Atithi or Guest Reception (study)
by Sarika. P. | 2022 | 41,363 words
This page relates ‘Pancamahayajnas (The five daily great observances)’ 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 2 - Pañcamahāyajñas (The five daily great observances)
Pañcamahāyajñas are the systematic practices that are keenly observed by the people of the period of Dharmaśāstras. Out of all Smṛtis we can see that Manusmṛti narrates this concept in a comprehensive and intelligible manner. The five daily great observances or sacrifices are called Mahāyajñas.
These are:
- Brahmayajña,
- Devayajña,
- Pitṛyajña,
- Bhūtayajña and
- Nṛyajña.
[Cf. Manusmṛti, 3.70]—
adhyāpanaṃ brahmayajñaḥ pitṛyajñastu tarpaṇam |
homo daivo balirbhauto nṛyajño'tithipūjanam ||
These five are to be performed daily by a householder according to from all types of afflictions (hiṃsā).
Detailed description of Pañcamahāyajñas are found in the Brāhmaṇas, Gṛhyasūtras, Dharmasūtras, Dharmaśāstras etc. The earliest description of Pañcamahāyajñas is found in the Śatapathabrāhmaṇa.[1] The practice of performing Pañcamahāyajñas attained wide popularity during the period of Dharmaśāstra literature. Manu says that, gṛhastha should daily perform Pañcamahāyajñas for the expiation from five sūnādoṣas.[2] Fire place, grindstone, broom, mortar and pestle, water pot are the five hiṃsāsthānas which are sure to get involved in afflicting other beings, for a householder.[3] One who does Pañcamahāyajñas daily, is sure to get rid of these evil effects.[4] Pañcamahāyajñas are also known as ahuta, huta, prahuta, brāhmyahuta and prāśita.[5] Brahmayajña is known as ahuta, devayajña is known as huta, bhūtayajña is known as prahuta, manuṣyayajña is known as brāhmyahuta and pitṛyajña is also known as prāśita. Pañcamahāyajñas are discussed in the third chapter of Manusmṛti. These are further explained in the fourth chapter also.[6]
One who does not give food to deities, atithis, servants, pitṛṃs and himself he is as good as dead, though he breathes.[7] Yājñavalkyasmṛti also says that, Pañcamahāyajñas are the daily offerings of a gṛhastha. According to Yājñavalkyasmṛti, Balikarman is bhūtayajña, svadhā is pitṛyajña, homa is devayajña, svādhyāya is brahmayajña and atithisatkāra is manuṣyayajña.[8] The householder should daily offer food for pitṛs and human beings. If not food, at least water should be offered. Śaṅkhasmṛti[9] also says that, Devayajña, bhūtayajña, pitṛyajña, brahmayajña and manuṣyayajña are the five great sacrifices.[10] Homa offerings to gods is devayajña, bali offered to bhūtas is bhūtayajña, piṇḍa offered to ancestors is pitṛyajña, ritualistic study of Veda is brahmayajña and receiving atithis is manuṣyayajña or nṛyajña[11]. The order of pañcamahāyajñas are different in Kātyāyanasmṛti from that of other smṛtis. In Kātyāyanasmṛti the order of pañcamahāyajñas is as follows: devayajña, bhūtayajña, pitṛyajña, brahmayajña and manuṣyayajña.[12] Characteristics of these five are same as in Manusmṛti.[13] Kātyāyanasmṛti, points out that while offering food to pitṛs one has to recite the mantra “manuṣyebhya idaṃ”.[14] It is evident that atithi-saparyā is the fundamental duty of a gṛhastha according to all Dharmaśāstras and Dharmasūtras.
1. Brahmayajña
Recitation of Vedic texts or svādhyāya is known as Brahmayajña. Gṛhyasūtras, Brāhmaṇa texts and Āraṇyakas describe in detail about brahmayajña. The earliest description of this is to be found in the Śatapathabrāhmaṇa. Brahmayajña is one’s own daily ritualistic study of the Veda. Baudhāyana Gṛhyasūtra says, “sit in the west part of the Gārhapatya and āhavanīya fire and do three prāṇāyāṃ and utter the Sāvitrī mantra ten times. Then recite first mantra of any other Veda or different mantras[15] and also Kūṣmāṇḍa mantra’.[16] Āśvalāyana Gṛhyasūtra (3, 2-3) says one who do brahmayajña, should move towards the north or east portion of out of the village. Then he has to recite sāvitri, Ṛk, Yajus, Sāma, Adharva mantras, Brāhmaṇas, Kalpa, nārāśaṃsi gātha, Epics and also Purāṇas.
2. Devayajña
Householder offers cooked food (food or at least a fuel stick) in the morning and evening in accompaniment of the sacred mantra, svāhā[17] to agni for different deities. This act is known as devayajña. Manu also looks upon homa as devayajña. The devatas to whom homa or devayajña was offered are different according to different Gṛhya or Dharma sūtras.[18] Āśvalāyana Gṛhyasūtra (1.2.2) says that “these are the deities of the agnihotra (ie. Sūrya or Agni and Prajāpati), Soma, Vanaspati, Agni and Soma, Indra and Agni, heaven and earth, Dhanvantari, Indra, the Viśve Devas, Brahman”. According to Gautama Gṛhyasūtra they are Agni, Dhanvantari, Viśve Devas, Prajāpati, Agni Sviṣṭakṛt. Though there is little unanimity among the gṛhyasūtras with regard to the names of all such gods. The names of the following gods are generally mentioned in most of the gṛhyasūtras. They are Agni, Soma, Prajāpati, Dhanvantari, Indra, Viśvedevas, Agni sviṣṭakṛt, Anumati and Brahman.
3. Pitṛyajña
Pitṛyajña is the offering given to the manes, at the least offering tarpaṇa (water offering). After the Vaiśvadeva, remnant food is placed facing south with the words “svadhā to the pitṛs”.[19] This is performed for propitiating manes. A householder should perform the śrāddha everyday to please the ancestors. Defining the pitṛyajña, Manu says that pitṛyajña is tarpaṇa and Yājñavalkya says that food and water should be offered to the pitṛn s and men every day.[20] It shows that pitṛyajña includes the offering of both food and water to the pitṛs.
4. Bhūtayajña
The offering of bali to the bhūtas is called Bhūtayajña or Baliharaṇa. In this yajña food items and water are offered in various places outside the fire. There are numerous differences of minute details among the gṛhyasūtras with regard to the description of bhūtyajña. The bali is offered to all the gods, all directions, waters, pestle, trees etc. Then it is offered to all the creatures and the remains in the southerly directions for the pitṛs. Then the rest part of bali is gently placed on the ground for dogs, caṇḍālas, patients, crows and insects.
5. Nṛyajña
Nṛyajña or Manuṣyayajña is the fifth one of the pañcamahāyajñas. Manu states that Nṛyajña or Manuṣyayajña consists of honouring atithis. In the oldest hymns of the Ṛgveda fire is described as an atithi in the house of one who performs the sacrifice. The sixth hymn of the ninth book of Atharvaveda is an eulogy of hospitality in which the various stages in the reception and feeding of an atithi are metaphorically represented as the various actions performed in a sacrifice.[21] Distinguished references of pañcamahāyajñas are there in Upaniṣads, Purāṇas[22] etc.
The concept of atithiyajña has undergone many changes through the ages. When we look closer to this idea, from the ancient Vedic period to the modern time, we can notice that drastic changes have evolved. An atithi is not a person simply adorned and welcomed in one’s house but a respectable person in the whole society. His eminence mostly relays upon his wisdom and worldly knowledge. He is a person with immense knowledge and compassion. Observance of atithi-saparyā is the prime duty of a householder. Proper reception of an atithi brings much fortune to the householder.
An atithi is to be honoured by receiving him from outside, offering him water to wash his feet, by giving him a seat, by lighting a lamp before him, by giving food and lodging, by personal attendance on him, by offering him a bed and by accompanying him some distance when he departs.[23] All these shows the significance of Nṛyajña in pañcamahāyajñas. Along with these, there is also a ceremony called madhuparka which is associated with the reception of atithis.
Footnotes and references:
[1]:
pañcaiva mahāyajñāḥ tānyeva mahāsatrāṇi || Śatapatha Brāhmaṇa,11,5,6,1
pañca vā ete mahāyajñāḥ satati pratāyante satati santiṣṭhante devayajñaḥ pitṛyajño bhūtayajño manuṣyayajño brahmayajña iti | yadagnai juhotyapi samidhaṃ tadeva yajñaḥ santiṣṭhate | yat pitṛbhyaḥ svadhākarotyapyapastat pitṛyajñaḥ santiṣṭhate | yadbhūtebhyo baliṃ harati tadbhūtayajñaḥ santiṣṭhate | yadbrāhmaṇebhyo'nnaṃ dadāti tanmanuṣyayajñaḥ santiṣṭhate | yatsvādhyāyamadhīyītaikāmapyṛcaṃ yajuḥ sāma vā tadbrahmayajñaḥ santiṣṭhate || Taittirīya Brāhmaṇa, 2.10
atheme pañca mahāyajñāstānyeva mahāsatrāṇi-devayajñaḥ pitṛyajño bhūtayajño manuṣyayajño brahmayajña iti || Baudhāyana Dharmasūtra , 2.6.11.1
teṣāṃ mahāyajñā mahāsatrāṇīti ca saṃstutiḥ || Āpastaṃba Dharmasūtra,1.4.12.14
[3]:
pañcasūnā gṛhasthasya cullī peṣaṇyupaskaraḥ |
kaṇḍanī codakumbhaśca badhyate yāstu vāhayan || Manusmṛti, 3.68
tāsāṃ krameṇa sarvāsāṃ niṣkṛtyarthaṃ maharṣibhiḥ |
pañca klṛptā mahāyajñāḥ pratyahaṃ gṛhamedhinām || ibid., 3.69
[4]:
pañcaitānyo mahāyajñānna hāpayati śaktitaḥ |
sa gṛhe'pi vasannityaṃ sūnādoṣairna lipyate || ibid., 3.71
[5]:
[6]:
ṛṣiyajñaṃ devayajñaṃ bhūtayajñaṃ ca sarvadā |
nṛyajñaṃ pitṛyajñaṃ ca yathāśakti na hāpayet || ibid., 4.21
[7]:
devatātithibhṛtyanāṃ pitṛṇāmātmanaśca yaḥ |
na nirvapati pañcānāmucchvasan na sa jīvati || Manusmṛti, 3.72
[8]:
balikarmasvadhāhomasvādhyāyātithisatkriyāḥ |
bhūtapitramarabrahmamanuṣyāṇāṃ mahāsakhāḥ | Yājñavalkyasmṛti, 1.5.102
[10]:
devayajño bhūtayajñaḥ pitṛyajñastathaiva ca |
brahmayajño nṛyajñaśca pañca yajñāḥ prakīrtitāḥ || ibid., 3
[11]:
homo daivo balirbhautaḥ pitryaḥ piṇḍakriyā smṛtaḥ |
svādhyāyo brahmayajñaśca nṛyajño'tithipūjanam || ibid., 4
[12]:
devabhūtapitṛbrahmamanuṣyāṇāmanukramāt |
mahāsatrāṇi jānīyāt ta eveha mahāsakhāḥ || Kātyāyanasmṛti,13.2
[13]:
adhyāpanaṃ brahmayajñaḥ pitṛyajñastu tarpaṇam |
homo daivo balirbhauto nṛyajño'tithipūjanam || ibid., 13.3
[14]:
apyuddhṛtya yathāśaktyā kiñcidannaṃ yathāvidhi |
pitṛbhyo'tha manuṣyebhyo dadyādaharahardvije || ibid., 13.7
pitṛbhya idamityuktvā svadhākāramudīrayet |
hantakāraṃ manuṣyebhyastadarddhe ninayedapaḥ || ibid., 13.8
[15]:
Taittirīya Āraṇyaka,10, 3-5, Vājasaneyi Saṃhita,20,14-16
[16]:
Baudhāyana Gṛhyasūtra,2,9,45
[17]:
agnaye svāhā, somāya svāhā, prajāpataye svāhā etc.
[18]:
Śāṅkhāyana Gṛhyasūtra,2,14,1-4, Āśvalāyana Gṛhyasūtra,1,2,1-3, Pāraskara Gṛhyasūtra,2,9,1-2, Baudhāyana Gṛhyasūtra, 2,8,9, Gobhila Gṛhyasūtra,1,4,4 etc.(Kunthalal Sarma, Kalpasūtra, p.396)
[19]:
[20]:
[21]:
Atharvaveda, 9.6.2.1-9.6.4.10
[22]:
In Bhaviṣyapurāṇa, the sixtieth chapter of Brāhmaparva is Pratikalpavarṇana. In this chapter, there is a detailed description about pañcamahāyajñas. Mārkaṇḍeyapurāṇa says that, householder should not neglect the performance of the five sacrifices,
eṣa dharmo gṛhasthasya ṛtāvabhigamastathā |
pañcayajñavidhānaṃ tu yathāśakti na hāpayet || Mārkaṇḍeyapurāṇa, 25.21
And let the man himself consume, being zealous to the best of his power, the food consumed by the pitṛṃs, the gods, the atithi’s and paternal kinsmen,
pitṛdevātithijñātibhuktaśeṣaṃ svayaṃ naraḥ |
bhuñjīta ca samaṃ bhṛtyairyathāvibhavamātmanaḥ || ibid, 25.22