Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 23
अर्घेण शंभुः पाद्येन सर्वे देवाः सवासवाः । भोज्यदानेन विष्णुः स्यात्सर्वदेवमयोऽतिथिः
argheṇa śaṃbhuḥ pādyena sarve devāḥ savāsavāḥ | bhojyadānena viṣṇuḥ syātsarvadevamayo'tithiḥ
അർഘ്യം അർപ്പിച്ചാൽ ശംഭുവിന് പൂജ ലഭിക്കുന്നു; പാദ്യം നൽകിയാൽ ഇന്ദ്രനോടുകൂടി എല്ലാ ദേവന്മാരും പൂജിതരാകുന്നു; ഭോജ്യദാനത്തോടെ വിഷ്ണു പ്രസന്നനാകുന്നു—കാരണം അതിഥി സർവ്വദേവമയനാണ്।
Narrative voice (Purāṇic narrator; not explicitly named in this verse)
Scene: A host performs three offerings to a guest: arghya in a small vessel, pādya water for feet, and a meal; above the guest appear subtle divine overlays—Śiva, the devas with Indra, and Viṣṇu—showing the guest as sarvadevamaya.
FAQs
Serving a guest is direct worship: different acts of reception correspond to honoring major deities.
The instruction is embedded in the Śrīhāṭa–Keśvara-kṣetra Māhātmya, presenting tīrtha-piety as lived devotion through hospitality.
Offer arghya, pādya, and food to the guest, understanding these as deity-pleasing offerings.