The
Yajur Veda, is
confirming the
remarkable reverence for a guest equal
to mother,father, and
teacher, . The Sanskrit word for guest is Atithi.
Atithi Devo Bhava
regards a procedure of the host-guest relationship. Taittiriya
Upanishad, Shikshavalli I.20 says: matrudevo bhava, pitrudevo
bhava, acharyadevo bhava, atithidevo bhava. It literally means
"be one for whom the Mother is God, be one for whom the Father
is God, be one for whom the Teacher is God, be one for whom the guest
is God." matrudevah, pitrudevah, acharyadevah, atithidevah
are one word each, and each one is a Bahuvrihi samasta-pada.
(Meaning : Bahuvrhi - beware, samastha- whole, pada -foot-step or
verse or line ). Tithi in Sanskrit denotes a calendric date.
In ancient times, the communication were limited hence it was not
possible for guests to expect their date of arrival, Atithi which literally means "without a fixed calendric time" the
visiting person who had no fixed date of arrival or departure.
The
ancient Tamil scripture, Thirukkural, says, மோப்பக்
குழையும் அனிச்சம் முகந்திரிந்து
நோக்கக் குழையும் விருந்து. meaning is the Anicham flower fades in smelling, so the host should
invite gusts with the smiling face other wise the guest will be
offended.இருந்தோம்பி
இல்வாழ்வ தெல்லாம் விருந்தோம்பி
வேளாண்மை செய்தற் பொருட்டு. meaning is "The whole
purpose of earning wealth and maintaining a home is to provide
hospitality to guests.
There was a mountain called Brahmagiri, there
was a cruel hunter living in the mountaintop. He was killing sages
and saints other than his usual trait of killing birds and animals.
Once he hunted immense of birds and animals and collect all things
put them in his cages. he spent long time in the forest and also it
became night and also started to rain, the hunter lost his way.
Thinking all he climbed on a tree and decided to stay that night. yet
his mind and thought on his wife and children at home. In the mean
time there was a pigeon family living happily in the same treetop.
Both of the pigeon-parents went to their pray. The father pigeon
returned to the nest but the mother pigeon was missing, so the father
was worrying about his wife. At that time he heard a feeble-voiced
female bird and searched all over the tree. The female said that I
am in the cage of the hunter. The father pigeon look at him so he
said to his wife “ see this hunter is sleeping so I just relive you
from the cage” the female said that “No don't do that , we living
beings should respect to our guest now he is our guest so treating
him and giving hospitality is our duty so I be his food so you look
after other things”. Male pigeon said that “Yes darling you are
right I forgot my sense of righteous way we serve our guest so
we both give our lives to him that is our hospitality to our guest.”
the rain is stopped so bring some dry leaves and light them up so we
immolate in the fire ourselves and he can take our bodies as his
food. The male did as the female said the both of them immolated in
the fire. The hunter heard the entire conversation and wondered
about pigeons selfless action and he saw that there were a
sky-mount arrived for the birds to carry them to kailash . He saw the
all amazement scenes and asked the two birds “ Mahatma “how I
prevent all my sins,? And what kind of penance I should do please
tell me the way. The birds said no need to do any penance "Go
to Goutami, Ganga and take a dip continuously for fifteen days,"
your sins will be vanished” The hunter did as the birds advise.
The place where the pigeons immolated themselves became a holy
tirtham known as kapota-tirtha, the word kapota means pigeon. (For
information Kapota-theerthas is under river Godavari. Another Teertha
is called Kapothaka-theertha is under the river Sabarmati and the
third one is called Kapoteeswara-theertha which is under Sri
parvatham these all associated with the bird pigeon
Message:-
Based on a casual scrutiny of cordial reception
from the historical date for centuries' with in the two types
of society between
the wealthy and poor;
the
wealthy who
entertained lavishly to
their own status but
the
poor people could celebrate as their
best
within their own family structures and
they only have wide developing the art of hospitality.
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