Nru Yajna (नृयज्ञः)
Nru Yajna (Samskrit: नृयज्ञः) also called as Manushya Yajna (मनुष्ययज्ञः) is one of the Panchamahayajnas (पञ्चमहायज्ञ-s | five great sacrifices) prescribed to 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 guests - ब्राह्म्यं हुतं द्विजाग्र्यार्चा | brāhmyaṁ hutaṁ dvijāgryārcāis | Hence, it is also called Brahmya-huta (Manu 3.74)[1][2]
नृयज्ञकर्माणि ॥ Constituents of Nru Yajna
According to Manusmrti,
- भिक्षादानम् || Giving alms
- 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 । ।[1]
kr̥tvaitadbalikarmaivaṁ atithiṁ pūrvaṁ āśayet । bhikṣāṁ ca bhikṣave dadyādvidhivadbrahmacāriṇe । । 3.94 । ।
Meaning: Having performed this Bali offering (Bhuta Yajna), he shall first feed his guest and, according to the rule, give alms to an ascetic (and) to a student.[2]
अतिथिसत्कारः ॥ Offering hospitality to guests
It is said that,
विद्यातपःसमृद्धेषु हुतं विप्रमुखाग्निषु । निस्तारयति दुर्गाच्च महतश्चैव किल्बिषात् । । ३.९८ । ।[1]
vidyātapaḥsamr̥ddheṣu hutaṁ vipramukhāgniṣu । nistārayati durgācca mahataścaiva kilbiṣāt । । 3.98 । ।
Meaning: An offering made in the mouth-fire of Brahmanas rich in sacred learning and austerities, saves from misfortune and from great guilt.[2]
Hence, there is high regard for अन्नदानम् (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); for because he stays (sthita) not long (anityam), he is called atithi (a guest). (Manu 3.102)[2]
एकरात्रं तु निवसन्नतिथिर्ब्राह्मणः स्मृतः । अनित्यं हि स्थितो यस्मात्तस्मादतिथिरुच्यते । । ३.१०२ । ।[1]
ekarātraṁ tu nivasannatithirbrāhmaṇaḥ smr̥taḥ । anityaṁ hi sthito yasmāttasmādatithirucyate । । 3.102 । ।
- But a Kshatriya (who comes) to the house of a Brahmana is not called a guest (atithi), nor a Vaisya, nor a Sudra, nor a personal friend, nor a relative, nor the teacher. But 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 have eaten. Even to others, personal friends and so forth, who have come to his house out of affection, he may give food, garnished (with seasoning) according to his ability, (at the same time) with his wife. (Manu 3.110, 111, 113)[2]
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 । ।[1]
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 । ।
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 । ।
तृणानि भूमिरुदकं वाक्चतुर्थी च सूनृता । एतान्यपि सतां गेहे नोच्छिद्यन्ते कदा चन । । ३.१०१ । । [1]
saṁprāptāya tvatithaye pradadyādāsanodake । annaṁ caiva yathāśakti satkr̥tya vidhipūrvakam । । 3.99 । ।
tr̥ṇāni bhūmirudakaṁ vākcaturthī ca sūnr̥tā । etānyapi satāṁ gehe nocchidyante kadā cana । । 3.101 । ।
Meaning: Let him offer, in accordance with the rule, to a guest who has come (of his own accord) a seat and water, as well as food, garnished (with seasoning), according to his ability.Grass[asana], room (for resting), water, and fourthly a kind word; these (things) never fail in the houses of good men.[2]
आतिथ्यधर्मः ॥ Principles of hospitality
- A guest who is sent by the (setting) sun in the evening, must not be driven away by a householder; whether he have come at (supper-) time or at an inopportune moment, he must not stay in the house without entertainment. (Manu 3.105)[2]
अप्रणोद्योऽतिथिः सायं सूर्योढो गृहमेधिना । काले प्राप्तस्त्वकाले वा नास्यानश्नन्गृहे वसेत् । । ३.१०५ । ।[1]
apraṇodyo'tithiḥ sāyaṁ sūryoḍho gr̥hamedhinā । kāle prāptastvakāle vā nāsyānaśnangr̥he vaset । । 3.105 । ।
- Let him offer (to his guests) seats, rooms, beds, attendance on departure and honour (while they stay), to the most distinguished in the best form, to the lower ones in a lower form, to equals in an equal manner. (Manu 3.107)[2]
आसनावसथौ शय्यां अनुव्रज्यां उपासनाम् । उत्तमेषूत्तमं कुर्याद्धीने हीनं समे समम् । । ३.१०७ । ।[1]
āsanāvasathau śayyāṁ anuvrajyāṁ upāsanām । uttameṣūttamaṁ kuryāddhīne hīnaṁ same samam । । 3.107 । ।
- But if another guest comes after the Vaisvadeva offering has been finished, (the householder) must give him food according to his ability, (but) not repeat the Bali offering. (Manu 3.108)[2]
वैश्वदेवे तु निर्वृत्ते यद्यन्योऽतिथिराव्रजेत् । तस्याप्यन्नं यथाशक्ति प्रदद्यान्न बलिं हरेत् । । ३.१०८ । ।[1]
vaiśvadeve tu nirvr̥tte yadyanyo'tithirāvrajet । tasyāpyannaṁ yathāśakti pradadyānna baliṁ haret । । 3.108 । ।
- Without hesitation he 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.[2]
सुवासिनीः कुमारीश्च रोगिणो गर्भिणीः स्त्रियः । अतिथिभ्योऽग्र एवैतान्भोजयेदविचारयन् । । ३.११४ । ।[1]
suvāsinīḥ kumārīśca rogiṇo garbhiṇīḥ striyaḥ । atithibhyo'gra evaitānbhojayedavicārayan । । 3.114 । ।
- After the Brahmanas, the kinsmen, and the servants have dined, the householder and his wife may afterwards eat what remains.[2]
भुक्तवत्स्वथ विप्रेषु स्वेषु भृत्येषु चैव हि । भुञ्जीयातां ततः पश्चादवशिष्टं तु दम्पती । । ३.११६ । ।[1]
bhuktavatsvatha vipreṣu sveṣu bhr̥tyeṣu caiva hi । bhuñjīyātāṁ tataḥ paścādavaśiṣṭaṁ tu dampatī । । 3.116 । ।
- Let him honour with the honey-mixture a king, an officiating priest, a Snataka, the teacher, a son-in-law, a father-in-law, and a maternal uncle, (if they come) again after a full year (has elapsed since their last visit). A king and a Srotriya, who come on the performance of a sacrifice, must be honoured with the honey-mixture, but not if no sacrifice is being performed; that is a settled rule.[2]
राजर्त्विक्स्नातकगुरून्प्रियश्वशुरमातुलान् । अर्हयेन्मधुपर्केण परिसंवत्सरात्पुनः । । ३.११९ । ।
राजा च श्रोत्रियश्चैव यज्ञकर्मण्युपस्थितौ । मधुपर्केण संपूज्यौ न त्वयज्ञ इति स्थितिः । । ३.१२० । ।[1]
rājartviksnātakagurūnpriyaśvaśuramātulān । arhayenmadhuparkeṇa parisaṁvatsarātpunaḥ । । 3.119 । ।
rājā ca śrotriyaścaiva yajñakarmaṇyupasthitau । madhuparkeṇa saṁpūjyau na tvayajña iti sthitiḥ । । 3.120 । ।
आतिथ्यफलम् ॥ Fruit of honouring guests
न वै स्वयं तदश्नीयादतिथिं यन्न भोजयेत् । धन्यं यशस्यं आयुष्यं स्वर्ग्यं वातिथिपूजनम् । । ३.१०६ । ।[1]
na vai svayaṁ tadaśnīyādatithiṁ yanna bhojayet । dhanyaṁ yaśasyaṁ āyuṣyaṁ svargyaṁ vātithipūjanam । । 3.106 । ।
Meaning: Let him not eat any (dainty) food which he does not offer to his guest; the hospitable reception of guests procures wealth, fame, long life, and heavenly bliss.[2]
अतिथिनिरादरफलम् ॥ Fruit of disrespecting a guest
Manusmrti says,
अदत्त्वा तु य एतेभ्यः पूर्वं भुङ्क्तेऽविचक्षणः । स भुञ्जानो न जानाति श्वगृध्रैर्जग्धिं आत्मनः । । ३.११५ । ।
शिलानप्युञ्छतो नित्यं पञ्चाग्नीनपि जुह्वतः । सर्वं सुकृतं आदत्ते ब्राह्मणोऽनर्चितो वसन् । । ३.१०० । ।[1]
śilānapyuñchato nityaṁ pañcāgnīnapi juhvataḥ । sarvaṁ sukr̥taṁ ādatte brāhmaṇo'narcito vasan । । 3.100 । ।
adattvā tu ya etebhyaḥ pūrvaṁ bhuṅkte'vicakṣaṇaḥ । sa bhuñjāno na jānāti śvagr̥dhrairjagdhiṁ ātmanaḥ । । 3.115 । ।
Meaning: The foolish man who eats first without having given food to these (persons) does, while he crams, not know that (after death) he himself will be devoured by dogs and vultures. A Brahmana who stays unhonoured (in the house), takes away (with him) all the spiritual merit even of a man who subsists by gleaning ears of corn, or offers oblations in five fires.[2]
Alms
A twice-born householder gains, by giving alms, the same reward for his meritorious act which (a student) obtains for presenting, in accordance with the rule, a cow to his teacher. [v.3.95.]
Let him give, in accordance with the rule, to a Brahmana who knows the true meaning of the Veda, even (a small portion of food as) alms, or a pot full of water, having garnished (the food with seasoning, or the pot with flowers and fruit). [v.3.96.]