Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 14
दूराध्वानं पथि श्रांतं वैश्वदेवांत आगतम् । अतिथिं तं विजानीयान्नातिथिः पूर्वमागतः
dūrādhvānaṃ pathi śrāṃtaṃ vaiśvadevāṃta āgatam | atithiṃ taṃ vijānīyānnātithiḥ pūrvamāgataḥ
Seseorang yang menempuh perjalanan jauh, letih di jalan, lalu tiba pada waktu selepas upacara vaiśvadeva—dialah yang patut dikenali sebagai tetamu sejati. Yang datang lebih awal tidak dikira atithi dalam erti ini.
Deductive (Nāgarakhaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya narration; likely Sūta speaking to sages)
Type: kshetra
Scene: A dusty, tired traveler arrives at dusk just after the household’s vaiśvadeva offering; the host recognizes him as atithi and prepares a meal, while earlier visitors sit aside.
FAQs
Dharma gives a practical definition of ‘atithi’: the unexpected, travel-worn visitor who arrives at the proper ritual time deserves special honour.
No site is specified; the verse is normative dharma used within the tīrtha narrative tradition.
After completing vaiśvadeva, one should treat the newly arrived traveller as the atithi; earlier arrivals are treated differently.