifice is an atithi and a person lives in the same village is not considered as an atithi.[2] From these it is evident that all 顿丑补谤尘补蝉奴迟谤补蝉 and 顿丑补谤尘补艣腻蝉迟谤补蝉 clearly interpret the specifications of an atithi.
The rituals as customs associated with atithi-蝉补辫补谤测腻 and food offering practices have become almost mandatory during 厂尘峁泃颈蝉. They had assumed the status of rigid commitments on a 驳峁沨补蝉迟丑补. Hence we shall shed light upon on the colour of atithi-蝉补辫补谤测腻 as a custom in 厂尘峁泃颈蝉.
Hospitality to an atithi brings in wealth, fame, longevity and ensures heaven to 驳峁沨补蝉迟丑补.[3] If one fails to give special food to his atithi, he should at least give him what he eats. When lot of atithis arrive at the same time or separately, 驳峁沨补蝉迟丑补 should arrange the reception according to the eligibility and the standards of the atithis. Seats, beds, servings and following should differ according to the status of the atithis states the author of 惭补苍耻蝉尘峁泃颈.[4] Better seats, beds etc. should be given according to the atithi鈥檚 superior status. After the completion of the 惫补颈艣惫补诲别惫补 offerings, if an atithi arrives at the 驳峁沨补蝉迟丑补鈥檚 house, the latter should offer the former duly cooked food.[5] When 驳峁沨补蝉迟丑补鈥檚 friends, relatives arrive at the time of food, he should treat them with love and affection and give them excellent food. And the wife should accompany him during the reception.[6] A slight difference in the status is seen in the 厂尘峁泃颈 literature in comparison with 顿丑补谤尘补蝉奴迟谤补蝉. 顿丑补谤尘补蝉奴迟谤补蝉 instruct to feed atithis, before feeding sick, old, pregnant women etc. While 惭补苍耻蝉尘峁泃颈 says that, If newly married daughters, infants, patients, pregnant women etc. arrive at the house; 驳峁沨补蝉迟丑补 should feed them before feeding the atithis.[7] One who eats food before giving to his atithi, servants etc. is a foolish person who doesn鈥檛 know that after death his body will be devoured by dogs and eagles.[8] 骋峁沨补蝉迟丑补 eats his food at the end of worshipping the deities, 峁涐梗颈蝉, 辫颈迟峁泂 and atithis. According to 惭补苍耻蝉尘峁泃颈, one who cooks food for himself eats the sin and not food. The virtuous people partake only what is left over after feeding atithis and women and other weaker sections (when the sacrificial oblations are over).[9] This is also seen in 叠补耻诲丑腻测补苍补诲丑补谤尘补蝉奴迟谤补, 办别惫补濒腻驳丑辞 bhavati keval膩d墨 |[10]
According to 惭补苍耻蝉尘峁泃颈, a householder prepare food by picking the remaining grains from a harvested field and performs the daily rituals. He should offer food to his atithi, otherwise all the merit attained by him will eventually lose. A place to rest, a seat to sit, water to drink and wash the feet and importantly sweet words shall be kept readily available in every pious householder鈥檚 residence.[11] These simple things play a vital role in the practice of atithi-蝉补辫补谤测腻.
According to 笔补谤腻艣补谤补蝉尘峁泃颈, 驳峁沨补蝉迟丑补 should extend to his atithi a very warm verbal welcome, give arghya and seat and wash the feet.[12] It also says that 驳峁沨补蝉迟丑补 should sweetly talk to an atithi and at the time of his departure he should follow him for some distance along with his atithi.[13] This concept is also seen in Epics, 顿丑补谤尘补蝉奴迟谤补蝉 etc. 骋峁沨补蝉迟丑补 should do all his duties along with his wife.
骋峁沨补蝉迟丑补 should not ask the atithi (one who comes at the end of the 惫补颈艣惫补诲别惫补 sacrifice) about his gotra (tribe), 艣腻办丑补 (recension) etc. and also about his educational details. This shows, at the end of 惫补颈艣惫补诲别惫补 sacrifice, all are considered as atithis irrespective of their 惫补谤峁嘺 and level of education (or wisdom). 骋峁沨补蝉迟丑补 consider atithi as a God in his heart, because atithi has all the element of all devas.[14] An ascetic, a 产谤补丑尘补肠腻谤颈苍 and an atithi are the three 补辫奴谤惫补蝉. 骋峁沨补蝉迟丑补s welcome and give arghya etc. to ascetics, 产谤补丑尘补肠腻谤颈蝉 and atithis[15] daily. Ascetic and 产谤补丑尘补肠腻谤颈 are eligible to receive cooked food (辫补办惫腻苍苍补). An ascetic who arrives at one鈥檚 house should be provided with water first, and then with food and again with water. The food thus given is equal to as the Sumeru Mountain and the water is equal to ocean.[16] According to Hindu mythology, Sumeru mountain is believed to be the wealthiest mountain (made of gold alone) in the universe. This shows the greatness of atithi-蝉补辫补谤测腻.
According to 艢补峁卥丑补蝉尘峁泃颈, atithi is the master of a 驳峁沨补蝉迟丑补 just as a husband is the master of his wife; just as the Brahmin is the master of 惫补谤峁嘺s. Even if the 驳峁沨补蝉迟丑补 couldn鈥漷 carry out the most significant of his 驳腻谤丑补蝉迟丑测补 诲耻迟颈别蝉鈥�测补箩帽补蝉, 诲补办峁峁嘺蝉 and agnicayana, it is considered that he could win heaven if he does atithi-蝉补辫补谤测腻 in the appropriate way. This doesn鈥漷 mean that 测补箩帽补蝉 are less significant but highlights that atithi-蝉补辫补谤测腻s ranks among the 测补箩帽补蝉.[17] 艢补峁卥丑补蝉尘峁泃颈 also says that a householder should treat his atithis by giving food, bed etc. according to his ability.[18]
贬腻谤墨迟补蝉尘峁泃颈 also highlights the importance of 驳腻谤丑补蝉迟丑测补. 骋峁沨补蝉迟丑补 should offer food for 惫补颈艣惫补诲别惫补 as per rite. He has to wait for the arrival of an atithi till the hour of milking the cow, says the text. One should give warm welcome to an unknown atithi by giving water and seat.[19] If 驳峁沨补蝉迟丑补 offered food and 辫奴箩补 to his atithi, 笔谤补箩腻辫补迟颈 will be pleased.[20] After worshiping the God, the 驳峁沨补蝉迟丑补 should daily treat atithis with respect and according to his might.[21] From these evidences it is clear that, it is a prime duty of a 驳峁沨补蝉迟丑补 to treat atithis.
Atithi-蝉补辫补谤测腻 has very much importance in 惫补颈艣惫补诲别惫补 sacrifice. 笔补谤腻艣补谤补蝉尘峁泃颈 ordains that even a 辫腻辫颈, 肠补峁囜笉腻濒补, vipraghna, or a 辫颈迟峁沢丑腻迟补办补 that came during the time of 痴补颈艣惫补诲别惫补, one should consider him as honourable atithi.[22] In the 厂尘峁泃颈 there are ten classifications of vipras, ie. a deva, an ascetic (muni), twice born one (dvija), a king (办峁迟谤补), a 惫补颈艣测补, 艣奴诲谤补, a 苍颈峁Ｄ乨补, a beast (辫补艣耻), a mleccha and a 肠腻峁囜笉腻濒补. In these one who receives atithis and performs the 惫补颈艣惫补诲别惫补 is called a Deva-叠谤腻丑尘补峁嘺.[23]
Footnotes and references:
[1]:
诲奴谤腻肠肠辞辫补驳补迟补峁� 艣谤腻苍迟补峁� vai艣vadeve upasthitam |
补迟颈迟丑颈峁� ta峁� vij膩n墨y膩nn膩tithi岣� p奴rvam膩gata岣� || 笔补谤腻艣补谤补蝉尘峁泃颈,1.41
[2]:
苍补颈办补驳谤腻尘墨峁嘺尘补迟颈迟丑颈峁� 惫颈辫谤补峁� s膩峁単atika峁� tath膩 |
a苍颈迟测补峁� hy膩gato yasm膩ttasm膩datithirucyate || ibid., 1.42
[3]:
na vai 蝉惫补测补峁� tada艣n墨y膩d补迟颈迟丑颈峁� yanna bhojayet |
dhanya峁� ya艣asyam膩yu峁a峁� svargya峁� v膩'tithi辫奴箩补nam || 惭补苍耻蝉尘峁泃颈, 3.106
[4]:
膩san膩vasathau 艣ayy膩manuvrajy膩mup膩san膩m |
uttame峁Ｅ玹tama峁� kury膩ddh墨ne h墨na峁� same samam || ibid., 3.107
[5]:
vai艣vadeve tu nirv峁泃te yadyanyo'tithir膩vrajet |
tasy膩pyanna峁� yath膩艣akti pradady膩nna bali峁� haret || ibid., 3.108
[6]:
itar膩napi sakhy膩d墨峁僺a峁僷r墨tya g峁沨am膩gat膩n |
prak峁泃yanna峁� yath膩艣akti bhojayetsaha bh膩ryay膩 || ibid., 3.113
[7]:
suv膩sin墨岣� kum膩r墨艣ca rogi峁噊 驳补谤产丑颈峁嚹弗 蝉迟谤颈测补岣� |
atithibhyo'gra evait膩nbhojayedavic膩rayan || ibid., 3.114
[8]:
adatv膩 tu ya etebhya岣� 辫奴谤惫补峁� 产丑耻峁卥迟别'惫颈肠补办峁峁嘺岣� |
sa bhu帽j膩no na j膩n膩ti 艣vag峁沝hrairjagdhim膩tmana岣� || ibid., 3.115
[9]:
[10]:
叠补耻诲丑腻测补苍补诲丑补谤尘补蝉奴迟谤补, 2.7.13.2, p.265
[11]:
t峁涐箛膩ni bh奴mirudaka峁� v膩kcaturth墨 ca 蝉奴苍峁泃腻 |
et膩nyapi sat膩峁� gehe nocchidyante kad膩cana || 惭补苍耻蝉尘峁泃颈, 3.101
[12]:
补迟颈迟丑颈峁� tatra 蝉补尘辫谤腻辫迟补峁� 辫奴箩补yet sv膩gat膩din膩 |
tath膩''sanaprad膩nena p膩daprak峁Ｄ乴anena ca || 笔补谤腻艣补谤补蝉尘峁泃颈,1.43
[13]:
艣raddhay膩 c膩nnad膩nena priyapra艣nottare峁嘺 ca |
gacchata艣c膩nuy膩nena pr墨timutp膩dayed 驳峁沨墨 || ibid.,1.44
[14]:
na p峁沜chedgotracara峁噀 蝉惫腻诲丑测腻测补峁� ca vrat膩ni ca |
h峁沝aye kalpayeddeva峁� sarvadevamayo hi sa岣� || ibid.,1.48
[15]:
补辫奴谤惫补岣� suvrat墨 vipro hyap奴rva艣c膩'tithistath膩 |
ved膩bhy膩sarato 苍颈迟测补峁� trayo'辫奴谤惫补峁� dine dine || ibid., 1.49
[16]:
yatihaste 箩补濒补峁� dady膩dbhaik峁a峁� dady膩d punarjalam |
tad bhaik峁a峁� meru峁嚹� tulya峁� taj箩补濒补峁� s膩garopamam || ibid., 1.53
[17]:
na yaj帽airdak峁峁嚹乥hi艣ca vahni艣u艣r奴峁y膩 na ca |
驳峁沨墨 svargamav膩pnoti yath膩 c膩tithi辫奴箩补n膩t || 艢补峁卥丑补蝉尘峁泃颈, 13
[18]:
tasm膩t sarvaprayatnena g峁沨astho'tithim膩gatam |
膩h膩ra艣ayan膩dyena vidhivat pari辫奴箩补yet || ibid., 14
[19]:
[20]: