Changes

The coming of an unknown, uninvited and unexpected atithi in the evening, Manu says, is like a fortune fetched to the householder's door by the setting sun himself. Such an atithi should be cared for with the greatest reverence. As Manusmrti puts it:<blockquote>अप्रणोद्योऽतिथिः सायं सूर्योढो गृहमेधिना । काले प्राप्तस्त्वकाले वा नास्यानश्नन्गृहे वसेत् । । ३.१०५ (Manu. Smri. 3.105)</blockquote><blockquote>''apraṇodyo'tithiḥ sāyaṁ sūryoḍho gr̥hamedhinā । kāle prāptastvakāle vā nāsyānaśnangr̥he vaset । । 3.105''</blockquote>A guest who comes in the evening is brought to the householder's house by the sun himself. He should never be turned away. And, he should never be made to stay hungry in the house, whether he comes at the proper or the improper time.

The coming of an unknown, uninvited and unexpected atithi in the evening, Manu says, is like a fortune fetched to the householder's door by the setting sun himself. Such an atithi should be cared for with the greatest reverence. As Manusmrti puts it:<blockquote>अप्रणोद्योऽतिथिः सायं सूर्योढो गृहमेधिना । काले प्राप्तस्त्वकाले वा नास्यानश्नन्गृहे वसेत् । । ३.१०५ (Manu. Smri. 3.105)</blockquote><blockquote>''apraṇodyo'tithiḥ sāyaṁ sūryoḍho gr̥hamedhinā । kāle prāptastvakāle vā nāsyānaśnangr̥he vaset । । 3.105''</blockquote>A guest who comes in the evening is brought to the householder's house by the sun himself. He should never be turned away. And, he should never be made to stay hungry in the house, whether he comes at the proper or the improper time.

Visnupurana says that the sin of turning away a guest arriving after sunset is eight times worse than that earned by turning away a guest during the day.<ref name=":0" />

Visnupurana says that the papa (पापम्) of turning away a guest arriving after sunset is eight times worse than that earned by turning away a guest during the day.<ref name=":0" />

=== राजधर्मः ॥ Rajadharma ===

=== राजधर्मः ॥ Rajadharma ===

The king is a great grhastha, who is charged with extraordinary grhastha responsibilities. Like a grhastha he has the responsibility to provide for the sustenance of all beings, especially the humans, who happen to be in his care. But, unlike an ordinary grhastha, he also has the responsibility to provide sustenance to those who, though not his direct dependents, happen to lack sustenance in society. The whole of the land is, in a way, part of his grhastha responsibility.

The king is a great grhastha, who is charged with extraordinary grhastha responsibilities. Like a grhastha he has the responsibility to provide for the sustenance of all beings, especially the humans, who happen to be in his care. But, unlike an ordinary grhastha, he also has the responsibility to provide sustenance to those who, though not his direct dependents, happen to lack sustenance in society. The whole of the land is, in a way, part of his grhastha responsibility.

Apastamba dharmasutra (Patala 9), in fact, begins its discussion on rajadharma with what reads like a prescription for the installation of the king as a great grhastha.<blockquote>सर्वेष्वेवाजस्रा अग्नयः स्युः ६ अग्निपूजा च नित्या यथा गृहमेधे ७ आवसथे श्रोत्रियावरार्ध्यानतिथीन्वासयेत् ८ तेषां यथागुणमावसथाः शय्यान्नपानं च विदेयम् ९ (Apas. Dhar. 9.25.6 - 9)<ref>Apastamba [https://sa.wikisource.org/wiki/%E0%A4%86%E0%A4%AA%E0%A4%B8%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%A4%E0%A4%AE%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%AC-%E0%A4%A7%E0%A4%B0%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%AE%E0%A4%B8%E0%A5%82%E0%A4%A4%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%B0%E0%A4%AE%E0%A5%8D Dharmasutras]</ref></blockquote><blockquote>''sarveṣvevājasrā agnayaḥ syuḥ 6 agnipūjā ca nityā yathā gr̥hamedhe 7 āvasathe śrotriyāvarārdhyānatithīnvāsayet 8 teṣāṁ yathāguṇamāvasathāḥ śayyānnapānaṁ ca videyam 9''</blockquote>Let the agni, the household-fire, burn unceasingly at all places: the vesma, the avasatha and the sabha. To all the three agnis, offer reverential worship everyday, in the manner prescribed for a grhastha. In the avasatha offer hospitality to all atithis, all those who come, beginning with the srotriyas, the ones who are well read in the vedas. To them, the atithis in the avasatha, offer proper room, bed and food, and let the offerings be appropriate to the accomplishments of each.<ref name=":0" />

Apastamba dharmasutra (Patala 9), in fact, begins its discussion on rajadharma with what reads like a prescription for the installation of the king as a great grhastha.<blockquote>सर्वेष्वेवाजस्रा अग्नयः स्युः ६ अग्निपूजा च नित्या यथा गृहमेधे ७ आवसथे श्रोत्रियावरार्ध्यानतिथीन्वासयेत् ८ तेषां यथागुणमावसथाः शय्यान्नपानं च विदेयम् ९ (Apas. Dhar. 9.25.6 - 9)<ref>Apastamba [https://sa.wikisource.org/wiki/%E0%A4%86%E0%A4%AA%E0%A4%B8%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%A4%E0%A4%AE%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%AC-%E0%A4%A7%E0%A4%B0%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%AE%E0%A4%B8%E0%A5%82%E0%A4%A4%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%B0%E0%A4%AE%E0%A5%8D Dharmasutras]</ref></blockquote><blockquote>''sarveṣvevājasrā agnayaḥ syuḥ 6 agnipūjā ca nityā yathā gr̥hamedhe 7 āvasathe śrotriyāvarārdhyānatithīnvāsayet 8 teṣāṁ yathāguṇamāvasathāḥ śayyānnapānaṁ ca videyam 9''</blockquote>Let the agni, the household-fire, burn unceasingly at all places: the vesma, the avasatha and the sabha. To all the three agnis, offer reverential worship everyday, in the manner prescribed for a grhastha. In the avasatha offer hospitality to all atithis, all those who come, beginning with the srotriyas, the ones who are well read in the vedas. To them, the atithis in the avasatha, offer proper room, bed and food, and let the offerings be appropriate to the accomplishments of each.<ref name=":0" />

The king being essentially a great grhastha, he shares as it were in the sin of all grhasthas who eat without having first fed the hungry. Thus says Bhishma, to Yudhisthira in the Shantiparva or राजधर्मानुशासनपर्व<blockquote>अभृतानां भवेद्भर्ता भृतानामन्ववेक्षकः। (Maha. Shan. 12.57.19)</blockquote><blockquote>''abhr̥tānāṁ bhavedbhartā bhr̥tānāmanvavekṣakaḥ।''</blockquote>Be the provider of the unprovided. And carefully look after those who happen to be in your care.<ref name=":0" />

The king being essentially a great grhastha, he shares as it were in the papa of all grhasthas who eat without having first fed the hungry. Thus says Bhishma, to Yudhisthira in the Shantiparva or राजधर्मानुशासनपर्व<blockquote>अभृतानां भवेद्भर्ता भृतानामन्ववेक्षकः। (Maha. Shan. 12.57.19)</blockquote><blockquote>''abhr̥tānāṁ bhavedbhartā bhr̥tānāmanvavekṣakaḥ।''</blockquote>Be the provider of the unprovided. And carefully look after those who happen to be in your care.<ref name=":0" />

The Mahabharata, Vanaparva documents when Yudhisthira is seen feeling sorry about the loss of his kingdom. And the loss he laments is not of the power and prestige of kingship, but of the resources necessary for looking after others. He shares his grief with Rishi Saunaka that bound by the discipline of grhastha ashrama, he should fail to provide for even his followers. Then he goes on to define the duties of the king as a grhastha:<blockquote>संविभागो हि भूतानां सर्वेषामेव दृश्यते। तथैवापचमानेभ्यः प्रदेयं गृहमेधिना॥ (Maha. Vana. 3.2.52)</blockquote><blockquote>''saṁvibhāgo hi bhūtānāṁ sarveṣāmeva dr̥śyate। tathaivāpacamānebhyaḥ pradeyaṁ gr̥hamedhinā॥''</blockquote>There is a share of all bhutas, all beings, in everything. It is seen everywhere. Therefore, a grhastha must give a proper share of food to all those who do not cook for themselves. To the sick a bed to lie down, to the tired a place to sit, to the thirsty water to drink, and to the hungry a proper meal, must always be given. Yudhisthira's insistence on acquiring the means to provide proper share of food and sustenance to his followers is so intense that there seems no way he would leave it unfulfilled. He keeps worrying about the problem, and finally his kulapurohita, the family priest, Dhaumya, advises him to seek the blessings of the sun who, by virtue of his action of gathering and then raining water over the earth, happens to be the creator of all anna, all food:

The Mahabharata, Vanaparva documents when Yudhisthira is seen feeling sorry about the loss of his kingdom. And the loss he laments is not of the power and prestige of kingship, but of the resources necessary for looking after others. He shares his grief with Rishi Saunaka that bound by the discipline of grhastha ashrama, he should fail to provide for even his followers. Then he goes on to define the duties of the king as a grhastha:<blockquote>संविभागो हि भूतानां सर्वेषामेव दृश्यते। तथैवापचमानेभ्यः प्रदेयं गृहमेधिना॥ (Maha. Vana. 3.2.52)</blockquote><blockquote>''saṁvibhāgo hi bhūtānāṁ sarveṣāmeva dr̥śyate। tathaivāpacamānebhyaḥ pradeyaṁ gr̥hamedhinā॥''</blockquote>There is a share of all bhutas, all beings, in everything. It is seen everywhere. Therefore, a grhastha must give a proper share of food to all those who do not cook for themselves. To the sick a bed to lie down, to the tired a place to sit, to the thirsty water to drink, and to the hungry a proper meal, must always be given. Yudhisthira's insistence on acquiring the means to provide proper share of food and sustenance to his followers is so intense that there seems no way he would leave it unfulfilled. He keeps worrying about the problem, and finally his kulapurohita, the family priest, Dhaumya, advises him to seek the blessings of the sun who, by virtue of his action of gathering and then raining water over the earth, happens to be the creator of all anna, all food:

Sadavrata, incidentally, is the name that Bharat'ss across the country prefer to use for annadana even today.<ref name=":0" />

Sadavrata, incidentally, is the name that Bharat'ss across the country prefer to use for annadana even today.<ref name=":0" />

== अन्नबाहुल्यम् ॥ Sharing Food ==

== अन्नबाहुल्यम् ॥ Sharing Food ==

The story of Raja Shveta , depicts the the terrible sin of eating with one's doors shut upon others; of having one's fill, while men, animals and birds around remain un-fed; and of enjoying a meal while young children watch with hungry eyes. The great and righteous Raja Shveta sitting all alone on the banks of a beauteous lake in the midst of a rich forest full of delicious roots and fruit, and eating the flesh of his own corporeal body, represents the culmination of such eating without sharing.

The story of Raja Shveta , depicts the the terrible papa of eating with one's doors shut upon others; of having one's fill, while men, animals and birds around remain un-fed; and of enjoying a meal while young children watch with hungry eyes. The great and righteous Raja Shveta sitting all alone on the banks of a beauteous lake in the midst of a rich forest full of delicious roots and fruit, and eating the flesh of his own corporeal body, represents the culmination of such eating without sharing.

The fate that befalls Sveta is thus the fruit of his conduct. This attitude is enshrined in the most basic of Bharat's texts. Thus, the Taittriyopanishad advises in its resounding verses:<blockquote>न कञ्चन वसतौ प्रत्याचक्षीत । तद्व्रतम् । तस्माद्यया कया च विधया बह्वन्नं प्राप्नुयात् । अराध्यस्मा अन्नमित्याचक्षते । ... । एदद्वा अन्ततोऽन्नँराद्धम् । अन्ततोऽस्मा अन्नँराध्यते ॥ १ ॥(Tait. Upan. Bhru. 10.1) <ref name=":1" /></blockquote><blockquote>''na kañcana vasatau pratyācakṣīta । tadvratam । tasmādyayā kayā ca vidhayā bahvannaṁ prāpnuyāt । arādhyasmā annamityācakṣate । ... । edadvā antato'nnam̐rāddham । antato'smā annam̐rādhyate ॥ 1 ॥''</blockquote>Do not send away anyone who comes to your door, without offering him food and hospitality. That is the inviolable discipline of mankind; and the one, who prepares and gives food in a small measure with low care and veneration, obtains food in the same small measure and with similar abjectness.

The fate that befalls Sveta is thus the fruit of his conduct. This attitude is enshrined in the most basic of Bharat's texts. Thus, the Taittriyopanishad advises in its resounding verses:<blockquote>न कञ्चन वसतौ प्रत्याचक्षीत । तद्व्रतम् । तस्माद्यया कया च विधया बह्वन्नं प्राप्नुयात् । अराध्यस्मा अन्नमित्याचक्षते । ... । एदद्वा अन्ततोऽन्नँराद्धम् । अन्ततोऽस्मा अन्नँराध्यते ॥ १ ॥(Tait. Upan. Bhru. 10.1) <ref name=":1" /></blockquote><blockquote>''na kañcana vasatau pratyācakṣīta । tadvratam । tasmādyayā kayā ca vidhayā bahvannaṁ prāpnuyāt । arādhyasmā annamityācakṣate । ... । edadvā antato'nnam̐rāddham । antato'smā annam̐rādhyate ॥ 1 ॥''</blockquote>Do not send away anyone who comes to your door, without offering him food and hospitality. That is the inviolable discipline of mankind; and the one, who prepares and gives food in a small measure with low care and veneration, obtains food in the same small measure and with similar abjectness.

Teaching the greatness of annadana to Yudhisthira, SriKrishna  says:<blockquote>अन्नेन धार्यते सर्वं जगदेतच्चराचरम्। अन्नात्प्रभवति प्राणः प्रत्यक्षं नास्ति संशयः॥ (Maha. Asva. Parv. 14.108.28)</blockquote><blockquote>''annena dhāryate sarvaṁ jagadetaccarācaram। annātprabhavati prāṇaḥ pratyakṣaṁ nāsti saṁśayaḥ॥''</blockquote>The world, both animate and inanimate, is sustained by food. Life arises from food: this is observed all around, and there can be no doubt about it. Therefore, one who wishes to attain well-being in this world and beyond should offer food to all who seek. One should give food in accordance with time and place, and should keep giving to the limits of one's capacity, even if it were to cause inconvenience to one's own family.  Finding an old person, a child, a tired traveler or a venerable one at the door, a householder should offer him worshipful  hospitality, with gladness in his heart, as he would to his own teacher.  Desirous of well-being beyond this world, the householder should purge himself of all anger, all jealousy, and offer worshipful hospitality, with grace and courtesy, to the one who appears at the door.  Never offer slight to a person appearing at your door, never let a falsehood escape from your lips in his presence, and never ever ask him about his lineage or learning.  The one who appears at the door at the proper time, even if he were an outcaste or such a one as partakes of the flesh of dog, deserves to be worshipped with the offering of food by him who seeks well-being beyond this world.  

Teaching the greatness of annadana to Yudhisthira, SriKrishna  says:<blockquote>अन्नेन धार्यते सर्वं जगदेतच्चराचरम्। अन्नात्प्रभवति प्राणः प्रत्यक्षं नास्ति संशयः॥ (Maha. Asva. Parv. 14.108.28)</blockquote><blockquote>''annena dhāryate sarvaṁ jagadetaccarācaram। annātprabhavati prāṇaḥ pratyakṣaṁ nāsti saṁśayaḥ॥''</blockquote>The world, both animate and inanimate, is sustained by food. Life arises from food: this is observed all around, and there can be no doubt about it. Therefore, one who wishes to attain well-being in this world and beyond should offer food to all who seek. One should give food in accordance with time and place, and should keep giving to the limits of one's capacity, even if it were to cause inconvenience to one's own family.  Finding an old person, a child, a tired traveler or a venerable one at the door, a householder should offer him worshipful  hospitality, with gladness in his heart, as he would to his own teacher.  Desirous of well-being beyond this world, the householder should purge himself of all anger, all jealousy, and offer worshipful hospitality, with grace and courtesy, to the one who appears at the door.  Never offer slight to a person appearing at your door, never let a falsehood escape from your lips in his presence, and never ever ask him about his lineage or learning.  The one who appears at the door at the proper time, even if he were an outcaste or such a one as partakes of the flesh of dog, deserves to be worshipped with the offering of food by him who seeks well-being beyond this world.  

O Yudhisthira! the one who shuts his door on all comers and indulges in the enjoyment of food for himself alone is certainly ensuring that the doors of heaven shall be shut upon him. And his virtue is indeed great who propitiates with food the ancestors, the gods, the sages, the venerable ones, the destitute and all those who appear at his door. The one who gives food to those who seek, and especially to the brahmana seekers, is rid of all sins, even if his sins were immense. The giver of food is the giver of life, and indeed of everything else. Therefore, one who is desirous of well-being in this world and beyond should specially endeavour to give food.<ref name=":0" />

O Yudhisthira! the one who shuts his door on all comers and indulges in the enjoyment of food for himself alone is certainly ensuring that the doors of heaven shall be shut upon him. And his virtue is indeed great who propitiates with food the ancestors, the gods, the sages, the venerable ones, the destitute and all those who appear at his door. The one who gives food to those who seek, and especially to the brahmana seekers, is rid of all papas, even if his papas were immense. The giver of food is the giver of life, and indeed of everything else. Therefore, one who is desirous of well-being in this world and beyond should specially endeavour to give food.<ref name=":0" />

Mahabharata extols, in Asvamedhika Parva<blockquote>यस्मादन्नात्प्रवर्तन्ते धर्मार्थौ काम एव च। तस्मादन्नात्परं दानं नामुत्रेह च पाण्डव॥ (Maha. Asva. 14.101.28)</blockquote><blockquote>''yasmādannātpravartante dharmārthau kāma eva ca। tasmādannātparaṁ dānaṁ nāmutreha ca pāṇḍava॥''</blockquote>O Pandunandana ! The conduct of Dharma, Ardha and Kama are by Anna, hence there is nothing greater than anna neither on earth nor in the other worlds.<ref>Shastri, Ramnarayanadatta Pandey. ''[https://archive.org/stream/Mahabharata04SanskritHindiPanditRamnarayanGitaPress/Mahabharata06_Sanskrit-hindi_panditRamnarayan_gitaPress#page/n1001/mode/2up Mahabharata Volume 6 (With Hindi Translation)]'' Gorakhpur : Gita Press</ref>

Mahabharata extols, in Asvamedhika Parva<blockquote>यस्मादन्नात्प्रवर्तन्ते धर्मार्थौ काम एव च। तस्मादन्नात्परं दानं नामुत्रेह च पाण्डव॥ (Maha. Asva. 14.101.28)</blockquote><blockquote>''yasmādannātpravartante dharmārthau kāma eva ca। tasmādannātparaṁ dānaṁ nāmutreha ca pāṇḍava॥''</blockquote>O Pandunandana ! The conduct of Dharma, Ardha and Kama are by Anna, hence there is nothing greater than anna neither on earth nor in the other worlds.<ref>Shastri, Ramnarayanadatta Pandey. ''[https://archive.org/stream/Mahabharata04SanskritHindiPanditRamnarayanGitaPress/Mahabharata06_Sanskrit-hindi_panditRamnarayan_gitaPress#page/n1001/mode/2up Mahabharata Volume 6 (With Hindi Translation)]'' Gorakhpur : Gita Press</ref>