Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 121
ततःप्रभृति संजाता पूजा चातिथिसंभवा । तस्मात्सर्वप्रयत्नेन पूजा कार्याऽतिथेः सदा । यज्ञे पूरुषयज्ञस्य न चैकस्य कथंचन
tataḥprabhṛti saṃjātā pūjā cātithisaṃbhavā | tasmātsarvaprayatnena pūjā kāryā'titheḥ sadā | yajñe pūruṣayajñasya na caikasya kathaṃcana
اسی وقت سے مہمان (اَتِتھی) کے اکرام کے ساتھ پوجا کا رواج ہوا۔ اس لیے پوری کوشش کے ساتھ ہمیشہ مہمان کی پوجا کرنی چاہیے—یَجْن میں ‘پُروُش یَجْن’ کے حصّے کے طور پر بھی—اور کسی حال میں اس سے غفلت نہ ہو۔
Narrator (instructional conclusion drawn from the preceding divine assent)
Scene: A householder offers arghya and food to a radiant guest-sage; behind them a subtle yajña-fire motif suggests ‘manuṣya-yajña’.
FAQs
Hospitality is sacred: honoring the guest is itself a yajña and must never be omitted.
The verse establishes the dharma principle; the chapter’s tīrtha focus follows with Atithi’s own sacred ford in Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra.
Always perform atithi-pūjā; treat it as an essential component of yajña (pūruṣa-yajña), not optional on any occasion.