Part 6 - Gārhasthya and Atithi-saparyā in Dharmasūtras

Among the four āśramas, Gṛhasthāśrama has prominent place as compared to others, which is discussed earlier itself. Gṛhastha’s daily routine is centered on pañcamahāyajñas, in which Nṛyajña is considered very sacred. Nṛyajña is actually atithi-saparyā. Hence Dharmasūtras like Vaikhānasa, Āpastamba, Gautama etc. describe about atithi, ātitheya and atithi-saparyā in relation with gṛhastha.

Vaikhānasadharmasūtra describes the order of gṛhastha in fourth khaṇḍa of eighth praśna. According to this, every day offering on his fire for domestic worship, performing sacrifices of cooked food, rising at the close of the daily vaiśvadeva from his seats to welcome his teacher or a snātaka who visits him etc. are the order of a gṛhastha. Ascetics, brahmacāriṃs, atithis, learned Brahmins who know Vedas, paternal uncle, teacher, priest who officiate at the sacrifices of śrauta rites, maternal uncle, father inlaw etc. who has to visit him, old and young persons, those who have no protectors, who are in distress or fatigued by journey etc. should be honoured according to their merits by a gṛhastha. If he is not able to do this, he should give them four mouthfuls of his own food or water to drink. And after that he may eat what remains.

Hence according to the duties performed Vaikhānasa Dharmasūtra classifies gṛhastha in to four classes. They are, Vārtāvṛtti,^[1] the Śālīnavṛtti,^[2] the Yāyāvara and the Ghorācārika^[3]. The Yāyāvara householder is he who being engaged in the six performances-those of sacrificing the havis offerings and the Soma sacrifices for himself, of sacrificing for others, of studying the Veda, of teaching the Veda, of bestowing gifts and of accepting gifts-constantly attends to his fires and gives food to the atithis that come to him. It is clear from the above references of a householders life that atithi-saparyā was part and parcel of their life.