Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 47
यस्मिन्नैवातिथिः पूज्यः श्राद्धे वा यज्ञकर्मणि । संप्राप्ते वैश्वदेवांते तत्ते सर्वं भविष्यति
yasminnaivātithiḥ pūjyaḥ śrāddhe vā yajñakarmaṇi | saṃprāpte vaiśvadevāṃte tatte sarvaṃ bhaviṣyati
ในศราทธะหรือพิธียัญใด หากอาคันตุกะผู้มาถึงมิได้รับการบูชาเคารพ—โดยเฉพาะเมื่อถึงอาหุติปิดท้ายแด่วิศวเทวะ—บุญทั้งสิ้นนั้นจักเป็นของท่าน
Brahmā (Lokapitāmaha), addressing the Rākṣasa
Scene: A rite in progress: offerings laid out; at the doorway an atithi arrives (staff, travel dust), hands folded; the host hesitates while priests continue—visualizing the moral tension; the Viśvedevas symbolized by a small concluding oblation into fire.
FAQs
Honoring guests is integral to dharma; neglecting atithi-pūjā spoils the rite’s intended merit.
The teaching occurs within the Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra-māhātmya section of Nāgara Khaṇḍa.
During śrāddha/yajña—especially around the Vaiśvadeva portion—one must honor guests properly.