Nachiketa’s father, as a part of the sacrifice he was performing, gave cows which were incapable of producing calves as holy gifts to the priests. Nachiketa thought it was a sin to give such unfit sacrificial charities. So he went on asking his father repeatedly, “Whom do you intend to give me?” The father replied in anger, “I shall give you to Death”. Nachiketa went to the abode of Yama by virtue of the power of words uttered by his father. As Yama was away he waited for three nights unreceived and unfed. After Yama returned he said to Nachiketa, “You have stayed in my house for three nights without food. I offer you salutations, O brahmin, seek three boons from me”.
Other authorities:
Taittiriya: ‘He who gives me (as food) protects me. I consume him who without giving me (to those who need me) himself eats me as food. Food burns even more than fire does’.
Bodhayana: ‘He who eats me wholly without first offering to forefathers and gods, to servants and guests and to friends, actually eats poison. I consume him. I am his killer, his death. Whoever, after propitiating the sacred fire at home, after offering food to all gods, servants, guests and relatives, eats with faith in me the rest (of the food), satisfied, and pure at heart; to him I am nectar. He eats me’.
Apastamba: ‘A master must not send away guests. If there is no food to offer, there is no dearth of floor, water, pleasing words.
There is also a Brahmana cited by Apastamba which says, ‘A householder performs the Prajapatya sacrifice, continuing throughout. The fire (food) offered to guests is the Ahavaniya. The fire (food) meant for the family is Garhapatya. The fire on which food is digested is Anvaharya. The strength and nourishment (resulting from the food offered), progeny, and cattle are the religious and secular meritorious deeds. All of them he consumes if he eats before offering to the guests. (When on the other hand he offers food to a guest) Milk is the upasechana (liquid to be poured over an offering). Food is like agnishtoma (a sacrifice performed for attaining heaven). The clarified butter (ghee) is like uktha (verses recited at the time of offering). Madhu serves as atiratra (a commencing or concluding act of a sacrifice). Meat is like dwadashaha (a sacrifice lasting twelve days). Water (offered to guest) adds to progeny and lifespan. Guests, whether dear or not, (if welcomed) clear the passage to heaven. So it is understood. Whatever he offers at morning, midday and evening acts like savanas (the act of pressing out the soma juice performed at the three periods of the day or any sacrificial libations offered at the three periods). Whatever he does to attend upon the guest is like udavasa (the act of going away after performing a sacrifice). Whatever he speaks in a kindly and affectionate manner is like dakshina (religious gift) and hymns. Whatever he accomplishes is the Visnukramas (three steps taken by a sacrificer between the Vedi and the Ahavaniya fire). The act of standing by the side is like avabhrita (purification or ablution of the host and the sacrificial vessels after a sacrifice). Such is the brahmana’.
Manu: ‘Having performed the balikarma (an offering of portions of food such as grain, rice &c., to certain gods, semi-divine beings, household divinities, spirits, manes, birds, other animals and all creatures including even lifeless objects; it is made before the daily meal by arranging portions of food in a circle or by throwing them into the air outside the house or into the sacred fire) a householder should first offer food to the guest. The merit that he acquires by satisfying a brahmin is similar with merit one acquires by offering oblations to fire according to the rites. If a guest goes unfed he gives his evil deeds to the householder taking away the latter’s merit with him. The householder may be subsisting on shilonchha (gathering grains fallen in the fields) or may be maintaining the vow of worshipping five fires. A brahmin sent away from home without worship takes all his merit so acquired’.
Ashvamedhika- Those who with a desire to acquire merit and wealth perform pakayajnya and mahayajnya or somayajnyas, fail to acquire the fruits of whatever sacrifices tshey perform or whatever charities they give if they fail to worship guests. The shattered hope of the guest shatters that all. He who does not welcome a guest becomes, without fail, a chandala. He should not himself eat that which he has not offered to the guest.
Shatatapa: ‘A householder does not reach his spiritual destinations by Vedic studies, agnihotra or sacrifices as certainly as he does by worshipping guests’.
Anushasanika: ‘The learned say that whatever the householder gains through performing a hundred sacrifices cannot match with the good wishes of a guest who is properly worshipped’.
Aranyakaparvan- (the dialogue between Tarkshya and Sarasvati) ‘What is more satisfying to a good brahmin than eating what is left over, after giving food to guests, spirits and manes? Nothing is tastier than that. It is just a little less than performing hundred sacrifices. A brahmin acquires merit of giving in charity as many thousands of cows as he eats the morsels everyday, after offering food to guests. O best of the Bharatas! The merit acquired by washing the feet of brahmin guests is equal to that which he may acquire by offering a cow of tawny colour in charity during pushkara (a night of the new moon falling on a Monday, Tuesday or Saturday) in the month of Jyeshtha. The ancestors get to drink as much water with a lotus-petal as it wets the earth after washing the feet of brahmins. Salutations (offered to the guest) satisfy fires. Offering seat (to him) propitiates Indra. Washing (his) feet gratifies ancestors while proper food (offered to him) satisfies Prajapati’.
Feeding the guest 1.65.1-6
Nachiketa’s father, as a part of the sacrifice he was performing, gave cows which were incapable of producing calves as holy gifts to the priests. Nachiketa thought it was a sin to give such unfit sacrificial charities. So he went on asking his father repeatedly, “Whom do you intend to give me?” The father replied in anger, “I shall give you to Death”. Nachiketa went to the abode of Yama by virtue of the power of words uttered by his father. As Yama was away he waited for three nights unreceived and unfed. After Yama returned he said to Nachiketa, “You have stayed in my house for three nights without food. I offer you salutations, O brahmin, seek three boons from me”.
Other authorities:
Taittiriya: ‘He who gives me (as food) protects me. I consume him who without giving me (to those who need me) himself eats me as food. Food burns even more than fire does’.
Bodhayana: ‘He who eats me wholly without first offering to forefathers and gods, to servants and guests and to friends, actually eats poison. I consume him. I am his killer, his death. Whoever, after propitiating the sacred fire at home, after offering food to all gods, servants, guests and relatives, eats with faith in me the rest (of the food), satisfied, and pure at heart; to him I am nectar. He eats me’.
Apastamba: ‘A master must not send away guests. If there is no food to offer, there is no dearth of floor, water, pleasing words.
There is also a Brahmana cited by Apastamba which says, ‘A householder performs the Prajapatya sacrifice, continuing throughout. The fire (food) offered to guests is the Ahavaniya. The fire (food) meant for the family is Garhapatya. The fire on which food is digested is Anvaharya. The strength and nourishment (resulting from the food offered), progeny, and cattle are the religious and secular meritorious deeds. All of them he consumes if he eats before offering to the guests. (When on the other hand he offers food to a guest) Milk is the upasechana (liquid to be poured over an offering). Food is like agnishtoma (a sacrifice performed for attaining heaven). The clarified butter (ghee) is like uktha (verses recited at the time of offering). Madhu serves as atiratra (a commencing or concluding act of a sacrifice). Meat is like dwadashaha (a sacrifice lasting twelve days). Water (offered to guest) adds to progeny and lifespan. Guests, whether dear or not, (if welcomed) clear the passage to heaven. So it is understood. Whatever he offers at morning, midday and evening acts like savanas (the act of pressing out the soma juice performed at the three periods of the day or any sacrificial libations offered at the three periods). Whatever he does to attend upon the guest is like udavasa (the act of going away after performing a sacrifice). Whatever he speaks in a kindly and affectionate manner is like dakshina (religious gift) and hymns. Whatever he accomplishes is the Visnukramas (three steps taken by a sacrificer between the Vedi and the Ahavaniya fire). The act of standing by the side is like avabhrita (purification or ablution of the host and the sacrificial vessels after a sacrifice). Such is the brahmana’.
Manu: ‘Having performed the balikarma (an offering of portions of food such as grain, rice &c., to certain gods, semi-divine beings, household divinities, spirits, manes, birds, other animals and all creatures including even lifeless objects; it is made before the daily meal by arranging portions of food in a circle or by throwing them into the air outside the house or into the sacred fire) a householder should first offer food to the guest. The merit that he acquires by satisfying a brahmin is similar with merit one acquires by offering oblations to fire according to the rites. If a guest goes unfed he gives his evil deeds to the householder taking away the latter’s merit with him. The householder may be subsisting on shilonchha (gathering grains fallen in the fields) or may be maintaining the vow of worshipping five fires. A brahmin sent away from home without worship takes all his merit so acquired’.
Ashvamedhika- Those who with a desire to acquire merit and wealth perform pakayajnya and mahayajnya or somayajnyas, fail to acquire the fruits of whatever sacrifices tshey perform or whatever charities they give if they fail to worship guests. The shattered hope of the guest shatters that all. He who does not welcome a guest becomes, without fail, a chandala. He should not himself eat that which he has not offered to the guest.
Shatatapa: ‘A householder does not reach his spiritual destinations by Vedic studies, agnihotra or sacrifices as certainly as he does by worshipping guests’.
Anushasanika: ‘The learned say that whatever the householder gains through performing a hundred sacrifices cannot match with the good wishes of a guest who is properly worshipped’.
Aranyakaparvan- (the dialogue between Tarkshya and Sarasvati) ‘What is more satisfying to a good brahmin than eating what is left over, after giving food to guests, spirits and manes? Nothing is tastier than that. It is just a little less than performing hundred sacrifices. A brahmin acquires merit of giving in charity as many thousands of cows as he eats the morsels everyday, after offering food to guests. O best of the Bharatas! The merit acquired by washing the feet of brahmin guests is equal to that which he may acquire by offering a cow of tawny colour in charity during pushkara (a night of the new moon falling on a Monday, Tuesday or Saturday) in the month of Jyeshtha. The ancestors get to drink as much water with a lotus-petal as it wets the earth after washing the feet of brahmins. Salutations (offered to the guest) satisfy fires. Offering seat (to him) propitiates Indra. Washing (his) feet gratifies ancestors while proper food (offered to him) satisfies Prajapati’.