Atithi or Guest Reception (study)
by Sarika. P. | 2022 | 41,363 words
This page relates ‘Major Dharmashastra works’ of the study on Atithi-Saparya—The ancient Indian practice of hospitality or “guest reception” 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—a ceremony that includes offering cooked food to all Gods.
Part 5 - Major Dharmaśāstra works
The term Dharmaśāstra is generally applicable to both the Dharmasūtras and the metrical codes, otherwise known as the Smṛtis. They describe the various customs and laws which directly affect the human life from time to time. Thus, there originated different Smṛtis. The term Smṛti indicates that these codes are authorities based on Śruti.
There are differences of opinion regarding the number of Smṛtis. It varies from twenty to hundred or more according to different authorities. While some of them are available in full, some are known only through quotations in various commentaries and digests. Baudhāyana, besides that of himself, names seven authors on Dharma, who are Aupajaṅghani, Kātya, Kāśyapa, Gautama, Prajāpati, Maudgalya and Hārīta. Yājñavalkya has given a list of twenty authors who have composed Smṛti works.[1] Paiṭhīnasi mentions thirty six and Nandapaṇḍita mentions fifty seven traditional writers on Dharma. Manusmṛti, Yājñavalkyasmṛti, Parāśarasmṛti, Nāradasmṛti etc. are the famous Smṛti’s. P.V. Kane states in his History of Dharmaśāstra that if all the Smṛti’s cited in the latter texts like Nirṇayasindhu, can be taken into account, the number of Smṛti’s will be about one hundred.[2]
Some majour Dharmaśāstra works are:
1. Manusmṛti
The present form of Manusmṛti is believed to be composed in a period between just before and after four centuries of the Common Era. Even then the base text used for the composition of Manusmṛti is much more ancient one. The present available work of Manusmṛti consists of 2694 verses in 12 chapters.
The writers who made the Hindu law code after Manu considered him as authority. Later writers wrote their books on the same model. The content arrangement of Manusmṛti is divided into four classes. They are ācāra, vyavahāra, prāyaścitta and rājadharma.
2. Yājñavalkyasmṛti
Yājñavalkyasmṛti is assigned an eminent place in Smṛti literature. Yājñavalkya is known to be a great personality. It is a fact that there were many seers who bore the name Yājñavalkya.[3] Yājñavalkyasmṛti is divided in to three parts. They are Ācāra, Vyavahāra and Prāyaścitta. The whole of the Smṛti is written in Anuṣṭup metre.
Ācāra is said to be foremost duty of a person:
3. Parāśarasmṛti
Parāśarasmṛti is divided into twelve chapters comprising 592 verses. Subjects of this Smṛti is divided into two heads, that is ācāra and prāyaścitta. In Kali age Parāśarasmṛti is the most important.[4] The Mādhavīya commentary is supposed to be the earliest commentary on Parāśarasmṛti.
Authors like Manu and Yājñavalkya gave prominence to gārhasthya just as in the Gṛhyasūtras and Dharmasūtras. The other three orders are closely linked to the gṛhasthāśrama. Moreover, it is the base for the other three and hence it is considered as greatest among them.[5] It is believed that a householder obtains liberation from all the sins committed by him knowingly or unknowingly with the practice of pañcamahāyajña. Among these the fifth one nṛyajña has got much importance in the society. A householder performs all these yajñas except nṛyajña for the general benefit of himself and his family. It is with the practice of atithi-saparyā that a householder fulfills his social commitments as a social being.
Studying the customs, discourses and atonements in the Dharmaśāstra period helps to understand the society of that time. Living conditions, customs, rituals, food habits, education system etc. also can be understood.
Footnotes and references:
[1]:
manvatriviṣṇuhārītayājñavalkyośano'ṅgirāḥ |
yamāpastambasaṃvartāḥ kātyayanabṛhaspatī ||
parāśaravyāsaśaṅkhalikhitādakṣagautamau |
śatātapo vasiṣṭhaśca dharmaśāstraprayojakāḥ || Yājñavalkyasmṛti, I.4.5, p.4
[2]:
History of Dharmaśāstra, Volume1, Pt.I, p.1
[3]:
One Yājñavalkya was born in the family of Viśvāmitra and one in the family of Vasiṣṭha. In Malsyapurāṇa Yājñavalkya was known by the name of Yajñadatta. Yājñavalkya was also an Ācārya, the disciple of Sage Vāṣkala.
[4]:
kṛte tu mānavā dharmāstretāyāṃ gautamāḥ smṛtāḥ |
dvāpare śaṃkha-likhitāḥ kalau pārāśarāḥ smṛtāḥ || Parāśarasmṛti, p.6
[5]:
yathā vāyuṃ samāśritya vartante sarvajantavaḥ |
tathā gṛhasthamāśritya vartante sarva āśramāḥ || Manusmṛti, 3.77
yasmātrayo'pyāśramiṇo jñānenānnena cānvaham |
gṛhasthenaiva dhāryante tasmājjyeṣṭhāśramo gṛhī || ibid., 3.78