Nru Yajna (नृयज्ञः)

Nru Yajna (Samskrit: नृयज्ञः), also called as Manushya Yajna (मनुष्ययज्ञः) is one of the Panchamahayajnas (पञ्चमहायज्ञ-s | five great sacrifices) prescribed for the गृहस्थाश्रमी-s (Grhasthashramis | householders).

परिचयः ॥ Introduction

It is said that,

नृयज्ञोऽतिथिपूजनम् | nr̥yajño'tithipūjanam । (Manu 3.70)

Meaning : Nru Yajna refers to the hospitality offered to guests.

It refers to respectful reception of brahmanas - ब्राह्म्यं हुतं द्विजाग्र्यार्चा | brāhmyaṁ hutaṁ dvijāgryārcāis | Hence, it is also called Brahmya-huta (Manu 3.74)

नृयज्ञकर्माणि ॥ Constituents of Nru Yajna

According to Manusmrti,

1. भिक्षादानम् || Giving alms
2. अतिथिसत्कारः || Taking care of guests

are the two most important components of Nru Yajna. Even there, अतिथिसत्कारः takes precedence.

कृत्वैतद्बलिकर्मैवं अतिथिं पूर्वं आशयेत् । भिक्षां च भिक्षवे दद्याद्विधिवद्ब्रह्मचारिणे । । ३.९४ । ।

kr̥tvaitadbalikarmaivaṁ atithiṁ pūrvaṁ āśayet । bhikṣāṁ ca bhikṣave dadyādvidhivadbrahmacāriṇe । । 3.94 । ।

Meaning: After having performed the Bali offering (Bhuta Yajna), one should first honour guests and then give alms to an ascetic and a student according to the prescribed rules.

अतिथिसत्कारः ॥ Offering hospitality to guests

It is said that,

विद्यातपःसमृद्धेषु हुतं विप्रमुखाग्निषु । निस्तारयति दुर्गाच्च महतश्चैव किल्बिषात् । । ३.९८ । ।

vidyātapaḥsamr̥ddheṣu hutaṁ vipramukhāgniṣu । nistārayati durgācca mahataścaiva kilbiṣāt । । 3.98 । ।

Meaning: An offering of food given to the fire in the form a Brahmana's mouth (vipra mukhagni), who is endowed with learning and austerities, saves one from great difficulties and sin.

Hence, there is high regard for अन्नदानम् || Annadana (offering of food to the hungry) in the Indian culture.

आतिथ्याधिकारी ॥ Who is a guest ?

• A Brahmana who stays one night only is declared to be a guest (atithi); because he stays (sthita) not long (anitya), he is called atithi (a guest). (Manu 3.102)

एकरात्रं तु निवसन्नतिथिर्ब्राह्मणः स्मृतः । अनित्यं हि स्थितो यस्मात्तस्मादतिथिरुच्यते । । ३.१०२ । ।

ekarātraṁ tu nivasannatithirbrāhmaṇaḥ smr̥taḥ । anityaṁ hi sthito yasmāttasmādatithirucyate । । 3.102 । ।

• A Kshatriya, Vaishya, Shudra, personal friend, relative or a teacher who comes to the house of a Brahmana is not called as guest (atithi). However, if a Kshatriya comes to the house of a Brahmana in the manner of a guest, the house-holder may feed him according to his desire, after the above-mentioned Brahmanas (guests) have eaten.Even to others, personal friends and so forth, who have come to visit out of affection, one may give food, garnished (with seasoning) according to one's ability, at the same time that the family dine together. (Manu 3.110, 111, 113)

न ब्राह्मणस्य त्वतिथिर्गृहे राजन्य उच्यते । वैश्यशूद्रौ सखा चैव ज्ञातयो गुरुरेव च । । ३.११० । ।

यदि त्वतिथिधर्मेण क्षत्रियो गृहं आव्रजेत् । भुक्तवत्सु च विप्रेषु कामं तं अपि भोजयेत् । । ३.१११ । ।

इतरानपि सख्यादीन्सम्प्रीत्या गृहं आगतान् । प्रकृत्यान्नं यथाशक्ति भोजयेत्सह भार्यया । । ३.११३ । ।

na brāhmaṇasya tvatithirgr̥he rājanya ucyate । vaiśyaśūdrau sakhā caiva jñātayo gurureva ca । । 3.110 । ।

yadi tvatithidharmeṇa kṣatriyo gr̥haṁ āvrajet । bhuktavatsu ca vipreṣu kāmaṁ taṁ api bhojayet । । 3.111 । ।

itarānapi sakhyādīnsamprītyā gr̥haṁ āgatān । prakr̥tyānnaṁ yathāśakti bhojayetsaha bhāryayā । । 3.113 । ।

• If a king, priest, snataka, teacher, friend, son-in-law, close person, father-in-law or maternal uncle, come after a full year since their last visit, they should be honoured with the honey-mixture (Madhuparka). A king and a shrotriya (knower of the vedas), who come on the occasion of a sacrifice, must be honoured with the honey-mixture (even if they arrive within the lapse of one year). If not, they need not be honoured.

राजर्त्विक्स्नातकगुरून्प्रियश्वशुरमातुलान् । अर्हयेन्मधुपर्केण परिसंवत्सरात्पुनः । । ३.११९ । ।

राजा च श्रोत्रियश्चैव यज्ञकर्मण्युपस्थितौ । मधुपर्केण संपूज्यौ न त्वयज्ञ इति स्थितिः । । ३.१२० । ।

rājartviksnātakagurūnpriyaśvaśuramātulān । arhayenmadhuparkeṇa parisaṁvatsarātpunaḥ । । 3.119 । ।

rājā ca śrotriyaścaiva yajñakarmaṇyupasthitau । madhuparkeṇa saṁpūjyau na tvayajña iti sthitiḥ । । 3.120 । ।

दानवस्तूनि ॥ Offerings to a guest

According to Manusmrti, the offerings that one should make to a guest include,

• आसनम् (a seat to sit)
• उदकम् (water to quench his thirst)
• अन्नम् (food to pacify his hunger)

It says,

संप्राप्ताय त्वतिथये प्रदद्यादासनोदके । अन्नं चैव यथाशक्ति सत्कृत्य विधिपूर्वकम् । । ३.९९ । ।

saṁprāptāya tvatithaye pradadyādāsanodake । annaṁ caiva yathāśakti satkr̥tya vidhipūrvakam । । 3.99 । ।

Meaning: A guests who has spontaneously arrived should be offered a seat and water, as well as food, flavoured (with seasoning), according to one's ability. But even when there is no food to offer, there are four things namely grass (for seat), earth (for resting), water, and a kind word never fail in the houses of good men.

तृणानि भूमिरुदकं वाक्चतुर्थी च सूनृता । एतान्यपि सतां गेहे नोच्छिद्यन्ते कदा चन । । ३.१०१ । ।

tr̥ṇāni bhūmirudakaṁ vākcaturthī ca sūnr̥tā । etānyapi satāṁ gehe nocchidyante kadā cana । । 3.101 । ।

आतिथ्यधर्माः ॥ Principles of hospitality

• A guest who is sent by the (setting) sun in the evening, must never be turned away by a householder; whether he happens to arrive at (supper) time or at an inopportune moment, he must not stay in the house without hospitality.

अप्रणोद्योऽतिथिः सायं सूर्योढो गृहमेधिना । काले प्राप्तस्त्वकाले वा नास्यानश्नन्गृहे वसेत् । । ३.१०५ । ।

apraṇodyo'tithiḥ sāyaṁ sūryoḍho gr̥hamedhinā । kāle prāptastvakāle vā nāsyānaśnangr̥he vaset । । 3.105 । ।

• If a guest arrives after the Vaishvadeva offering has been finished, the householder must make food and give him and not from the Bali offering.

वैश्वदेवे तु निर्वृत्ते यद्यन्योऽतिथिराव्रजेत् । तस्याप्यन्नं यथाशक्ति प्रदद्यान्न बलिं हरेत् । । ३.१०८ । ।

vaiśvadeve tu nirvr̥tte yadyanyo'tithirāvrajet । tasyāpyannaṁ yathāśakti pradadyānna baliṁ haret । । 3.108 । ।

• Without hesitation one may give food, even before his guests, to the following persons, viz. to newly-married women, to infants, to the sick and to pregnant women. Infact, the foolish man who eats first without having given food to these (persons), while he crams himself, does not know that (after death) he himself will be devoured by dogs and vultures.

सुवासिनीः कुमारीश्च रोगिणो गर्भिणीः स्त्रियः । अतिथिभ्योऽग्र एवैतान्भोजयेदविचारयन् । । ३.११४ । ।

अदत्त्वा तु य एतेभ्यः पूर्वं भुङ्क्तेऽविचक्षणः । स भुञ्जानो न जानाति श्वगृध्रैर्जग्धिं आत्मनः । । ३.११५ । ।

suvāsinīḥ kumārīśca rogiṇo garbhiṇīḥ striyaḥ । atithibhyo'gra evaitānbhojayedavicārayan । । 3.114 । ।

adattvā tu ya etebhyaḥ pūrvaṁ bhuṅkte'vicakṣaṇaḥ । sa bhuñjāno na jānāti śvagr̥dhrairjagdhiṁ ātmanaḥ । । 3.115 । ।

• After venerable people, family, and the servants have dined, the householder and his wife may afterwards eat what remains.

भुक्तवत्स्वथ विप्रेषु स्वेषु भृत्येषु चैव हि । भुञ्जीयातां ततः पश्चादवशिष्टं तु दम्पती । । ३.११६ । ।

bhuktavatsvatha vipreṣu sveṣu bhr̥tyeṣu caiva hi । bhuñjīyātāṁ tataḥ paścādavaśiṣṭaṁ tu dampatī । । 3.116 । ।

• One should never eat any (tasty) food which is not offered to the guest; the hospitable reception of guests procures wealth, fame, long life, and heavenly bliss.

न वै स्वयं तदश्नीयादतिथिं यन्न भोजयेत् । धन्यं यशस्यं आयुष्यं स्वर्ग्यं वातिथिपूजनम् । । ३.१०६ । ।

na vai svayaṁ tadaśnīyādatithiṁ yanna bhojayet । dhanyaṁ yaśasyaṁ āyuṣyaṁ svargyaṁ vātithipūjanam । । 3.106 । ।

अतिथिनिरादरफलम् ॥ Fruit of disrespecting a guest

According to Manusmrti, if a guest is not honoured, he takes away all the spiritual merit (punya) even of a man who subsists by agriculture and offers oblations in five fires.

शिलानप्युञ्छतो नित्यं पञ्चाग्नीनपि जुह्वतः । सर्वं सुकृतं आदत्ते ब्राह्मणोऽनर्चितो वसन् । । ३.१०० । ।

śilānapyuñchato nityaṁ pañcāgnīnapi juhvataḥ । sarvaṁ sukr̥taṁ ādatte brāhmaṇo'narcito vasan । । 3.100 । ।

भिक्षादानम् ॥ Giving Alms

Manusmrti says, respecting a brahmana well versed in the vedas, one should give alms or a vessel of water as per the prescribed rule.

भिक्षां अप्युदपात्रं वा सत्कृत्य विधिपूर्वकम् । वेदतत्त्वार्थविदुषे ब्राह्मणायोपपादयेत् । । ३.९६ । ।

bhikṣāṁ apyudapātraṁ vā satkr̥tya vidhipūrvakam । vedatattvārthaviduṣe brāhmaṇāyopapādayet । । 3.96 । ।

भिक्षादानफलम् ॥ Fruit of giving alms

The fruit of giving alms to an ascetic or a brahmachari is the same as the fruit obtained by offering a cow as guru dakshina to a teacher.

यत्पुण्यफलं आप्नोति गां दत्त्वा विधिवद्गुरोः । तत्पुण्यफलं आप्नोति भिक्षां दत्त्वा द्विजो गृही । । ३.९५ । ।

yatpuṇyaphalaṁ āpnoti gāṁ dattvā vidhivadguroḥ । tatpuṇyaphalaṁ āpnoti bhikṣāṁ dattvā dvijo gr̥hī । । 3.95 । ।