Part 5 - How to appease an Atithi?

Receiving atithis with warm welcome, arghya and pādya, seat, water, food, bed etc. can be seen ordained in almost all the texts. Offering Madhuparka^[1] is another step of atithi-saparyā. Ṣodaśopacāras^[2] are the part of atithi-saparyā.

Madhyamaparvan of Bhaviṣyapurāṇa deals with ṣodaśopacāras. Agni is sitting in the lotus and his colour is golden and his hand gesture is Varābhayamudrā. He is the almighty; he has three eyes and matted hair. These are the peculiarities of Agni. Kāmadeva, Indra, Varāhamūrti and Subrahmaṇya are situated along the four sides of Agni. Worship these four devas with gandhapuṣpādis. Invoke these devas by showing eight mudrās. Once they are invoked, give them seat and then arghya and pādya. Then worship Agni by gandhapuṣpādis. Here Agni the divine light is honoured with full respect and politeness.^[3]

A householder practices atithi-saparyā as a divine duty, he provides his atithis with water, food and shelter and thus addresses the basic requirements of the atithi. It is a part of householder’s duty and he is benefitted by doing such atithi-saparyā. According to Gautama Dharmasūtra, Gṛhastha gives welcome, arghya, pādya, seat, food etc. to atithis and after the food, gṛhastha should ask him different questions about his physical health in accordance with their class (the style and the mode in different for different classes).^[4]

According to Āpastaṃba Dharmasūtra a, householder should give warm welcome to his atithi by offering him proper seat.^[5] Here the atithi should be provided with “bahupadamāsanam” if the host is able to do it. Śūdras that is a pair of Śūdras may be employed for washing the feet and pouring the water^[6] for atithi. This has been stated as an option maintained by some people. They are given a place of servant. Water should not be offered to an atithi in a clay pot.^[7] This again is held by some, not by all. If an atithi is a student who has not yet returned home water need not be brought for him. In such case the householder should recite the prescribed mantra along with him.^[8] The ātitheya should address his atithi with polite words and then give him milk or other drinks and food or water.^[9] Then he should be offered a room, a bed, a mattress and a pillow with a cover, oil, or ghee etc.^[10] It is evident that one should take care of the atithi by providing ample comfort. A gṛhastha is obliged to appease his atithi in every possible manner.

Above cited are the basic customs associated with atithi-saparyā. But atithi-saparyā itself is considered as a sacrifice in Dharmasūtras. It is considered as a daily performance that should be done by a gṛhastha, so it is known as Prājāpatyayajña.^[11] The fire with in the atithis is the offertorial fire (āhvanīyāgni) the one in the house is gṛhasthas fire (gārhapatyāgni), and the fire used for cooking is southernfire (dakṣiṇāgni).^[12] Here something offered to atithis is considered as equal as an offering to āhvanīyāgni. It provides prosperity, cattle and good life in another world. According to Āpastaṃba Dharmasūtra, when a man give food in the morning, noon and evening it equals to the three pressings of Soma.^[13] Here atithi-saparyā resembles with Soma sacrifice in many aspects. When gṛhastha praises the atithi with good words, it constitutes the priestly fee (dakṣiṇā). The practice of accompanying the atithi while he is leaving is considered as Viṣṇukrama. When he returns it constitutes the final bath (avabhṛtha).^[14] Here the final rite in Somayāga is Udavasānīya iṣṭi and is connected to the practice of respectful rising up of a gṛhastha when his atithi leaves. The avabhṛthasnāna of Somayāga is closely related to the ātitheya returning back. These steps associated with receiving soma creeper considering as a King in Somayāga is customised as rituals in atithi-saparyā. Hence its considered yāgasamāna.

Thus we can see that many customs and practices of the yāga tradition have been adopted in the later Dharmaśāstra traditions. People, common man, may not be knowing the real roots. However, these aspects makes the practice of atithi-saparyā different from the concept of guest reception in any other tradition.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

Madhuparka is detaily discussed in the eighth chapter.

[2]:

āsanaṃ svāgataṃ pādyamarghyamācamanīyakam |
madhuparkācamasnānaṃ vasanābharaṇāni ca |
gandha-puṣpe dhūpadīpau naivedyaṃ vandanaṃ tathā ||—Source: DDSA: The practical Sanskrit-English dictionary, https://www.wisdomlib.org/definition/shodashopacara

[3]:

Śrī Bhaviṣyamahāpurāṇa, Madhyamaparvan, p. 205

[4]:

kuśalānāmayārogyāṇāmanupraśnaḥ || (brāhmaṇādiṣu triṣu varṇeṣu pathyādisaṅgateṣu kuśalādīnāmānupūrvyeṇa praśnaḥ kartavyaḥ | api kuśalamāyuṣmanniti brāhmaṇaḥ praṣṭavyaḥ | apyanāmayaṃ tatrabhavata iti kṣatriyaḥ | apyarogo bhavāniti vaiśyaḥ ||) Gautama Dharmasūtra,1.5.37
antyaṃ śūdrasya || (kuśalādiṣu yadantyaṃ tacchūdrasya prayoktavyamapyarogo'sīti ||) ibid., 1.5.38, p.56

[5]:

śaktiviṣaye nā'bahupādamāsanaṃ bhavatītyeke || Āpastaṃba Dharmasūtra, 2.3.6.8

[6]:

tasya pādau prakṣālayecchūdramithunāvityeke || ibid., 2.3.6.9
anyataro'bhiṣecane syāt || ibid., 2.3.6.10

[7]:

tasyodakamāhārayedanmṛṇmayenetyeke || ibid., 2.3.6.11

[8]:

nodakamāhārayedasamāvṛttaḥ || ibid., 2.3.6.12
adhyayanasāṃvṛttiścātrā'dhikā || ibid.,2.3.6.13

[9]:

sāntvayitvā tarpayedrasairbhakṣyairadbhiravarārdhyeneti || ibid., 2.3.6.14

[10]:

āvasathaṃ dadyādupariśayyāmupastaraṇamupadhānaṃ sāvastaraṇamabhyañjanaṃ ceti || ibid., 2.3.6.15

[11]:

sa eṣa prajāpatyaḥ kuṭumbino yajño nityapratataḥ || ibid., 2.3.7.1

[12]:

yo'tithīnāmagniḥ sa āhavanīyo yaḥ kuṭumbe sa gārhapatyo yasminpacyat so'nvāhāryapacanaḥ ||  ibid., 2.3.7.2

[13]:

sa yatprātarmadhyandine sāyamiti dadāti savanānyeva tāni bhavanti || ibid., 2.3.7.6

[14]:

yatsāntvayati sā dakṣiṇā praśaṃsā || ibid., 2.3.7.8
yatsaṃsādhayati te viṣṇukramāḥ || ibid., 2.3.7.9
yadupāvartate so'vamṛthaḥ || ibid., 2.3.7.10
iti brāhmaṇam || (iti brāhmaṇamityasya sarveṇa sambandhaḥ ||)
Kṣatriya treated Kṣatriyātithis and also Vaiśya treated Vaiśyātithis. ibid.,2.3.7.11