Part 1 - Virtues of Atithi-saparyā

The proper reception of an atithi would gain boon and the improper reception would inflict curse to the gṛhastha. There are several examples for this in Sanskrit literature. Several instances of atithi-saparyā are seen in Rāmāyaṇa and Mahābhārata in which the gṛhastha is seen receiving boons from atithi. Agastya’s boon to Rāma, Kuntī receiving a boon from Durvāsas, Kṛṣṇa receiving boon from Durvāsas, Naciketas receiving a boon (Kaṭhopaniṣad) etc. are some such.

1. Agastya’s boon to Rāma

Rāma went to visit the hermitage of Sutīkṣṇa, who was the student of Agastya. Then Sutīkṣṇa received them by giving arghya and pādya with full devotion. They stayed that night there.^[1] In the next morning, Rāma went to the hermitage of Agastya along with Sītā, Lakṣmaṇa and Sutīkṣṇa. Then Agastya received Rāma with full respect by giving arghya and pādya. He treated Rāma by giving wild fruits and drinks. After that Agastya gave Rāma some gifts. The gifts consisted of a divine bow, which was made by Viśvakarma, an arrow which was given by Lord Brahmā and a golden sword given by Indra.^[2]

2. Kuntī’s boon

Curse and boon are very much related to the concept of atithi-saparyā. In Mahābhārata, Kuntī’s reception of Durvāsas is a fine example related to curse and boon. Kuntibhoja employed his daughter Kuntī to receive Brahmins who arrived at his palace. Once Durvāsas visited the palace and stayed for some days. Kuntī received him with due respect in a pleasing manner. And she meticulously served him during his stay there in the palace^[3]. Durvāsas got satisfied with the hospitality of Kuntī. And he blessed her with a special mantra as a boon.

3. Kṛṣṇa receiving boon from Durvāsas

When Sage Durvāsas visits Dvāraka, Kṛṣṇa and Rukmiṇī paid due homage to him irrespective of his indifferent attitude. One day he rushes to Kṛṣṇa and asks him to prepare some pāyasa immediately. Kṛṣṇa and Rukmiṇī prepares the pāyasa and serves to him. Then the Sage Durvāsas insists Kṛṣṇa to apply the pāyasa all over his body Kṛṣṇa applies the same all over his body except his foot. Then Durvāsas brings a charriot and transforms Kṛṣṇa and Rukmiṇī as horses and then he quickly moves to the forest in it on their way the Sage beats them with a whip. Even then they never express any complaints. The Sage stops the charriot at the middle of the forest and from there Durvāsas gave boon to Kṛṣṇa that no weapon can harm any of Kṛṣṇa’s body, which was covered with pāyasa except the foot.^[4] From this we can understand the importance to be given to an atithi and the benefits of atithi-saparyā.

4. Boon for Naciketas

There are so many instances which point to the benefits obtained due to proper atithi-saparyā in Upaniṣads, Epics etc. As a rule an atithi usually stays only one night. Naciketas had to wait three nights at Yama’s palace without having any food. When Naciketas reached, Yama’s abode, the latter was out of station. So

Naciketas had to patiently stay there waiting Yama for three nights without eating anything. And the Dharmaśāstra says that if an atithi happens to stay without food in a house, the host is certain to be perished vaiśvānaraḥ praviśati atithiḥ brāhmaṇo gṛhān |^[5] When Yama came to know about Naciketas’s waiting, he decided to do atonement for that. Knowing the significance of atithi-saparyā, Yama offered three boons to Naciketas. And Naciketas accepted, goes the story, and the third boon he opted for, was the secret of death (or Ātmavidyā). This sheds light upon the importance of atithi-saparyā. Here the virtues ascribed to atithi-saparyā itself motivate gṛhasthas to undertake the same very seriously. The reference to atithi-saparyā equivalent to yajñas, especially by providing special food items for atithi is ascribed to different yajñas and it is said that it presents heavenly benefits to gṛhastha. Atithi-saparyā by Yama, gives a message that even Yama can”t ill-treat an atithi. These references add value to atithi-saparyā. So even an ordinary person can”t deviate from such a path. So customising several practices are kind of psychological move, that can be ascribed to Dharmaśāstra.

5. Virtues in Dharmaśāstras

The Āpastaṃba Dharmasūtra states that if you pour milk over food-which is to be offered to atithi, it is equivalent to agniṣṭoma, if you pour ghee, it is equivalent to atirātra, if you add meat, it is equivalent to dvādaśayāga and if you add water, you will be blessed with children and long life. Good reception of atithis also promise heaven to the gṛhastha.^[6] Another reference from Āpastaṃba Dharmasūtra is that if a gṛhastha arranges shelter for an atithi one night, he wins the earthly world. By providing two nights stay, the householder wins the world between heaven and earth, with a third night, the heavenly worlds, with a fourth night, the farthermost worlds, and by giving shelter for an unlimited number of nights, he wins unlimited worlds.^[7] If an unaccomplished man arrives saying that he is an atithi, the gṛhastha should give him a seat, water, and food, saying, “I give this to a vedic scholar”. In this way he will gain prosperity.^[8] The gṛhastha should not eat anything without feeding his atithi. According to Manusmṛti, a gṛhastha would gain prosperity, wealth, long life and heaven by properly taking care of an atithi.^[9]

In many of the cases, householders attend to atithis out of fear, in order to escape out of a sin. There are many criteria to accept a person as an atithi.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

etasminnāśrame vāsaṃ ciraṃ tu na samarthaye |
tamevamuktoparamaṃ rāmaḥ saṃdhyāmupāgatam || Vālmīkirāmāyaṇa, Āraṇyakāṇḍa, 7.22
anvāsya paścimāṃ sandhyāṃ tatra vāsamakalpayat |
sutīkṣṇasyāśrame ramye sītayā lakṣmaṇena ca || ibid.,7.23
tataḥ śubhaṃ tāpasayogyamannaṃ svayaṃ sutīkṣṇaḥ puruṣarṣabhābhyām |
tābhyāṃ susatkṛtya dadau mahātmā saṃdhyānivṛttau rajanīṃ samīkṣya || ibid.,7.24

[2]:

prāveśayadyathānyāyaṃ satkārārhaṃ susatkṛtam |
praviveśa tato rāmaḥ sītayā saha lakṣmaṇaḥ || ibid., 12.16
pratigṛhya ca kākutsthamarcayitvā''sanodakaiḥ |
kuśalapraśnamuktvā ca āsyatāmiti so'bravīt || ibid., 12.26
agniṃ hutvā pradāyārghyamatithīnpratipūjya ca |
vānaprasthena dharmeṇa sa teṣāṃ bhojanaṃ dadau || ibid., 12.27
prathamaṃ copaviśyātha dharmajño munipuṃgavaḥ |
uvāca rāmamāsīnaṃ prāñjaliṃ dharmakovidam || ibid., 12.28
[agniṃ hutvā pradāyārghyamatithiṃ pratipūjayet |]
anyathā khalu kākutstha tapasvī samudācaran |
duḥsākṣīva pare loke svāni māṃsāni bhakṣayet || ibid., 12.29
rājā sarvasya lokasya dharmacārī mahārathaḥ |
pūjanīyaśca mānyaśca bhavān prāptaḥ priyātithiḥ || ibid.,12.30
evamuktvā phalairmūlaiḥ puṣpaiścānyaiśca rāghavam |
pūjayitvā yathākāmaṃ tato'gastyastamabravīt || ibid.,12.31
idaṃ divyaṃ mahācāpaṃ hemavajravibhūṣitam |
vaiṣṇavaṃ puruṣavyāghra nirmitaṃ viśvakarmaṇā || ibid.,12.32
amoghaḥ sūryasaṃkāśo brahmadattaḥ śarottamaḥ |
datto yaśca mahendreṇa tūṇī cākṣayasāyakau || ibid.,12.33
saṃpūrṇau niśitairbāṇairjvaladbhiriva pāvakaiḥ |
mahārajatakośo'yamasirhemavibhūṣitaḥ || ibid.,12.34
anena dhanuṣā rāma hatvā saṃkhye mahāsurān |
ājahāra śriyaṃ dīptāṃ purā viṣṇurdivaukasām || ibid.,12.35
taddhanustau ca tūṇī ca śaraṃ khaḍgaṃ ca mānada |
jayāya pratigṛhṇīṣva vajraṃ vajradharo yathā || ibid.,12.36
evamuktvā mahātejāḥ samastaṃ tadvarāyudham |
datvā rāmāya bhagavānagastyaḥ punarabravīt || ibid.,12.37

[3]:

Mahābhārata, Ādiparvan, 111^th chapter.

[4]:

Mahābhārata, Anuśāsanaparva, Chapter-159, Purāṇic Encyclopedia,Vettam Mani, p.567

[5]:

vaiśvānaraḥ praviśatyatithirbrāhmaṇo gṛhān |
tasyaitāṃ śāntiṃ kurvanti hara vaivasvatodakam || Kaṭhopaniṣad, 1.7

[6]:

paya upasecanamannamagniṣṭomasammitaṃ sarpiṣokthyasammitaṃ, madhunā'tirātrasammitaṃ, māṃsena dvādaśāhasammita, mudakena prajāvṛddhirāyuṣaśca || Āpastaṃba Dharmasūtra, 2.3.7.4
priyā apriyāścā'tithiyaḥ svargaṃ lokaṃ gamayantīti vijñāyate || ibid., 2.3.7.5

[7]:

ekarātraṃ cedatithīnvāsayetpārthivāṃllokānabhijayati dvitīyayā''ntarikṣyāṃstṛtīyayā divyāṃścaturthyā parāvato lokānaparimitābhiraparimitāṃllokānabhijayatīti vijñāyate || ibid., 2.3.7.16

[8]:

asamudetaścedatithirbruvāṇa āgacchedāsanamudakamannaṃ śrotriyāya dadāmītyevadadyādevamasya samṛddhaṃ bhavati || ibid., 2.3.7.17

[9]:

na vai svayaṃ tadaśnīyādatithiṃ yanna bhojayet |
dhanyaṃ yaśasyamāyuṣyaṃ svargyaṃ vā'tithipūjanam || Manusmṛti, 3.106