Part 2 - Consequences ascribered to misconduct in Atithi-saparyā

There was the belief that one who does not treat his atithi in a proper manner shall gain lot of troubles. Dharmaśāstras, Epics and Purāṇas clearly depicts that inappropriate and improper reception of an atithi may lead to bad luck or adverse effects. Now we shall dwell in to the situation cited in Epics and Purāṇas.

1. Story of Śukāsura

There are many stories about the curse uttered by an atithi, when he/she is not treated well. Even if the host unknowingly commits a mistake, he cannot escape from the wrath of the guest. There is such a story in the Vālmīkirāmāyaṇa. That is the story of Śukāsura, the messenger of Rāvaṇa. In his previous life he was a Brahmin and he always respected and treated all the people who approached him. One day, Sage Agastya arrived at his abode and Śuka decided to treat him very well. But when Agastya went for a bath, a monster named Vajradaṃṣṭra appeared as Agastya before Śuka and asked him human flesh for the feast. Śuka did not understand the cheating of Vajradaṃṣṭra and gave human flesh for Agastya. Because of this Agastya got angry and he cursed Śuka to become a monster.

2. Fear of curse

When atithi is a powerful sage, the householder becomes more careful. Such instances are seen in Mahābhārata. In Vanaparvan, there Duryodhana treats Durvāsas very carefully to avoid curse and Pāñcālī is scared of a curse.

3. Story of Pauṣa and Uttaṅka

The episode of Pauṣa and Uttaṅka is another such instance. Pauṣa receives Uttaṅka as a distinguished atithi and offers him food.^[1] Uttaṅka after receiving the hospitality had an apprehension that he was offered contaminated food and hence he cursed Pauṣa to become blind.^[2] Pauṣa in return pronounced a curse upon Uttaṅka that he would be childless.^[3] This is a story where the “atithi’ and “ātitheya’ curse each other.

4. Story of Pulomā

Atithi-saparyā of Pulomā to a demon Puloman is mentioned in the third chapter.^[4]

5. Adversities of misconduct in atithi-saparyā (Dharmaśāstras)

Smṛtis and Dharmasūtras explain that one who does not treat his atithi in a proper manner shall invite a lot of troubles. Inappropriate and improper reception of an atithi may lead to bad luck upon a gṛhastha. According to Parāśarasmṛti, If an atithi returns unhappy, on account of his wishes being unfulfilled, then the householders “pitṛn”s would refuse to receive his offerings, for 15 years.^[5] Where a guest is disappointed in his hopes, useless are the burnt-offerings made by the host, although he may burn a thousand loads of wood and a hundred jars of ghee.^[6] The regenerate man who eat their food, not having performed the rite of vaiśvadeva, are born as crows, their food by no means should be partaken. These people are taken as abortive beings and they are certain to fall fail into an impure and dirty hell.^[7] One who gives gold to an ascetic, tāṃbūla to a brahmacāri and shelter to a thief will go to hell.^[8] That is reception should be done only according to the need of atithis. One who eats food without providing food for his atithi who is well versed in Veda is in fact eating sin and not food.^[9]

6. Adversities of misconduct in atithi-saparyā (Upaniṣads and Purāṇas)

Instances of improper reception of an atithi can also be cited in Upaniṣads, Purāṇas etc. Muṇḍakopaniṣad says that, one who performs agnihotra sacrifice without darśa, paurṇamāsa, cāturmāsya, āgrayaṇa, atithipūjana, homa and vaiśvadeva may not obtain any of the seven higher worlds after his death.^[10] Here atithi-saparyā is one of the seven rites that are to be performed by an agnihotrin.

Viṣṇupurāṇa says that negligence of atithi will lead the gṛhastha to hell.^[11] The sin caused by denial of hospitality to an atithi who comes after sunset is eight times greater than that of turning away one who arrives closing the day.^[12] From this it is evident that, an atithi who comes after sunset has more importance than one who comes in the morning.

The twelfth chapter of Vāmanapurāṇa speaks of the consequence of improper atithi-saparyā. To the question of Sukeśi about the karmans leading to sin it is said, the person who eats food before giving to his atithis and others like parents, children, deities will definitely undergo much difficulties. Those who eat food before it is partaken by deities, invitees, servants, animals, atithis, children, parents and fire god, shall eat foul viscous blood and pus and are reborn having hill-like bodies afflicted with hunger but with needle-like mouths.^[13] Such an idea is also seen in Mārkaṇḍeyapurāṇa. The Purāṇa says that a man who eats before providing food to his atithis is sinned.^[14] It also says that the disappointed atithi who returns from an ātitheyas house, in fact takes away all of his fortunes and blessings.^[15]

Śrīmadbhāgavatapurāṇa says that, one who eats food alone like a crow, without doing the pañcamahāyajñas and without sharing his food with others, falls into the hell called krimibhojana. There he transforms into a worm and also he eats worms, and is eaten by big worms until his sin is expiated.^[16] A gṛhastha who treats atithis inappropriately or irritatingly will be sinned. His eyes will be pecked at and pulled by the vultures and crows of the purgatory.^[17]

7. Durvāsa’s curse in Abhijñānaśākuntala

Durvāsa’s curse on Śakuntalā results from the failure of the latter in atithi-saparyā, which infact turns the whole story of Abhijñānaśākuntala. When Sage Durvāsas visits the hermitage of Śakuntalā in Kaṇvāśrama. Śakuntalā does not pay any attention towards him. She was infact in a dream-world thinking of Duṣyanta. Thus she did not receive her atithi. Sage Durvāsas became angry and cursed Śākuntalā by saying: “āḥ atithiparibhāvini”^[18].

The story of Pauṣa and Uttaṅka in Mahābhārata, the story of Śukāsura and Abhijñānaśākuntala play etc. are examples for instances of banes befalling gṛhasthas for not receiving atithis. It could be understood that the boons and banes associated with practicing and not practicing atithi-saparyā hints at its obligatory nature.

The nature of atithi-saparyā has changed from Vedic period to Epic period. We cannot see any boon and sin in connection with atithi-saparyā in Vedic literature. It was a duty of a householder at that time, but not a very hard and fast rule, to appease an atithi. Providing luxurious feast, fulfilling whatever demanded etc. by an atithi became a part of value system in later times. Even if a householder is not capable of attending an atithi, he should do it, even by risking his own life. Understanding the atithi-saparyā narrated in the Dharmaśāstras help us to learn more about the social condition prevailed at that time.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

"bhagavaṃścireṇa pātramāsādya te bhavāṃśca guṇavānatithistadicche śrāddhaṃ kartuṃ, kriyatāṃ kṣaṇa' iti || Mahābhārata, Ādiparvan, 3.114
tamuttaṅkaḥ pratyuvāca |"kṛtakṣaṇa evāsmi | śīghramicchāmi | yathopapannamannamupaskṛtaṃ bhavatā' iti | sa tathetyuktvā yathopapannenānnenainaṃ bhojayāmāsa | ibid., 3.115

[2]:

athottaṅkaḥ sakeśaṃ śītamannaṃ dṛṣṭvā aśucyetaditi matvā taṃ pauṣyamuvāca yasmānme'śucyannaṃ dadāsi tasmādandho bhaviṣyasīti || ibid., 3.116

[3]:

taṃ pauṣyaḥ pratyuvāca |"yasmāt tvamapyaduṣṭamannaṃ dūṣayasi tasmāt tvamanapatyo bhaviṣyasīti | ibid., 3.117

[4]:

supra, Chapter-3, p.39-40

[5]:

atithiryasya bhagnāśo gṛhāt pratinivartate |
pitarastasya nā'śnanti daśavarṣāṇi pañca ca || Parāśarasmṛti, 1.45

[6]:

kāṣṭhamārasahasreṇa ghṛtakumbhaśatena ca |
atithiryasya bhagnāśastasya homo nirarthakaḥ || ibid., 1.46

[7]:

akṛtvā vaiśvadevaṃ tu bhuñjante ye dvijātayaḥ |
teṣāmannaṃ na bhuñjīta kākayoniṃ vrajanti te || ibid., 1.56
akṛtvā vaiśvadevaṃ tu bhuñjante ye dvijādhamāḥ |
sarve te niṣphalā jñeyāḥ patanti narake'śucau || ibid., 1.57
vaiśvadevavihīnā ye ātithyena bahiṣkṛtāḥ |
sarve te narakaṃ yānti kākayoniṃ vrajanti ca || ibid., 1.58

[8]:

yataye kāñcanaṃ datvā tāmbūlaṃ brahmacāriṇe |
caurebhyo'pyabhayaṃ datvā dātā'pi narakaṃ vrajet || ibid., 1.61

[9]:

na gṛhṇāti tu yo vipro hyatithiṃ vedapāragam |
adattaṃ cā'nnapātraṃ tu bhuktvā bhuṅkte tu kilbiṣam || ibid.,1.63

[10]:

yasyāgnihotramadarśamapaurṇamāsam acāturmāsyamanāgrayaṇamatithivarjitaṃ ca |
ahutamavaiśvadevamavidhinā hutam āsaptamāṃstasya lokān hinasti || Muṇḍakopaniṣad, 1.2.3

[11]:

akiñcanamasambanddhamajñātakulaśīlinam |
asampūjyātithiṃ bhuktvā bhoktukāmaṃ vrajatyadhaḥ || Śrī Viṣṇupurāṇa, 3.11.62

[12]:

divātithau tu vimukhe gate yatpātakaṃ nṛpa |
tadevāṣṭaguṇaṃ puṃsa? ryoḍhe vimukhe gate || ibid., 3.11.108

[13]:

devātithibhūteṣu bhṛtyeṣvabhyāgateṣu ca |
abhuktvatsu ye'śnanti bālapitrāgnimātṛṣu || Vāmanapurāṇa, 12.12
duṣṭāsṛkpūyaniryāsaṃ bhuñjate tvadhamā ime |
sūcīmukhāśca jāyante kṣudhārtā girivigrahāḥ || ibid., 12.13

[14]:

sa pāpaṃ kevalaṃ bhuṅkte purīṣaṃ cānyajanmani || Mārkaṇḍeyapurāṇa, 26.32

[15]:

atithiryasya bhagnāśo gṛhātpratinivartate |
sa datvā duṣkṛtaṃ tasmai puṇyamādāya gacchati || ibid., 26.33

[16]:

yastviha vā asaṃvibhajyāśnāti yatkiñcanopanatamanirmitapañca-yajño vāyasasaṃstutaḥ sa paratra kṛmibhojane narakādhame nipatati tatra śatasahasrayojane kṛmikuṇḍe kṛmibhūtaḥ svayaṃ kṛmibhireva bhakṣyamāṇaḥ kṛmibhojano yāvattadaprattāprahutādo'nirveśamātmānaṃ yātayate || Śrīmadbhāgavatapurāṇa, 5, 26.18

[17]:

yastviha vā atithīnabhyāgatān vā gṛhapatirasakṛdupagatamanyurdidhakṣuriva pāpena cakṣuṣā nirīkṣate tasya cāpi niraye pāpadṛṣṭerakṣiṇī vajratuṇḍā gṛghrāḥ kaṅkakākavaṭādayaḥ prasahyorubalādutpāṭayanti || ibid., 5,26.35

[18]:

āḥ atithiparibhāvini!
vicintayantī yamananyamānasā tapodhanaṃ vetsi na māmupasthitam |
smariṣyati tvāṃ na sa bodhito'pi san kathāṃ pramattaḥ prathamaṃ kṛtāmiva || Abhijñānaśākuntala, 4.1