atithi satkar seva vrat bhartiya sanskriti ka param kalyankari vrat hai jiske anupalan se svarg lok to kya virat virateshvar puran purushottam bhagvan ke advitiya param dham ko prapt karna bhi sanbhav hai. maharaj rantidev ne atithi seva ke dvara paramapad ka labh paya tha. shastron men varnit hai. matri devo bhav ! pitri devo bhav ! atithi devo bhav ! acharya devo bhav ! atithi bhagvan ka svarup hai. isilie kaha bhi gaya hai- na jane kis bhesh men mil jae bhagvan. manav matra ko apne jivan men is atithi seva vrat ka avashya hi palan karna chahie. dvar par ae hue pratyek jiv ki anna-jala-patra pushpadi se seva karna prani matra ka kartavya hai. adhik sanbhav n ho sake to vani ke hi dvara atithi ka samman karen. kaha bhi hai: aisi vani bolie, man ka apa khoy. auran ko shital kare, aphu shital hoy.. vani ek amol hai, jo koi bole bol. hie taraju taul ke, tab mukh bahir khol..
vani ke dvara atithi satkar karke bhi shraddha ka patra bana ja sakta hai. vani satkar ke dvara param labh aur vani ki katuta se param hani ko prapt kiya ja sakta hai. devarshi narad ne vani ke dvara hi bhakti devi ko shri vrindavan dham men santvana pradan kar uske kashton ko bhi dur kiya. asatya bhashan ke karan satyanarayan vrat katha ke patra sadhu namak vanik ko dandi veshdhari bhagvan satyanarayan ke shap ka bhajan hona para tatha vani se unki stuti karne par vardan bhi mila. yah ek aisa vrat hai, jise manushya kisi bhi kshan apnakar atmik labh prapt karta hua param prabhu ka priya ban sakta hai. jivmatra men sarvavyapi parmatma sthit hai. isilie kaha hai- ishvar ansh jiv avinashi, chetan amal sahaj sukh rashi. pashu-pakshi bhi atithi seva vrat ka palan karte hain, to ham manav hokar bhi yadi is vrat ka palan n karen, to dhikkar hai us manav jivan ko. manav rup lekar jagat men padarpan to hua parantu atithi seva bin manav kahlane ke yogya bhi nahin rahe.
yahan mahabharat men varnit ek kabutar ke atithi satkar seva vrat ka akhyan prastut hai, jismen us kabutar ne atithi ke bhojan ke lie agni men apni hi ahuti de di. kisi bare jangal men dusht svabhav vala ek baheliya rahta tha. vah pratidin jal lekar van men jata aur parivar ke palan poshan ke lie pakshiyon ko marakar unhen bajar men bech diya karta tha. uske is bhayanak tatha krur karm ke karan uske mitron tatha sanbandhiyon ne uska parityag kar diya tha, kintu us murh ko anya koi karm achcha hi nahin lagta tha. ek din vah bhayanak van men ghum raha tha, tabhi bahut jor ki andhi ke sath-sath musladhar varsha hone lagi. andhi aur varsha ke pralykari prakop se sare vanvasi jiv trast ho uthe. sardi se thithurte aur idhr-udhar bhatkte hue bahelie ne shit se pirit tatha prithvi par pari hui ek kabutri ko dekha aur use uthakar apne pinjre men band kar liya.
charon or ghane andhkar ke karan baheliya ek saghan vriksh ke niche patton ka bichauna kar so gaya. usi vriksh par ek kabutar nivas karta tha, jo achanak ai vipatti ke samay men dana chugne gai aur abhi tak vapas n lauti apni pran priya kabutri ke lie vilap kar raha tha. uska karun krandan sunakar pinjre men band kabutri ne use dvar par ae hue bahelie ke atithya satkar ki salah dete hue kaha ki ‘he pran-praneshvar ! main apke atmakalyan ki, atmonnati ki bat bata rahi hun, use sunakar ap vaisa hi kijie. is samay vishesh prayas karke ek sharnagat prani ki apko raksha karni hai. yah vyadh apke grih-dvar par akar thand aur bhukh se behal hokar so raha hai, ap iski seva kijie, meri chinta mat kijie.’ shastra kahta hai- ‘‘seva hi parmo dharmah’’. seva hi param dharm hai. seva ke dvara man-pratishtha-vaibhav ki prapti to hoti hi hai, avinashi brahm ke golokdham ki prapti bhi sahaj men hi ho jati hai.
patni ki dharmanukul baten sunakar kabutar ne samathryanusar vidhipurvak bahelie ka satkar kiya aur usse kaha- ‘ap hamare atithi hain, bataie main apki kya seva karun?’ bahelie ne kabutar se kaha-‘is samay mujhe sardi ke karan atyadhik kasht hai, atah ho sake to is duahsah thand se mujhe bachane ka koi upay kijie.’ kabutar ne shighra hi bahut se sukhe patte lakar bahelie ke pas ekatrit kar die aur yathashighra kumhar ke ghar se jalti lakri ko chonch men dabakar lakar patton ko prajvalit kar diya. ag tapakar bahelie ki shitpira shant ho gai. tab usne kabutar se kaha-‘mujhe ab bhukh sata rahi hai. mujhe bhojan ki ichcha hai; atah kuch bhakshaniya padarth ki vyavastha kijie.’ yah sunakar kabutar udas hokar chinta karne laga. thori der vichar karte hue usne sukhe patton men punah ag lagai aur harshit hokar kahne laga - ‘mainne rishiyon, maharshiyon, tapasviyon, devtaon, pitron aur mahanubhavon ke mukh se suna hai ki atithi ki seva-puja karna mahan dharm hota hai, atah ap mujhe hi bhojan rup men svikar karne ki kripa kijie.’
itna kahakar tin bar agni ki pradakshina karke vah kabutar ag men kud para. mahatma kabutar ne deh-dan dvara atithi satkar seva vrat ka aisa jvalant evan ujjval adarsh prastut kiya ki vyadh ne usi din se apna nindit karm sada-sada ke lie chor diya. kabutar tatha kabutri donon ko atithya dharm ke palan se uttam lok prapt hua. divya rup dharan kar shreshth viman par baithakar vah pakshi apni pran priya sahit svargalok ko chala gaya aur apne satkarm ke karan pujit ho vahan anand purvak rahne laga. tatah svargan gatah pakshi vimanavar masthitah. karmana pujitastatra reme s sah bharyaya.. atah isse siddh hota hai ki atithi satkar seva vrat mahapunyadayi vrat hai. ek pakshi hokar vipannavastha men hi atithi seva ke dvara svarg prapt kar sakta hai to sarva samarth sanpurn bhavon, sadhnon se yukt hokar manav bhi atithi seva vrat ke dvara uttamottam gati ko avashya hi prapt kar sakta hai. bharya ki suvicharna hi pati ko dharm men prerit karne men sahyogi hai, atah vishesh sankat men bhi patni ko pati ka margadarshan karna hi shreyashkar hai, tabhi to dharm patni ki sarthakata pramanit hai. svayan maharaj jarasandh ka atithi satkar seva vrat jagat men prashansniya hai. ap bhi apne jivan ko alokit karne ke lie atithi satkar seva vrat ka palan karen aur chairasi lakh yoniyon men sarvashreshth manav yoni ko krit-kritya karen. yahi jiv ke jivan ka param labh hai.