Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 36
कुमाराश्च स्ववासिन्यो गर्भिण्योऽतिरुजान्विताः । अतिथेरादितोप्येते भोज्या नात्र विचारणा
kumārāśca svavāsinyo garbhiṇyo'tirujānvitāḥ | atitherāditopyete bhojyā nātra vicāraṇā
เด็กๆ สตรีในเรือน หญิงมีครรภ์ และผู้ทุกข์ทรมานด้วยโรคร้ายแรง—คนเหล่านี้พึงได้รับอาหารก่อน แม้ก่อนแขกด้วยซ้ำ; ในเรื่องนี้ไม่ควรลังเลไตร่ตรอง
Skanda
Tirtha: Kāśī-kṣetra
Type: kshetra
Scene: A household meal scene: a mother, a pregnant woman, a sick person resting, and children are served first; the guest is then served respectfully—showing dharma as compassionate order rather than rigid formality.
FAQs
Dharma is compassionate and protective: the vulnerable (children, pregnant, sick) must be cared for without hesitation.
The guidance is embedded in the Kāśīkhaṇḍa’s Kāśī setting, presenting an ideal dharmic household culture in the sacred city.
A feeding order (bhojana-krama): feed dependents and the vulnerable first, even before serving the atithi.