81. The Unexpected Guest

Prelude

This story has been constructed using the characters in the epic Mahabharata. As per the story narrated in the epic, the Pandavas (the five brothers, Yudhishtira, Bhima, Arjuna, Nakula and Sahadeva) were banished to the woods by their cousins (100 brothers called Kauravas, Duryodhana being the eldest), after the Pandavas lost their kingdom to the Kauravas, in a game of gambling. The Pandavas, with their wife Draupati (Draupati was married to all the five brothers) were residing in the woods for 12 years (after which they were required to live incognito for one year, as per the terms set by the Kauravas, for the Pandavas to redeem their kingdom.) 

Yudhishtira, the eldest of the Pandavas, obtained a divine vessel called Akshya Patra - meaning a vessel of abundance - by praying to the Sun God. This vessel would always be filled with food, getting automatically replenished, whenever food is taken out of it, until the time it is cleaned with water after consuming the food for the day. The next day, the Akshaya Patra would be filled with food again. 

(These details will help those not familiar with the Mahabharata, understand in this story.) 

The Unexpected Guest

After welcoming the sages who visited them at their abode in the woods and extending their hospitality to them by providing them food, the Pandavas sat down to eat. 

"Draupati, what is the menu today?" asked Bhima, smiling.

"We can eat only what the Akshya Patra gives us!" said Yudhishtita.

Draupati served food to the five Pandavas from the Akshya Patra.

"If the Sun God had not blessed us with this Akshaya Patra, could we have survived our life in the woods?" asked Nakula.

"We would have been able to survive alright, but we wouldn't have been able to extend our hospitality to the sages and others who visit us, out of their goodwill towards us" said Arjuna.

"It's true. This vessel of abundance was given to us by the Sun God, accepting the appeal made to him by Yudhishtira, on the advice of sage Daumaya. We should thank Sage Daumya for this" said Draupati.

"But the problem is, once we clean the vessel, we won't get any food from the vessel for the rest of the day. That's why we were caught unawares when Sage Durvasa visited us with his disciples, after Draupati had cleaned the vessel. We were on the verge of being cursed by him!" said Bhima.

"On that occasion, we were saved by the grace of Krishna" said Arjuna.

"Sahadeva! Why are you silent?" asked Yudhishtira, addressing his youngest brother.

"Brother! Though we are living in the woods, we are not following 'Vanaprasta*,' but 'Grahastasrama,' the life of a family man, don't we?" asked Sahadeva.

"Yes, we do" replied Yudhishtira.

"What are our important duties during Grahastasrama?"

"Extending hospitality to the guests."

"Have we been doing this?"

"Why do you ask this question? Every day, several sages and people living in the woods visit us. Have we not been extending our hospitality to them, by offering them food and water?" asked Arjuna, showing his irritation.

"Be patient, Arjuna! I understand what Sahadeva is thinking? Let him say what he wants to" said Yudhishtira.

 

"You want me to reveal what you have in your mind, elder brother! I will. It is true that we have been extending our hospitality to the people who visit us. But, we feed them using the Akshaya Patra. So, what is our contribution to this? What is our effort?"

"Are you suggesting that we should throw away the Akshaya Patra?" asked Bhima, sarcastically.

Yudhishtira began to reflect on what his brother had said.

"Please have your food soon. I will then have my food and clean the Akshya Patra" said Draupati.

"What are we going to do, if we are visited by a guest, just as Sage Durvasa did, the other day?" asked Sahadeva.

"Sahadeva is implying that if such an event happens and if we are able to feed the guest, only then it would be real hospitality!" said Yudhishtira, with a smile.

The other three Pandavas looked at Sahadeva, with amazement and perplexity.

The eventuality contemplated by Sahadeva, became real one day.

A short while after Draupati cleaned the Akshya Patra after every one had had their food, a sage visited them.

From the statement of the sage that he arrived there after traveling a long distance and from his tired looks, the Pandavas were able to infer that it was several hours or even days, since the sage had eaten anything. 

"What are we going to do now? Will Krishna come to our help, as he did the other day? Perhaps, Arjuna or Draupati can send him a message through their minds!" said Bhima, in lighter vein.

"The day Sage Durvasa came, there was a small particle of food sticking to the bottom of the Akshaya Patra. When Krishna ate that particle and felt satiated, the Sage and his disciples also felt satiated, because of the divine power of Krishna. But from that day, whenever I clean the vessel, I have been taking extra care to see that no food particle sticks to the bottom of the Akshaya Patra. So, even if Krishna were to come today, he may not be able to help us!" said Draupati

"We can't expect that Krishna will come to our help every time. This time, Bhima can help us!" said Sahadeva.

"Yes, Bhima. You alone have the strength and alacrity to gather food fast. Get some edible fruits and vegetables from the trees in the woods and bring them. We will offer them as food to the sage. In the meanwhile, we will welcome him, facilitate his taking a bath and make him comfortable. You should return, before he gets ready to eat" said Yudhishtira.

"Will it be appropriate to offer fruits and vegetables as food to the sage? He could have obtained them from the trees, himself!" said Arjuna.

"People visit us expecting our hospitality not because they are unable to get anything to eat. They come here out of their affection for us. Hospitality means offering what we have to the guest. If a wealthy person comes to a poor man's house, the poor man can offer only what is available with him to the wealthy man! 

"**When Rama came to Sabari's cottage in the woods, she offered him only fruits and meat. She even tasted them to check whether they tasted good before offering them to Rama. Didn't Rama gracefully accept the food contaminated by her saliva?" asked Yudhishtira.

"But, what if the sage is not satisfied with the fruits we offer him and get angry with us?" asked Draupati.

"Fortunately, this sage is no Durvasa!" said Sahadevan, smiling.

Draupati cut the fruits and vegetables brought by Bhima into small pieces, placed them on a large leaf and served them to the sage.

After having his food, the sage took leave of him.

Yudhishtira told the sage apologetically, "Respected sage! We couldn't serve you cooked food. That's why we served you fruits and vegetables. Please bear with us!"

"Yudhishtira! I have taken a vow that I won't eat cooked food. I have been taking only vegetables and fruits. A guest should not ask his host to serve him a particular kind of food. That's why I refrained from asking you to serve me fruits and vegetables. If you had offered me cooked food, I would have accepted it symbolically, by sprinkling a few drops of holy water on it, and then offered it to birds and animals. Though my hunger wouldn't have satiated, I would have been gratified by your hospitality. But you might have felt disappointed that I didn't consume the food offered by you. By God's grace, you offered me the food I could consume. You have not only satiated my hunger but also made me feel satisfied. You have also got the satisfaction of extending your hospitality to me!"

The sage blessed the Pandavas and Draupati and took leave of them.

* The Hindu way of life prescribes four stages of living for a man - Brahmacharya, the life of celibacy, Grahastasrama, family life or married life, Vanaprasta, retiring to the woods with the spouse after completing one's duties to his family and Sanyasa. a life of renunciation.

** An incident from the epic Ramayana.

Thirukkural
Section 1
The Path of Virtue

Chapter 81
Hospitality

Verse 81 (In Tamil)

irundhOmbi ilvAzhvadhellAm virundhOmbi
vELANmai seythaR poruttu.

Meaning:

The purpose of nurturing wealth and leading a family life,

is to be able to be hospitable to guests.

(This is the English version of the Tamil story 'edhirpArAdha virundhALi' by the same author)

Verse 82
Verse 80