Atithi or Guest Reception (study)
by Sarika. P. | 2022 | 41,363 words
This page relates 鈥楬onouring Atithi and Vaishvadeva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 3 - Honouring Atithi and 痴补颈艣惫补诲别惫补
痴补颈艣惫补诲别惫补 is the Balikarman of offering of cooked food to all Gods. Bali offerings are daily rites, which are enunciated in the 蝉奴迟谤补 texts. Bali offerings are re-oriented forms of 产丑奴迟补测补箩帽补 or 产丑奴迟补产补濒颈 (offering to beings). It is the first one of the five great sacrifices, given in the 艢atapatha Br膩hma峁嘺. According to 蝉奴迟谤补 texts it consists of several offerings on the ground, meant for all sorts of beings. They include offerings to the mother earth, 痴腻测耻, all gods and 笔谤补箩腻辫补迟颈.[1] Bali offerings were also done to the vessel used for serving the God of water, herbs, plants and trees; entrance of door, bed, the dustbin, meant for evil-spirits.[2] The Gautama G峁沨ya蝉奴迟谤补 ordains that both the husband and wife participate in the bali rites.[3] Husband offers in the morning, while wife does it during the evening.[4] This is also seen in 惭补苍耻蝉尘峁泃颈.[5]
惭补苍耻蝉尘峁泃颈 details the 惫补颈艣惫补诲别惫补 offering, according to it Brahmins should offer cooked food in Agni which is prepared for different deities. Offering should be done by reciting the mantra 蝉惫腻丑腻. The order of offering is as follows at first it should be offered to Agnaye 蝉惫腻丑腻, then Som膩ya 蝉惫腻丑腻 then Agn墨峁m膩bhy膩峁� 蝉惫腻丑腻, then 痴颈艣惫补诲别惫补蝉, Dhanvantari, devatas like 碍耻丑奴, Anumati, 笔谤补箩腻辫补迟颈, 顿测腻惫腻辫峁沝丑惫颈蝉 and the Agni named 厂惫颈峁ａ弓补办峁泃 are offered with the mantra 蝉惫腻丑腻. This bali offering should be done to all 诲颈办辫腻濒补蝉. In the east for Indra and his retinues, South Yama and 驰补尘补辫耻谤耻峁蝉, in west 痴补谤耻峁嘺 and his followers, North side consists of Soma and his retinues. Marut devatas in doorstep, water goddess in water, Vanaspatis in musala and 耻濒奴办丑补濒补 give offerings. On the north east side believed to be the head position of 痴腻蝉迟耻辫耻谤耻峁, in this side of bali offering to 艢谤墨诲别惫墨, and the foot of him i.e. South west part for 叠丑补诲谤补办腻濒颈, and offered bali to the centre of the house is representing Brahmadeva and 痴腻蝉迟辞峁补迟颈. 痴补颈艣惫补诲别惫补 offered to 惫颈艣惫补诲别惫补迟补蝉,[6] devatas like 诲颈惫腻肠补谤补蝉 and 苍补办迟补帽肠补谤补蝉 in 驳峁沨腻办腻艣补. The room above the house should be offer the bali to 蝉补谤惫腻迟尘补产丑奴迟颈. After all the balis the remaining food should be offered to 辫颈迟峁泂 in the south direction. Also give some food to patients, dogs, crows and worms for this it should be offered in the earth. One who do this performances everyday he attain salvation very easily. After performing these balis atithis are served with food then only the 驳峁沨补蝉迟丑补 and his family ate food.[7]
Footnotes and references:
[1]:
sa yat 辫谤补迟丑补尘补峁� nidadh膩ti sa p膩rthivo balirbhavati atha yat 诲惫颈迟墨测补峁� sa v膩yavyo, yat 迟峁泃墨测补峁� sa vai艣vadevo taccaturtha峁�, sa 辫谤腻箩腻辫补迟测补 | Gobhila G峁沨ya蝉奴迟谤补, 1.48
[2]:
ath膩par膩n bal墨n haret udadh膩nasya madhyamasya dv膩rasyabdaivat膩岣� prathamo balirbhavati o峁dhivanaspatibhyo 诲惫颈迟墨测腻 腻办腻艣腻测补 迟峁泃墨测补岣� | atha par膩n bal墨n hareccayy膩ya峁� v膩 dvivarca峁� v膩 sa 办腻尘腻测补 v膩 balirbhavati manyave v膩 | atha 蝉补尘辫奴谤峁嘺峁� sa rak峁janebhya岣� | ibid, 1.4.9-11
[5]:
[7]:
惫补颈艣惫补诲别惫补sya siddhasya g峁沨ye'gnau vidhip奴rvakam |
膩bhya岣� kury膩d devat膩bhyo br膩hma峁噊 homamanvaham || op. cit., 3.84
agne岣� somasya caiv膩dau tayo艣caiva samastayo岣� |
vi艣vebhya艣caiva devebhyo dhanvantaraya eva ca || ibid., 3.85
kuhvai c膩numatyai ca praj膩pataya eva ca |
sahady膩v膩p峁泃hivyo艣ca tath膩 svi峁ａ弓ak峁泃e'ntata岣� || ibid., 3.86
eva峁� samyagghavirhutv膩 sarvadik峁 pradak峁峁嘺m |
indr膩ntak膩ppat墨ndubhya岣� s膩nugebhyo 产补濒颈峁� haret || ibid., 3.87
marudbhya iti tu dv膩ri k峁pedapsvadbhya ityapi |
vanaspatibhya ityeva峁� musalol奴khale haret || ibid., 3.88
ucch墨r峁ke 艣riyai kury膩dbhadrak膩lyai ca p膩data岣� |
brahmav膩sto峁atibhy膩峁� tu v膩stumadhye 产补濒颈峁� haret || ibid., 3.89
vi艣vebhya艣caiva devebhyo balim膩k膩艣a utk峁pet |
div膩carebhy膩 bh奴tebhyo nakta峁僣膩ribhya eva ca || ibid., 3.90
p峁涐梗峁環av膩stuni kurv墨ta 产补濒颈峁� sarv膩tmabh奴taye |
pit峁沚hyo bali艣e峁峁� tu sarva峁� dak峁峁嘺to haret || ibid., 3.91
艣un膩峁� ca patit膩n膩峁� ca 艣vapac膩峁� p膩parogi峁嚹乵 |
v膩yas膩n膩峁� ca k峁沵墨峁嚹佱箖 ca 艣anakairnirvapedbhuvi || ibid., 3.92
eva峁� ya岣� sarvabh奴t膩ni br膩hma峁噊 nityamarcati |
sa gacchati para峁� sthana峁� tejom奴rti patharjun膩 || ibid., 3.93
k峁泃vaitad balikarmaivamatithi峁� p奴rvam膩艣ayet |
bhik峁Ｄ佱箖 ca bhik峁ve dady膩t vidhivad brahmac膩ri峁噀 || ibid., 3.94