Vedic Index of Names and Subjects v1.c3.s1.240

v1.c3.s1.240

Ā-vasatha (‘dwelling’).—The precise sense¹ of this term appears to be a place for the reception of guests, especially Brāhmaṇas and others on the occasion of feasts and sacrifices (somewhat like the modern meaning of Dharma-śālā as a rest-house for pilgrims), a use derived from the more general sense of ‘abode.’²