Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 95
स्वयं वस्तुमशक्तोपि वासयेत्तीर्थवासिनम् । अप्येकमपि मूल्येन स वस्तुःफलभाग्ध्रुवम्
svayaṃ vastumaśaktopi vāsayettīrthavāsinam | apyekamapi mūlyena sa vastuḥphalabhāgdhruvam
Même si l’on ne peut y demeurer soi-même, qu’on loge le pèlerin qui réside au tīrtha ; fût-ce au prix d’un seul bien, on reçoit sûrement la part du fruit de ce séjour sacré.
Skanda (deduced: instructional tone within Kāśī-māhātmya discourse)
Tirtha: Kāśī (via tīrtha-vāsin-sevā)
Type: kshetra
Listener: Householders unable to undertake full kṣetra-vāsa
Scene: A householder offers a simple room, water, and food to a weary Kāśī pilgrim; the pilgrim’s aura subtly shows the Gaṅgā and Viśvanātha, indicating the host receives the fruit of tīrtha-vāsa.
FAQs
Supporting pilgrims through hospitality allows one to partake in tīrtha-merit even without personally residing there.
The teaching is given in the Kāśī context, applying to Kāśī as the exemplary tīrtha.
Atithi-sevā: lodging/hosting a tīrtha-vāsin (pilgrim/resident of the sacred place), even at personal cost.