Our culture expects us to treat guest as gods

 

दूराततिथयो यस्य गृहमायान्ति निर्वृताः।

गृहस्थः स तु विज्ञेय शेषास्तु गृहरक्षिणः॥

सुभाषितसुधानिधि॥

dūrātatithayo yasya gṛhamāyānti nirvṛtāḥ|

gṛhasthaḥ sa tu vijñeya śeṣāstu gṛharakṣiṇaḥ

subhāṣitasudhānidhi||

Another great couplet, praising the Indian culture where receiving guests is equated with worshipping God, Preceptor and Parents..

Meaning of the Subhashitam

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We can consider a person as a good householder only if guests happily visit him from near and far and accept his generosity. Others are just watchmen or sentinels for the structure of their houses..

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Our culture expects us to treat guest as gods- Vedas declare- Atithi Devo Bhava.-अतिथि देवो भव

Moreover, we were happy to receive a guest at any time, we never thought of giving or taking appointments.

In addition, Shastras instruct that when we should never ponder over hesitate about, the status, clan or the social standing of a guest while receiving him.

The guest is God, whatever his status is

The word Atithi, implying guest, means one who just visits us without any warning or appointment.

Moreover, to receive and offer all hospitality to such persons was the hallmark of our culture.

Nowadays, people are fussy about proper communication and fixing appointments even for a visit to a close relative or brother, they feel that it is even vulgarity if we show lack of formality in such matters.

The Indian of the yore was not like that.

He loved to receive his friends, brothers and even strangers, and to share with them whatever he had.

They considered it a great virtue to accommodate the guests even by denying or curtailing one’s own comforts. At least it was so in those days.

However, are we like that at present?

I am not confident enough to give yes as an answer.

Regards

k v ananthanarayanan