OṀ AṪIDHISAṪKĀRABHŨMYAI NAMAH:
OṀ (AUM)-AṪI-DHI-SAṪ-KAARA-BHOO-MYAI—
NA-MA-HA
ॐ अतिथिसत्कारभूम्यै नमः
(Aṫidhi: Guest, visitor, traveler; Satkāram: honor, hospitality, kind treatment)
In Sanskrit, the word atidhi 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 the 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 him 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 worship.
Brahmaċarins and sanyāsins 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 Bhāgavata Purāṇam, Lord Shri Krishna treats a poverty stricken guest, who was His childhood friend, at His palace with services He gets Himself, as a God. This should be an example for us on, how to treat a guest.
It was mentioned in the purāṇās that during the epoch (eon) 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 a few decades ago, there used to be shelters for travelers called dharmaśālās, water coolers with water and buttermilk to quench the thirst of those travelling in hot weather, and householders used to leave a big clay pot with cool water outside on their porches for people to drink. We hear 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.
Once upon a time, we were the land which used to honor guests and treat them like we would God. Our land is 'Atidhisatkāra Bhūmi'.
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