Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 103
अतिथिरुवाच । यदि तुष्टाः सुरा मह्यं प्रयच्छंति वरं मम । अनेनैव शरीरेण देवत्वं प्रार्थयाम्यहम्
atithiruvāca | yadi tuṣṭāḥ surā mahyaṃ prayacchaṃti varaṃ mama | anenaiva śarīreṇa devatvaṃ prārthayāmyaham
Atithi berkata: “Jika para dewa berkenan dan mengurniakan kepadaku anugerahku, maka aku memohon ketuhanan—dengan tubuh ini juga tetap seperti sedia.”
Atithi
Type: kshetra
Scene: Atithi, hands folded, makes a daring request before the assembled devas: to become divine without abandoning the present body; devas listen with attentive, luminous stillness.
FAQs
The highest aspirations often seek transformation, not escape—Atithi seeks exalted status while retaining embodied existence.
The verse does not name the site; its tīrtha-māhātmya force lies in showing that the place/event leads to extraordinary boons.
None; it records the requested boon (devatva with the same body).