Sri Bharatamata

Ashtottaram 77

 

 

 

77) OṀ ĀṪIḊHYA DHARMA BHŨMYAINAMAH:

            OṀ (AUM) -AA-ṪI-DHYA-DHAR-MA- BHOO- MYAI- NA-- MA- HA

 

(Aṫiḋhih: means-Guest, visitor, traveller; Dharma: means-virtue, duty, custom, practice)

 

In Sanskrit, the word 'atiḋhi' means 'one who has no fixed day for coming'. In all cultured and refined societies, honoring a guest is considered as an important duty of a householder. The Hindu scriptures have extolled a guest as God Himself (Taiṫṫirīya Upanishad). Out of the five daily sacrifices (pancha mahāyajnās) a householder is ordained to perform, mānushya-yajna the fourth one, concerns the feeding and the taking care of guests.

 

The word 'aṫiḋhi' has been variously defined. The literal meaning is: 'one who comes suddenly as a guest without any regard to the 'ṫiḋhi' (a day of lunar calendar). Sometimes the word is defined as referring to any unknown person who arrives in the evening seeking food and shelter for the night. The master of the house was expected to meet the guest, welcome him, wash his feet and honor him by giving a seat. Waving a lamp before him, giving him food and other things he may need to appease his hunger and thirst, and objects like a bed to rest, etc were also recommended. These 'shodaśopachārās (sixteen services) are the same ones we offer to God during the worship.

Brahmaċarins and samnyāsins as also, the learned brāhmaṇās of pure character got precedence over others. Honoring them and feeding them were considered extremely meritorious. When the guests left, the master of the house was expected to see them off by going part of the way with them. If heretics and sinners came as guests, they were not entertained. However, out of human consideration, they could be given uncooked food articles. In Bhāgavatapurāṇam, Lord Sri Krishna treats a poverty stricken guest, who was His childhood friend, at His palace with services He gets Himself, as a God. This illustrates Him being an example for us, how to treat a guest.

 

It was mentioned in the purāṇās that during the epoch of Satyayuga (Krutayuga), householders were eager to serve the guests unlike today, where Hindu traditions have been sliding down drastically in the name of westernization and modernization. Up until few decades ago, there used to be shelters for the travelers, dharmaśālās, water coolers with water and buttermilk to quench the thirst for those traveling in hot weather, and householders used to leave a big clay pot with cool water outside on their porches for people to drink. Now a days we hear movie songs like 'bahu dūrapu bātasārī, iturāvoyi, okkasāri'-meaning 'Oh traveler, come and stay at our house to night and get rested'. Only songs are left now! You need an appointment now a days, to visit somebody, otherwise, they feel inconvenienced and disrupted with their daily routine.

 

Despite the above, once upon a time, we were the land which used to honor the guests and treated them like they would do to God! Our land is 'Āṫidhya Dharma Bhūmi'.