ATHITHI DEVO BHAVA

India has a popular saying "Annadhatha sukhi bhava". This maxim has a number of meanings attached to it. The first and foremost being to thank God the foremost giver for the food. The next comes the Jai Kissan where we thank the farmer who gave us the food. The third being the breadwinner of the family. In the event of food being received in the form of a guest or alms then to the host and giver. Thus three words bring under its umbrella the entire gamut of providers.

A story in Mahabharatha throws light on the extent and the importance of the giver of the food. Duryodhana, the punching bag, is renowned to be a giver of food. His hospitality is said to be seamless. After all how much could a stomach accept? It is probably the only kind of alms that the receiver would be fully satiated with. To emphasise the importance of giving food, the story draws a parallel to the ultimate giver the Dhana Veera Shura Karna. Karna is touted to be such a big giver that he would give anything that was asked of him. So much so that he even parted with the armour which shielded him. But who would ask for small things of such a passionate giver. The persons approached him for all material gains and none asked for food. After the end of the Pandavas, Yudhishthira the noble hero finds Karna in hell and Duryodhana in heaven. One of the reasons is that all the recipients from Duryodhana were fully satisfied and blessed him whereas all the recipients from Karna had aspired for more.

I would often recount this story at the residence of my good friend, Shivu. I would fondly call his residence as Shivu's mess. Food would be on offer at any time of day or night. Additional helpings would be downed and at the end of it he and his wife would not be satisfied. The remark would always be that you people do not eat. I know him for over about decades. There is no change in his aggressive hospitality. One of his most cherished and unfulfilled dreams to be a witness to me wiping a full lunch served by his wife clean of the plate and the servings be decided by him and his spouse. As I used to recount this story from Mahabharatha, he used to laugh merrily and say "Useless fellow, you call me Duryodhana". I used to pull a fast one saying Guilty conscience pricks the mind in Kannada "Kumblakayi kalla andhare heggulu mutti nodkondananthe". Over a period of time his daughters have also inherited these genes and ensure that all persons who visit their place are well fed.

In fact, he is one person who never has his food till he has fed at least one another person outside his family irrespective caste, creed, religion, age, gender or any other conceivable bar. The saying Athithi Devo Bhava meaning the guest is God is practiced by him in its true spirit. An association with this person teaches any "useless fellow" a number of things.