SRIMATHE RAMANUJAYA NAMAHA. A definition of Athithi (guest) has been attributed to sage Lomasarma that runs thus: "yasya na shruyathE naama na cha gothram na chasthithi:/agasmaath gruham aagachEth sothithi:pujyatheputhai://" (athithi or guest is one whose name or gothram orplace of residence is not known. He is one who happensto come to the house of a gruhastha (family man)purely by chance. Such a person needs to be worshippedby the gruhastha) The term athithi also encompasses the other aashramis too, like the Brahmachari and the sanyasi. Parasharasmruthi (which is the book on code of conduct for kaliyuga like Manu smrithi for Krutha yuga) considers feeding as the highest form of propitiation from sins. Feeding is the only act in which the receiver stops atsome point when he feels completely satisfied. According to this Smruthi, there are 3 types of daanam(offering) which vary in conferring benefits based on whether (1) the giver reaches the place of thereceiver and gives (utthamam or greatest type) or (2) the receiver comes to the giver to receive (madhyamam ormedium result) or (3) the giver gives to the one who happens to be near his place (athamam or lowest kind). The only exception is offering food to the athithi whocomes to your doorstep. The only condition here isoffering the best food available in the best possibleway. This is echoed in Taittriya upanishad (3-10) (nakanchana pradhya saksheetha….) whereby it is statedthat it is a vratham (penance) to offer food to theathithi. The one who offers the best kind of food (available with him) will himself receive the bestkind of food. The one who offers with some reservations will receive a medium level of food and the one who offers the worst kind of treatment and food to the athithi receives the worst kind of food. Athithi bhojanam has been made an obligatory act amongthe other ones that have been described as tapas bysage Naga, the son of Mudgala (Tai up 1-9–athithayascha swaadhyaaya pravachanEcha).If the athithi (here a Brahmin) is not attended to and left to wait, then it results in loss of wealth and allthose benefits that would otherwise accrue to the host due to his other good actions. This is being made out in verse 1-8 of katohpanishad. In verses 1-7, 1-8 & 1-9 of this Upanishad, it is being made clear that anathithi must be offered water and food and if hestays for the night in the host's house, the host is all the more obliged to attend to his needs. When the young lad Nachiketas waits at the doorstep of Yama's house when he was not there for 3 days and nights,Yama felt obliged (on his return) to atone for the sin (of having made him wait) and offered to grant him 3 boons. Since the over-night stay qualifies the person to be an athithi (only a traveller from a far-away land would stay for the night in another's house),Parasurama was obliged to leave the land he had gifted to sage Kashyapa, for otherwise he would become anathithi to the sage, who would then have to pay obeisance to him –which was untenable because it was Parasurama and not the sage who was obliged to please the other. Parasurama made it a point not stay for the night in the vast land he had gifted and moved to Mahendra parvad using the power he had acquired to move swiftly. When Sri Rama, upon accepting the challenge from Parashurama to draw the Vishnu dhanus, succeeded in doing so, Parashurama was humbled. Since the dhanush had been drawn, it had to hit some target. Rama gave Parasurama only two choices about the target– either to sacrifice all the benefits of the penance he had done until then or to lose the power to move swiftly to any destination of his choice. Parasurama chose to sacrifice the former, for if he loses the latter, he would not be able to leave the land he had gifted on which he was then standing.The moment Rama had shot the arrow, Parasurama would become powerless to move swiftly to his abode before nightfall. In order not to create a 'crisis' with reference to treatment meted out to athithi,Parasurama took the most painful decision of foregoing whatever he had earned through penance. Such was the sanctity attached to athithi puja. Now about the most important declaration that athithi is to be worshipped as god (athithi devo bhava –Tai upa). It has been a matter of debate and discussion why the seers placed athithi on par with god and in the order after mother, father and teacher. Every available text on this speaks about the good results that the host gets, but whether it is the good reason to say that athithi is supreme as god or on par with the other three is a moot question. There are other actions too that have been sanctified by scriptures and seers. But do we treat the sources (actions or perpetrators ofaction) as god in those cases? While explanations may vary and are many based on one's experience and knowledge, here is one based on the experience of this writer. It happened when this writer undertook a 5-day tour to cover 40 divya desasin Tanjore –Kumbakonam belt (Chozha naattuthirupathigaL) along with the family. It was the last day of the tour when she landed at Thirunaangur pradesam. Until then she and her family had been blessed with quick dharshan, food at all places etc. But once inside the remote villages of Thirunaangur pradesam, things were not moving as expected. Added to the difficulty in reaching the temples and finding the bhattars, was the one on finding food. The available stocks of food had run out and the kids were looking tired, dehydrated and pathetic. Steeped in a staunch principle that they must not ask for any help that would make it obligatory, her family merely looked for ways to finish the dharshan at the remaining temples soon and leave for home. When they happened to spot the house of Sri Madhavan Bhattar, the bhattar serving at Annan Koil, they proceeded to enquire about the other temples and a guide to show them the way. An unique soul that he was, the Bhattar noticed the tiredness in their faces and lost no time in inviting them inside and offered food before they could make any enquiries. His wife Gayathri maami made them all feel comfortable and at ease in their home. I must say that till today none of us have forgotten their hospitality. Even my children who were much younger then remember the food we had in their house.It was amirtham (nectre) that brought life to our senses! And we had it in the cosiest atmosphere with no worry about whether we are a burden to them and whether we are troubling them etc. What we had was the best food we have ever had and the thought that we have of the fine couple even after years is something special. It is the heartfelt good wishes for good fortunes and everything of good for them. Perhaps this feeling and thinking about them is comparable to what one's mother, father or teacher would have for that person(s). It is perhaps due to this reason, theathithi has been placed after these three. It is perhaps in tune with according highest place (as god) to the three, that the athithi is also treated as god.No mother or father or teacher would think anything less than the highest good to the person. So too with the athithi who has been treated well! Apart from this experience-based insight, there does exist a Vedantic explanation for why the athithi becomes God. This will be discussed in the subsequent posts. Regards, Jayasree saranathan (to be continued) ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor --------------------~--> Get fast access to your favorite Yahoo! Groups. Make Yahoo! your home page http://us.click.yahoo.com/dpRU5A/wUILAA/yQLSAA/.itolB/TM --------------------------------------------------------------------~-> Azhvar EmberumAnAr JeeyAr ThiruvadigalE Saranam http://www.vedics.net Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ramanuja/ <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: ramanuja-unsubscribe@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
Home Page
http://www.ibiblio.org/sripedia |
ramanuja-subscribe@yahoogroups.com To subscribe to the list |