History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v3.c39.2.1

v3.c39.2.1

*Nṛyajña* or *Manuṣya-yajña*: (*Honouring guests*).—Manu (III. 70) states that this consists in honouring guests. In the oldest hymns of the Ṛgveda fire is described as a guest in the house of the sacrificer. In Ṛg. I. 73. 1 Agni is described as lying in a pleasant spot and pleased like a guest (syonaśīr-atithir-na prīṇāno). Vide Ṛg. V. 1. 8¹⁷⁸⁵ and 9, V. 4. 5, VII. 42. 4 for fire being called *atithi*. In Ṛg. IV. 4. 10 it is said of Agni 'you become the protector, the friend, of him who offers you hospitality in the usual (or proper) order.' Vide Ṛg. IV. 33. 7 and Tai. S. I. 2. 10. 1 for the word *ātithya*. Atharvaveda IX. 6 is an eulogy of hospitality in which the various stages in the reception and feeding of a guest are metaphorically represented as the various actions performed in a sacrifice.¹⁷⁸⁶ The Tai. S. V. 2. 2. 4 refers to the fact that 'when a guest comes, hospitality in which ghee abounds, is offered to him' and it remarks that 'one who comes in a chariot and one who comes in a cart are the two most honoured among guests.¹⁷⁸⁷ The Tai. S. (VI. 2. 1. 2) says 'hospitality is offered to all the followers accompanied by whom a king comes'. Vide Ait. Br. II. 9 for almost the same words. The Śāṅ. Br. II. 9 remarks¹⁷⁸⁸ 'when a man offers oblations at sunrise, he indeed offers hospitality to a great god who has started on a journey.' The Tai. Br. (II. 1.