[Originally written 20 October 2014 ]
Who really is अतिथि? Do we really take care of them? If not, how do you say you are on the path of self-realization? 
Can you really take care of अतिथि without performing कर्म? And when you are performing कर्म, would you don’t mind performing them with perfection so that remain no attachment, no error and not krmic debt? So prescribed कर्म काण्ड i.e. rituals. So Gurukul initiation in early age i.e. to prepare you and me for life ahead.
Can you really take care of अतिथि without performing कर्म? And when you are performing कर्म, would you don’t mind performing them with perfection so that remain no attachment, no error and not krmic debt? So prescribed कर्म काण्ड i.e. rituals. So Gurukul initiation in early age i.e. to prepare you and me for life ahead.अतिथि is very important word. अतिथि देवो भवः as तैत्तिरीयोपनिषद teaches. अतिथि (s) are deva(s).
संस्कृत धातु अत् से बना है यह शब्द । अत् में इथिन् प्रत्यय लगने से हुआ अतिथि। अत् का मतलब होता है घूमना, फिरना, चक्कर लगाना आदि। अतिथि means fellow traveler. अत् धातु में निहित लगातार गमनशील रहना है। जिसके जीवन का उद्देश्य ही चरैवेति-चरैवेति हो यानि चलते रहो, रुको मत. It is different thing that we now consider expected Guest/Relative/friends as अतिथि. For them we have words like आगंतुक, अभ्यागत या मेहमान.
यस्य न ज्ञायते नाम न च गोत्रं न च स्थितिः ।
अकस्माद् गृहमायातः सो$तिथिः प्रोच्यते वुधैः ॥
Those whose name, lineage, state (status) are not known and they enter our homes by mere accident, are called अतिथि .
If we consider our body as a home, every breath we take, sip of water we intake or food we swallow, they all are अतिथि. They come from Panch-mahabhut. They have Prana Shakti. They are living entities but we do not their नाम, गोत्र , स्थिति. They are on the verse of becoming part of our body by mere accident. We cannot control, which food atom will become part of body or pass through and again become part of Mother Nature.
They all are अतिथि. Food is अतिथि. Water is अतिथि. Air we intake is अतिथि. Bacteria that knocks at our skin and GUT, are अतिथि. We must respect them. We must welcome them as Deva (They have potential to stay in our body in Daivik plane (आधिदैविक)). We must take care of them as God.
The way we treat अतिथि on आधिदैविक plane, we must respect and treat fellow unknown traveler on भौतिक plane (this material life) when they knock at our doors. Not all are fortunate to receive travelers at home. When you get an opportunity, take very well care of travelers.
All accidental intuitions/thoughts/perceptions about dharma are अतिथि of मनोमय शरीर.
