Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 26
ततः स भोजनं चक्रे क्षुधार्तश्च पपौ जलम् । भयं त्यक्त्वा सुविश्रब्धः प्रेतराजस्य शासनात्
tataḥ sa bhojanaṃ cakre kṣudhārtaśca papau jalam | bhayaṃ tyaktvā suviśrabdhaḥ pretarājasya śāsanāt
Dann bereitete er die Speise, und vom Hunger gequält trank er Wasser. Die Furcht abwerfend wurde er ruhig und vertrauend, kraft des Gebots des Preta-Königs.
Narrator (contextual Purāṇic narration within Nāgara-khaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya)
Type: kshetra
Scene: The traveler cooks and eats, then drinks water with relief; his tense posture softens into calm as the preta-king’s command guarantees safety; the eerie court recedes into quiet order.
FAQs
Dharma performed with trust (even amid fear) restores steadiness and opens the way for auspicious outcomes.
Not specified in this verse; it continues the episode that supports the tīrtha-māhātmya teaching.
Practical atithi-sevā: preparing food and providing water, done without fear and with composure.