Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 73
Gṛhastha-nitya-karman: Śauca, Sandhyā-vidhi, Pañca-yajña, and Āśrama-krama
अज्ञातगोत्रनामानमन्यग्रामादुपागतम् । विपश्चितोऽतिथिं प्राहुर्विष्णुवत्तं प्रपूजयेत् ॥ ७३ ॥
ajñātagotranāmānamanyagrāmādupāgatam | vipaścito'tithiṃ prāhurviṣṇuvattaṃ prapūjayet || 73 ||
ਜੋ ਹੋਰ ਪਿੰਡ ਤੋਂ ਆਇਆ ਹੋਵੇ ਅਤੇ ਜਿਸ ਦਾ ਗੋਤ੍ਰ ਤੇ ਨਾਮ ਅਣਜਾਣ ਹੋਵੇ, ਵਿਦਵਾਨ ਉਸ ਨੂੰ ‘ਅਤਿਥੀ’ ਕਹਿੰਦੇ ਹਨ; ਐਸੇ ਅਤਿਥੀ ਦਾ ਵਿਸ਼ਨੂ ਸਮਾਨ ਮਾਨ ਕਰਕੇ ਪੂਜਾ-ਸਤਕਾਰ ਕਰਨਾ ਚਾਹੀਦਾ ਹੈ।
Sanatkumara (teaching Narada in the Atithi-dharma context)
Vrata: none
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: bhakti
FAQs
It teaches that service to an unexpected guest—especially an unknown traveler—becomes direct worship of Vishnu, turning ordinary hospitality into a sacred act of dharma.
Bhakti is expressed here as reverence in action: honoring the atithi “as Vishnu” trains the devotee to perceive the Lord in living beings and to serve without pride or calculation.
It emphasizes applied dharma-vidhi (ritual etiquette): recognizing an atithi by circumstance (an unannounced outsider) and performing proper pūjā-like reception; this aligns with smārta conduct rather than a specific Vedanga like Jyotiṣa.