________________
188
STUDIES IN THE BHAGAWATI SUTRA
[Ch. IV
appear
as the members of the retinues of the Brahmani, Devananda1 and the queen, Mrgavati respectively.
These servants, maids and female slaves formed thus the part of the contingent of the palace-staff in the royal household or they were employed in the service of the rich aristocratic families or in the houses of the well-to-do merchants, as it is revealed in the BhS and corroborated by the evidences of Panini," the Arthaśāstra® and the Kama Sutra of Vätsyāyana."
Guests
Hospitality to both the invited and uninvited guests and ascetics was the most important feature of the family life as depicted in the BhS. It was regarded as the cardinal virtue of a householder to entertain and honour the guests with various kinds of food, drink and other presents in order to earn the spiritual merit (punya) out of a good action.8
This text presents a vivid picture of the custom of welcoming, entertaining and honouring the guests and ascetics by the householders with great warmth of heart and modesty on their arrival at the houses of the hosts."
A discussion on this topic of the manner of welcoming guests will be made later on in connection with the subject 'Hospitality to guests' as revealed in the BhS. Here it may be stated in short that a distinguished guest like a king1o or noblell or friend-kinsman-relative or a co-religionist 18 or a monk was highly honoured with proper decorum and devotion.
a
1 BhS, 9, 33, 382.
2 Ib, 12, 2, 441.
9.4 Ib, 9, 33, 382; 9, 33, 383; 11, 11, 430.
5 Refer to India as known to Panini' by Dr. V. S. Agrawala, p. 97-8. Panini III, 2, 21, (Kimkara). See Ganapatha (II, 2, 9 & VI, 2, 151, Yajakadi group, IV, 4, 48; IV, 1, 146; VII, 3, 4; IV, 4, 17; VI, 3, 60.
6 Arthasastra 43, Ch. XI, p. 41.
7 Kamasutra, See Haran Chakladar's studies in Kamasutra. 8 BhS, 8, 6, 332. 9 Ib, 15, 1, 541
10.11 Ib, 9, 33, 385; 11, 9, 417; 11, 11, 429; 13, 6, 491. 12 Ib, 3, 1, 134; 9, 33, 385; 11, 9, 417; 18 Ib, 12, 1, 438.
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11, 11, 429; 13, 6, 491. 14 76, 15, 1, 541, 557.
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