Atithi means

Expressions researched:
"Atithi means"

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

Atithi means guest without invitation. This is the Vedic culture, that these men should be well received. Guru means spiritual master; agni, fire; atithi... Atithi. Atithi means without any fixed-up invitation if somebody comes at your place.

Lecture on SB 6.1.55 -- Paris, August 11, 1975:

Now, these Yamadūtas explained about the past life of Ajāmila. His past life is described in this way, ayaṁ hi śruta-sampannaḥ: "This man, Ajāmila, was formerly, was a very learned scholar, brāhmaṇa." Śruta. Śruta means Vedic knowledge, and sampannaḥ means accomplished. So ayaṁ hi śruta-sampannaḥ śīla-vṛtta-guṇālayaḥ. "And very well behaved, properly situated in his position," dhṛta-vrata, "and avowedly following the regulative principles." So he was learned, he was well-behaved, and he was avowedly, strictly following the regulative principles. Mṛduḥ. Mṛdu means very gentle. Dāntaḥ: he had control over his senses. Satya-vāṅ: he was very truthful. Mantra vit śuciḥ: and he knew all the Vedic mantras and he was very clean. Then gurv-agny-atithi-vṛddhānām. Guru, spiritual master; agni, sacrificial fire; vṛddhā, aged person; and atithi... Atithi means guest without invitation. This is the Vedic culture, that these men should be well received. Guru means spiritual master; agni, fire; atithi... Atithi. Atithi means without any fixed-up invitation if somebody comes at your place. And old men, they should be respectful. Not very long ago, when we were young men, say thirty years old, that time we have seen that a young man would not smoke before an old man. This was the etiquette. Now they have all forgotten this cultural civilization. They have no respect for old men

Atithi means uninvited guest, hospitality. If somebody comes at your home without your invitation, he is called atithi.

Lecture on SB 6.1.56-57 -- Bombay, August 14, 1975:

So this Ajāmila became śuci, brāhmaṇa. Then guru, agni. Guru, the spiritual master; agni, the fire; and atithi. Atithi means uninvited guest, hospitality. If somebody comes at your home without your invitation, he is called atithi. Tithi means particular time and date. But a person arrives at your home without any invitation on particular time and date, he is called atithi. Atithi-satkāra. This is also one of the items of Vedic culture. Atithi-satkāra. So the sannyāsīs especially, they are begging from door to door. So they have no fixed up program in which door he will go on which date. No. Anywhere they approach. Therefore atithi means generally the brahmacārī and the sannyāsa. Brahmacārī is also begging alms from door to door, and a sannyāsī also allowed, but door to door does not mean that he would collect more than is necessity. But he does not cook. A sannyāsī goes to a pure householder's life, er, home, because generally in a brāhmaṇa's house or kṣatriya or vaiśya... But not to a śūdra. This is restriction. Why? Because the three upper classes, brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, especially the brāhmaṇa—they are considered the topmost—they have got Viṣṇu worship at home. Still in all brāhmaṇa's family, ancestral śālagrāma-śilā is worshiped in a brāhmaṇa family. So also in kṣatriya family also. So these sannyāsīs go to a brāhmaṇa family because it is known fact the brāhmaṇas are engaged in worshiping Viṣṇu.

1972 Conversations and Morning Walks

Atithi means guest without any information. That is called atithi. Tithi means date. So if I go to your house, I inform you that "Such and such date I am coming there." But atithi, he does not inform you, all of a sudden comes. So you should have to receive him. That is called atithi.

Room Conversations -- April 22, 1972, Japan:

Sudāmā: So we should take the Deity prasādam and our prasādam and go to all the houses?

Prabhupāda: No no. You invite them, that "Anyone, you are welcome. Take prasādam." We can announce. Then you can judge how many people are coming daily. You should announce that "Anyone can come and take prasādam at noon." It is the duty of a gṛhastha to loudly cry, "If anyone is hungry, please come. We have got still food." That is the duty of a gṛhastha. If one does not come, then the chief of the house, he takes prasāda. If somebody says, "I am hungry," so he should offer his own food. "You eat." This is duty of gṛhastha. Bhuñjate te tv aghaṁ pāpā ye pacanti. Those who are cooking for themselves, they are simply eating sinful things. That's all. Bhuñjate te tv aghaṁ pāpā ye pacanty ātma-kāraṇāt (BG 3.13). So hospitality is one of the duties of the householder. Atithi. Atithi means guest without any information. That is called atithi. Tithi means date. So if I go to your house, I inform you that "Such and such date I am coming there." But atithi, he does not inform you, all of a sudden comes. So you should have to receive him. That is called atithi. Pāntha. People are moving... Formerly, if some of the walkers in the street, suppose he has become hungry, so he enters anyone's house. So "I am hungry sir. Give me something to eat." He'll immediately, "Take." Pāntha-bhāga. There is a stock of foodstuff which is called pāntha-bhāga. If somebody comes all of a sudden, he should take.