(81- 90) Serving the guest

விருந்தோம்பல்

VIRUNTHOMBAL

SERVING THE GUEST

INTRODUCTION

According to scriptures of the yore, ‘Guest should be served like a God’

‘ATITHI DEVO BHAVA’ – is the Dhaarmic dictum.

In those olden times, life was different. There were no buses, trains or planes. People had to walk through dangerous forests and cross many rivers to reach any destination. As ‘walking’ was the only means of transport they had to use, they could not carry much luggage also. And of course there were no hotels and lodges on the way. They were lucky if robbers hiding in the forests did not loot them. In such circumstances, they had no other go but to knock at a stranger’s door and beg for shelter.

Such sudden guests had to be treated well; so the Vedas proclaim.

So, ‘Guest worship’ became a Dhaarmic dictum to be followed by all.

But today the world is full of cheats, criminals, and robbers. Opening the door to a stranger, nay even a person of acquaintance is considered a risk.

Apart from that, if any guest who is good, honest, not deceitful (not just your relatives) arrives at the door, one must have at least the civilized manner to welcome him with a smile and attend to his needs, be he of any social status.

Shri Valluvar advises us in this section, as to how a guest should be treated.)

(81)

இருந்தோம்பி இல்வாழ்வ தெல்லாம் விருந்தோம்பி

வேளாண்மை செய்தற் பொருட்டு

IRUNDOMBI ILVAAZHVATHELLAAM VIRUNDOMBI

VELAANMAI SEYDAR PORUTTU

Living as a householder in a family-life,

 is to serve the guests and help them in all ways.

(Serving the guest is the primary duty of a householder (Grhastha).

 (82)

விருந்து புறத்ததாத் தானுண்டல் சாவா

மருந்தெனினும் வேண்டற்பாற்றன்று

VIRUNDU PURATTHATHAATH THAANUNDAL SAAVAA

MARUNDENINUM VENDRPAARRANRU

Keeping the guest outside,

if a householder consumes even nectar which gives immortality,

that is not the right conduct.

(No excuse is accepted for not serving a guest.

You may be busy in anything, eating food, or worshipping a deity or whatever; maybe even drinking nectar to make yourself immortal.

It does not matter! Stop whatever you are doing and attend to the guest who is standing outside the door. The more you make him wait, the more mortal lives you are going to get even if you have consumed nectar.

Guest is a God come to help you get merit. By serving him you will attain immortality without much effort.)

(83)

வருவிருந்து வைகலும் ஓம்புவான் வாழ்க்கை

பருவந்து பாழ்படுதல் இன்று

VARUVIRUNDU VAIKALUM OMBUVAAN VAAZHKAI

PARUVANDU PAAZHPADUTHAL INRU

Life never is ruined by meeting disasters,

for the householder who is happy by serving the guests every day.

(The merits of serving a guest are such that, no disasters or difficulties will ever touch your life.)

(84)

அகனமர்ந்து செய்யாள் உறையும் முகனமர்ந்து

நல்விருந்தோம்புவான் இல்

AGANAMARNDU SEYYAAL URAIYUM MUGANAMARNDU

NALVIRUNDOMBUDAVAAN IL

The Goddess of wealth will stay and live happily,

in a house where the householder serves the guest with a smile in his face.

(Lakshmi, the Goddess of wealth enters the house along with the guest. If she is pleased by your service to the guest, she will stay off permanently in your house; no need to do any ‘Lakshmi Poojaa’ separately for propitiating her!

Be careful; do not smile pretentiously; the Goddess can read you mind.

If you are annoyed with the guest and pretending to smile at him, then she will get annoyed herself and walk away from your house.)

(85)

வித்தும் இடல்வேண்டும் கொல்லோ விருந்தோம்பி

மிச்சில் மிசைவான் புலம்

VITTHUM IDALVENDUM KOLLO VIRUNDOMBI

MICCHIL MISAIVAAN PULAM

Does the field need the sowing of the seeds,

for a man who eats whatever is left over after serving the guest?

(If you wait on the guest humbly; serve food to his satisfaction; then eat whatever is left back, then that becomes the seed of your prosperity. Wealth will flow into your house without any effort from your side.)

(86)

செல்விருந்தோம்பி வருவிருந்து பார்த்திருப்பான்

 நல்விருந்து வானத்தவர்க்கு

SELVIRUNDOMBI VARUVIRUNDU PAARTTHIRUPPAAN

NALVIRUNDU VAANATTHAVARKU

Serving well the guest who is there;

and yet watches eagerly for the guest who will come,

such a householder becomes a guest for the gods who are in the heaven.

(‘Guest-worship’ is the primary duty of a householder. When he follows it as the principle of life, he gains the merits of many “sacrifices’ and ‘worships’.

If a householder, after serving one guest to his satisfaction still waits on the door-step for any other guest who might arrive; without finishing off the food in the house; will surely be welcomed in Indra’s heaven with all honors due to a Sage.)

  

(87)

இனைத்துணைத் தென்பதொன் றில்லை விருந்தின்

துணைத்துணை வேள்விப் பயன்

INAITTHUNAITH THENBATHONRILLAI VIRUNDIN

THUNAITTHUNAI VELVIPPAYAN

There is no measure of the merit of serving a guest.

The gain of the sacrifice namely ‘serving the guest’

equals the satisfaction felt by the guest.

(How much merit will you get?

It depends on the guest’s attitude.

Whatever be the difficulty, a guest should become fully satisfied with every part of your service and bless you with his whole heart. Then alone will your ‘Guest-worship’ will become fructified.)

(88)

பரிந்தோம்பிப் பற்றற்றேம் என்பர் விருந்தோம்பி

வேள்வி தலைப்படாதார்

PARINDOMBI PARRARREM ENBAR VIRUNDOMBI

VELVI THALAIPPADAADAAR

Those who do not perform the ‘Sacrifice’ of ‘serving the guests’,

guard their wealth only to lose it and

 will regret that they have no support of anything.

(‘Serving the guest and wasting the wealth?’ if such thoughts taint your mind and you do not welcome any guest and keep all your riches locked up, you will fail in your mission of protecting wealth. The sin of not serving a guest will push you into disasters sooner than ever and you will never ever be able to rise from your world of wretchedness; for you did not store the merit by serving the guest, when you could have. At the time of suffering you have no stored merit to support you.)

(89)

உடைமையுள் இன்மை விருந்தோம்பல் ஓம்பா

மடமை மடவார்கண் உண்டு

UDAIMAIYUL INMAI VIRUNDOMBAL OMBAA

MADAMAI MADAVAARKAN UNDU

Though possessing all wealth they are poor only

for they do not know to serve the guests.

They are truly foolish.

(Look at those wealthy men who close the doors on a guest. They do not know that their wealth is flowing off with the guest they threw away. How foolish they are!)

(90)

மோப்பக் குழையும் அனிச்சம் முகந்திரிந்து

நோக்கக் குழையும் விருந்து

MOPPAKKUZHAIYUM ANICCHAM MUGANTTHIRINTHU

NOKKAK KUZHAIYUM VIRUNDU

The flower ‘Aniccha’ withers only if smelt;

but the face of a guest withers even by a glance of annoyance.

(How should you conduct yourself before your guest?

Be very very careful not to hurt his mind in any way.

The flower called ‘Aniccha’ is so delicate that even if your breath touches it, it will fade off. But a guest’s mind is more delicate than that.

You may smile and utter false welcome words; but your eyes will betray your true feelings of annoyance. And by just a glance from you, the guest feels offended and may not fully accept your hospitality at all. If you leave him dissatisfied, you will gain de-merit only, even after the grand show of your ‘guest-worship’.)