Atithi or Guest Reception (study)
by Sarika. P. | 2022 | 41,363 words
This page relates ‘Atithi-saparya in Aranyakas’ of the study on Atithi-Saparya—The ancient Indian practice of hospitality or “guest reception” 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—a ceremony that includes offering cooked food to all Gods.
Part 3 - Atithi-saparyā in Āraṇyakas
The Āraṇyakas advocate symbolic meditation of yajña rites. The first section of Aitareya Āraṇyaka, while describing about mahāvratas,[1] mention about atithi. When offering ghee during mahāvrata, the one who seeks prosperity should recite the sūkta “you are all atithi”.[2] Some scholars do not subscribe to this. They say, the sūkta contains the word atithi in it and an atithi is supposed to go for begging (bhikṣāṭana). But Mahīdāsa points out: “atithi is usually a good and a noble person and nobody will accept a person without these qualities as an atithi”.
The Aitareya Āraṇyaka remarks that a good and eminent person should be treated as a real atithi and should be treated accordingly. A householder is not supposed to treat those who do not properly deserve the hospitality.[3] Here in Āraṇyaka period, it is evident that, there were several conditions to be qualified as an atithi. Not everyone was offered the same hospitality. More than rituals, there were several strict rules enunciated in Āraṇyakas.
Footnotes and references:
[1]:
There is a popular belief that Mahāvrata is related to Viṣṇu. Tāṇḍyabrāhmaṇa says that Mahāvrata is a yajña performed in the middile of saṃvatsara (middle of year). The main deity of this vrata is Indra as it is mainly performed in the beginning of the rainy season. Śāṅkhāyana Āraṇyaka says that Mahāvrata is performed two days before the Gavāmayana satra.
[2]:
(1) atha mahāvratam iti || 1 ||
(2) indro vai vṛtraṃ hatvā mahānabhavadyanmahānabhavattanmahāvratamabhavattanmahāvratasya mahāvratatvam iti || 2 ||
(3)dve etasyāhu ājye kuryāditi haika āhūrekamiti tveva sthitam iti || 3 ||
(4) pra vo devāyāgnaya iti rāḍvikāmaḥ iti || 4 ||
(5) viśo viśo vo atithimiti puṣṭikāmaḥ iti || 5 ||
(6)puṣṭirvai viśaḥ puṣṭimān bhavatīti || 6 ||
(7) atithimiti padaṃ bhavati naitat kuryādityahurīśvaro'tithireva caritoḥ iti || 7 ||
(8) tadu ha smāha kuryādeva iti || 8 ||
(9) yo vai bhavati yaḥ śreṣṭhatāmaśnute sa vā atithirbhavati iti || 9 ||
(10) na vā asantamātithyāyādriyante iti || 10 ||
(11) tasmādu kāmamevaitat kuryāt iti || 11 ||
(12) sa yadyetat kuryādāganma vṛtrahantamamityetaṃ nṛcaṃ prathamaṃ kuryāt iti || 12 ||
(13) etadvā aharīpsantaḥ saṃvatsaramāsate ta āgacchanti iti || 13 ||
(14) ta ete'nuṣṭupśīrṣāṇastrayasnucā bhavanti brahma vai gāyatrī vāganuṣṭup brahmaṇaiva tadvācaṃ saṃdaghāti iti || 14 ||
(15) abodhyagniḥ samidhā janānāmiti kīrtikāmaḥ iti || 15 ||
(16)hotājaniṣṭa cetana iti prajāpaśukāmaḥ iti || 16 ||| | 1 || , Aitareya Āraṇyaka,1.1.1