Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 121
ततःप्रभृति संजाता पूजा चातिथिसंभवा । तस्मात्सर्वप्रयत्नेन पूजा कार्याऽतिथेः सदा । यज्ञे पूरुषयज्ञस्य न चैकस्य कथंचन
tataḥprabhṛti saṃjātā pūjā cātithisaṃbhavā | tasmātsarvaprayatnena pūjā kāryā'titheḥ sadā | yajñe pūruṣayajñasya na caikasya kathaṃcana
Dès lors, le culte (pūjā) naquit en lien avec l’honneur rendu à l’hôte (Atithi). C’est pourquoi, avec tout effort, il faut toujours accomplir la pūjā envers l’hôte—au sein du sacrifice, comme part du « pūruṣa-yajña », sans jamais la négliger en aucune circonstance.
Narrator (instructional conclusion drawn from the preceding divine assent)
Scene: A householder offers arghya and food to a radiant guest-sage; behind them a subtle yajña-fire motif suggests ‘manuṣya-yajña’.
FAQs
Hospitality is sacred: honoring the guest is itself a yajña and must never be omitted.
The verse establishes the dharma principle; the chapter’s tīrtha focus follows with Atithi’s own sacred ford in Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra.
Always perform atithi-pūjā; treat it as an essential component of yajña (pūruṣa-yajña), not optional on any occasion.