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 ||
Bậc trí gọi người từ làng khác đến, không rõ danh tánh và dòng họ, là vị khách chân thật; vị khách ấy nên được tôn kính và phụng thờ như phụng thờ Đức Viṣṇu.
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.