Part 3 - Treatment of Atithi (guest-reception) in Purāṇas

Purāṇas present complex ideas in an interesting way for the benefit of common man’s understanding. Gṛhasthadharmas and pañcamahāyajñas are described in Purāṇas with great significance.

Many stories in Purāṇas speak of the custom of atithi-saparyā in Indian tradition. One example is Bali’s reception of Vāmana in Vāmanapurāṇa. The Brahmins, the members in the sacrificial hall immediately stood up in honour of Vāmana when he arrived.^[1] Bali duly welcomes Vāmana by offering arghya.^[2] Then Bali offers heaps of gold and gems, elephants, buffaloes, women, clothes, ornaments, cows, lots of gold and silver, the entire Kingdom, or whatever Vāmana wished for^[3].

The eleventh chapter of Bhaviṣyapurāṇa titled Gṛhadharmavarṇana deals with the duties of a householder. Viṣṇupurāṇa explains the duties of a householder in the same way. If an atithi arrived, the householder should welcome him and offer him seat. He should also wash his feet, and speak to him in a pleasing manner and provide food for him. When an atithi departs, householder should accompany him for a short while^[4]. This practice can be seen instucted in Dharmasūtras and Smṛtis.

In the Viṣṇupurāṇa, there is an interesting description of a householder taking food after his usual worships and prayers. The householder, having bathed and offered libations to the Gods and manes and decorated his hand with jewels, should proceed to take his meal. Atmost care should be taken in respecting an atithi who comes in the evening seeking shelter, as it pleases all Gods.^[5] The householder, then, according to his ability, receive, his guest with food, water, a bed, a mat and a comfortable stay.^[6]

Mārkaṇḍeyapurāṇa, says about the duties of a householder. Householder should not neglect the performance of the five sacrifices.^[7] And let the man himself consume, being zealous to the best of his power, the food consumed by the pitṛs, the gods, the atithis and manes.^[8] Mārkaṇḍeyapurāṇa also says that a man should honour an atithi respectfully with gifts of rice and other food and water and with fragrant flowers and other gifts according to his ability.^[9] Here the Purāṇa describes how a householder should receive an atithi. Householder should look towards the door at the every eighth part of a muhūrta,^[10] whether an atithi is to be seen.^[11] Mārkaṇḍeyapurāṇa mentions that a Brahmin who has arrived, hungry, weary, supplicating, indigent, a guest; he should be honoured by the wise according to one’s ability.^[12]

Nāradapurāṇa says that, a guest who comes during the time of devārcana should be welcomed by the householder in a respectful manner. In order to show honour to his atithi householder should use sweet and humble words. Householder should also make arrangements for food, water, tubers, fruits and also should ensure all facilities for taking rest. Atithis should be provided with bed, seat etc. in the night. A fine example for a responsible householder can be seen in Śrīmadbhāgavatapurāṇa, when Nārada visits ŚrīKṛṣṇas house; then the latter performs the noble and righteous duties of a householder.

In Bhaviṣyapurāṇa, there is a detailed description about pañcamahāyajñas. Food offering to devas and pitṛs are described in Bhaviṣyapurāṇa. The text says that even if the number of guests happen to be very big; the host should see that all the aspects of the rite-place, time, and worthiness of an atithi, careful performance, materials, and vessels, ingredients of worship etc. are available in plenty.^[13]

In Matsyapurāṇa, king Yayāti gives his kingdom to his son Puru and goes to forest for Vānaprastha āśrama.Vānaprasthiṃs also offered suitable reception to atithis in ancient period. In the forest the Vānaprasthiṃs, took all care to treat his guests (atithis) with due respect^[14]. The arrival of Vidura at Hastinapura in the Śrīmadbhāgavatapurāṇa^[15], Kubera’s meeting of Dhruva^[16], Sanatkumāra’s arrival at the palace of Pṛthu^[17], Nārada coming to the Brahmasatra of Pracetas^[18], Citraketus reception of Aṅgiras^[19], Bali’s reception of Vāmana^[20], the reception offered by Rantideva to Bharadvāja^[21], Kṛṣṇas reception of Akrūra^[22] etc. are examples. The Brahmins duly received Kṛṣṇa and others^[23]. Several stories like, Sudāmaṃs reception offered to Kṛṣṇa, Rāma and gopas^[24], the reception offered by Sairandhrī (Trivakrā, the waiting maid of Kaṃsa) to Kṛṣṇa^[25] and Uddhava^[26], Akrūra’s reception of Kṛṣṇa, Rāma and Uddhava^[27], Kṛṣṇa treating Rukmiṇi’s messenger brahmin^[28], Bhīṣmaka’s reception of Kṛṣṇa and Rāma^[29], Nagnajits reception of Kṛṣṇa^[30], Kṛṣṇa’s reception of Nārada^[31], Yudhiṣṭira’s reception of Kṛṣṇa at Indraprastha^[32], Kṛṣṇa’s reception of Sudāman^[33], Balarāma inviting Arjuna^[34], Śrutadeva and Bahulāśva (King of Mithila) treating Kṛṣṇa and others (Nārada, Vāmadeva, Atri, Vedavyāsa, Paraśurāma, Āruṇi, Śuka, Bṛhaspati, Kaṇva, Maitreya, Cyavana etc.)^[35], the King of Mithila treating Kṛṣṇa^[36], Śrutadeva’s reception of Kṛṣṇa^[37] etc. These are some important references of atithi-saparyā in Śrīmadbhāgavatapurāṇa.

Many stories in Epics and Purāṇas reveal the importance of hospitality. Hospitality of Vasiṣṭha, hospitality of Sītā, the story of mongoose in Yudhiṣṭhira’s sacrifice, Bali’s reception of Vāmana are notable stories. In later poems and plays on Sanskrit literature much emphasis is seen to be placed on the atithi-saparyā.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

sadasyāḥ pātramakhilaṃ vāmanaṃ prati tatkṣaṇāt |
yajñāvāṭasthitaṃ viprāḥ sādhusādhvityudīrayan || Vāmanapurāṇa, 31.39

[2]:

sa cārthamādāya baliḥ predbhūtapulakastadā |
pūjayāmāsa govindaṃ prāha cedaṃ mahāsuraḥ || ibid., 31.40

[3]:

suvarṇaratnasaṃghāto gajāśvasamitistathā
striyo vastrāṇyalaṅkārān gāvo grāmāśca puṣkalāḥ || ibid., 31.41
sarve ca sakalā pṛthvī bhavato vā yathepsitam |
tad dadāmi śṛṇuṣveṣṭaṃ mamārthā santi te priyāḥ || ibid., 31.42

[4]:

atithiṃ tatra saṃprāptaṃ pūjayet svāgatādinā |
tathāsanapradānena pādaprakṣālanena ca || Viṣṇupurāṇa, 3.11.59
śraddhayā cānnadānena priyapraśnottareṇa ca |
gacchataścānuyānena prītimutpādayed gṛhī || ibid., 3.11.60

[5]:

tasmātsvaśaktyā rājendra sūryyoḍhamatithiṃ naraḥ |
pūjayetpūjite tasmin pūjitāssarvadevatā: || ibid., 3.11.109

[6]:

annaśākāṃbudānena svaśaktyā pūjayetpumān |
śayanaprastaramahīpradānairathavāpi tam || ibid., 3.11.110

[7]:

eṣa dharmo gṛhasthasya ṛtāvabhigamastathā |
pañcayajñavidhānaṃ tu yathāśakti na hāpayet || Mārkaṇḍeyapurāṇa, 25.21

[8]:

pitṛdevātithijñātibhuktaśeṣaṃ svayaṃ naraḥ |
bhuñjīta ca samaṃ bhṛtyairyathāvibhavamātmanaḥ || ibid., 25.22

[9]:

tatrāraṇyopabhogaśca tapobhiścātmakarṣaṇāt |
bhūmau śayyā brahmacaryaṃ pitṛdevātithikriyāḥ || ibid., 25.25

[10]:

1 muhūrta = 2 nāḍikā
1 muhūrta = 48 minute
15 muhūrta = 1 day
8 muhūrta = 8*2=16 nāḍikā
6 hours 24 minutes starting from sunrise is known as eighth muhūrta of a day.

[11]:

ācamya ca tataḥ kuryātprājño dvārāvalokanam |
muhūrtasyāṣṭamaṃ bhāgamudīkṣyo hyatithirbhavet || ibid., 26.26
atithiṃ tatra samprāptamannādyenodakena ca |
sampūjayedyathāśaktiṃ gandhapuṣpādibhistathā || ibid., 26.27

(And then he, as a wise man, having rinsed out his mouth, should look towards the door at evening eighth part of a muhūrta, whether a guest is to be seen. He should honour the guest, who has arrived there, with rice and other food and with water and with fragrant flowers and other presents, according to his power, The Mārkaṇḍeypurāṇa, F. Eden Pargiter, p.136)

[12]:

bubhukṣumāgataṃ śrāntaṃ yācamānamakiñcanam |
brāhmaṇaṃ prāhuratithiṃ sa pūjya: śaktito budhai: || ibid., 26.29

[13]:

deśakālocitaśraddhādravyapātrārhaṇāni ca |
samyag bhavanti naitāni vistarāt svajanārpaṇāt || Bhaviṣyapurāṇa, 7.15.4

[14]:

atithīn pūjayannityaṃ vanyena haviṣā vibhuḥ |
śiloñchavṛttimāsthaya śeṣānnakṛtabhojanaḥ | Matsyapurāṇa, 35.14

[15]:

See Appendix I, for a detailed list of the references of atithi-saparyā in Śrīmadbhāgavatapurāṇa, 1.13.5-7(AP1.1), p.247

[16]:

ibid.,4.12.1(AP1.2), p.248

[17]:

ibid.,4.22.4-12(AP1.3), p.248

[18]:

ibid.,4.31.4-5(AP1.4), p.248

[19]:

ibid.,6.14.15(AP1.5), p.248

[20]:

ibid.,8.18.25-32(AP1.6), p.249

[21]:

ibid.,9.21.5-6 (AP1.7), p.249-250

[22]:

ibid.,10.38.38-42(AP1.8), p.250

[23]:

ibid.,10.41.30 (AP1.9), p.250

[24]:

ibid.,10.41.43-49(AP1.10), p.250-251

[25]:

ibid.,10.48.3(AP1.11), p.251

[26]:

ibid.,10.48.4-5(AP1.12), p.251

[27]:

ibid.,10.48.14-16(AP1.13), p.251

[28]:

ibid.,10.52.28(AP1.14), p.252

[29]:

ibid.,10.53.32-35(AP1.15), p.252

[30]:

ibid.,10.58.35(AP1.16), p.252

[31]:

ibid.,10.69.7-16(AP1.17), p.252-253

[32]:

ibid., 10.71.37-44(AP1.18), p.253

[33]:

ibid.,10.80.20-22(AP1.19), p.253-254

[34]:

ibid,,10.86.5(AP1.20), p.254

[35]:

ibid.,10.86.25(AP1.21), p.254

[36]:

ibid.,10.86.27-36(AP1.22), p.254

[37]:

ibid.,10.86.38-43(AP1.23), p.255