Atithi or Guest Reception (study)
by Sarika. P. | 2022 | 41,363 words
This page relates 鈥楻eferences to Hospitality in Uttararamacarita鈥� of the study on Atithi-Saparya鈥擳he ancient Indian practice of hospitality or 鈥済uest reception鈥� 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鈥攁 ceremony that includes offering cooked food to all Gods.
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Part 10 - References to Hospitality in 鲍迟迟补谤补谤腻尘补肠补谤颈迟补
叠丑补惫补产丑奴迟颈鈥檚 鲍迟迟补谤补谤腻尘补肠补谤颈迟补, narrates the story of 搁腻尘补 after his eventful stay of fourteen years in forest. In the second act of 鲍迟迟补谤补谤腻尘补肠补谤颈迟补, there is a reference of atithi-蝉补辫补谤测腻. Here 叠丑补惫补产丑奴迟颈 describes that wood-nymphs as welcoming female ascetics and giving fruits and flowers.[1] Reference to the practice of providing meet food to atithis is seen in the fourth act of 鲍迟迟补谤补谤腻尘补肠补谤颈迟补. Sage 痴补蝉颈峁ａ弓丑补 comes to the hermitage of 痴腻濒尘墨办颈 along with Janaka, Arundhati, Kausalya etc. Ascetics treated them in a very respectful manner.[2] The students were talking about the atithis who provided holiday for them. Then one of the students talks about the arrival of Sage 痴补蝉颈峁ａ弓丑补. Then another student remarks that he thought that those were some tigers or leopards. Then one asked him why he had made such remark. 鈥淥ne or two cows will be slaughtered on that day鈥�, answers the other. That hints to the concept of giving meat as food to an atithi.[3] Then another student remarks that why Janaka didn鈥漷 receive such hospitality. They gave only madhuparka while receiving Janaka. He got the reply that once 艢r墨 搁腻尘补 left 厂墨迟腻 he had stopped eating meat. 骋峁沨测补蝉奴迟谤补蝉 describe that madhuparka was offered by adding meat. Here Sage 痴补蝉颈峁ａ弓丑补 is provided madhuparka that contains meat. It is to be remembered that Goghna is a synonym for atithi.
Footnotes and references:
[1]:
迟腻辫补蝉墨 svayameva kathayati -aye vanadevat膩 phalakusumagarbhe峁嘺 palla惫腻rghye峁嘺 d奴r膩nm膩mupati峁ａ弓hate | vanadevat膩鈥� (补谤驳丑测补峁� vik墨rya |) yathecch膩 产丑辞驳测补峁� vo vanamidamaya峁� me 蝉耻诲颈惫补蝉补岣� sat膩峁� sadbhi岣� 蝉补峁単补岣� kathamapi hi pu峁噛ena bhavati | tarucch膩y膩 迟辞测补峁� yadapi tapas膩峁� yogyama艣ana峁� 辫丑补濒补峁� 惫腻 尘奴濒补峁� 惫腻 tadapi na par膩dh墨namiha va岣� || 鲍迟迟补谤补谤腻尘补肠补谤颈迟补,2.1
[2]:
saugh膩take | d峁浥泍at膩madya bh奴yi峁ａ弓hasannidh膩pit膩tithijanasya samadhik膩rambharama峁嚹珁at膩 bhagavato 惫腻lm墨ker膩r膩mapadasya | tath膩 hi鈥�n墨惫腻raudanama峁囜笉amu峁ａ箛amadhura峁� 蝉补诲测补岣� pras奴tapriy膩岣� pr墨y膩damyadhika峁� tapovanam峁沢a岣� pary膩ptam膩c膩mati | gandhena sphurat膩 managanus峁泃o bhavatasya sarpi峁ata岣� karkandh奴phalamiva 艣膩kapacan膩moda岣� parist墨ryate || ibid., 4.1
[3]:
d膩峁囜笉膩yana岣�-"sam膩峁僺o madhuparka' ityamn膩ya峁� bahumanyam膩n膩岣� 艣rotriy膩y膩bhy膩gat膩ya vatsatar墨峁� 尘补丑辞办峁峁� 惫腻 mah膩ja峁� 惫腻 nirvapanti g峁沨amedhina岣� | ta峁� hi 诲丑补谤尘补峁� dharmas奴trak膩r膩岣� sam膩mananti | saudh膩taki岣モ�攂ho nig峁沨墨to'si | d膩峁囜笉膩yana岣�-kathamiva? saudh膩taki岣モ�攜en膩gate峁 vasi峁ａ弓hami艣re峁 vatsatar墨vi艣asit膩 | adyaiva pratyagatasya r膩jar峁rjanakasya bhagavat膩 惫腻lm墨kin膩 dadhimadhubhy膩meva nirvartito 尘补诲丑耻辫补谤办补岣� | vatsatar墨 punarvisarjit膩 | d膩峁囜笉膩yana岣モ�攁niv峁泃tam膩峁僺膩n膩meva峁� kalpam峁涐梗ayo manyante | niv峁泃tam膩峁僺astu tatra bha惫腻n 箩补苍补办补岣� | ibid., 4