Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 24
अतिथिरुवाच । भोजनं द्विविधं विप्रा प्राकृतं परमं तथा । तदहं सम्यगिच्छामि दत्तं परमभोजनम्
atithiruvāca | bhojanaṃ dvividhaṃ viprā prākṛtaṃ paramaṃ tathā | tadahaṃ samyagicchāmi dattaṃ paramabhojanam
Vị Khách nói: “Hỡi các brāhmaṇa, thức ăn có hai loại—loại thường và loại tối thượng. Vì thế, ta thật lòng mong được thọ nhận ‘phẩm thực tối thượng’ mà các ông sẽ dâng cúng.”
Atithi (the disguised holy brāhmaṇa; context suggests Bhāskara in vipra-form)
Listener: Brāhmaṇas/household (collective)
Scene: A dignified guest (dvija/atithi) speaks before assembled brāhmaṇas, requesting the ‘supreme food’; the household listens with folded hands, a ritual setting with vessels, water-pot, and a clean dining space.
FAQs
Hospitality is not merely material; ‘supreme food’ points to the highest, most dharmic offering—given with purity, reverence, and right intention.
No specific tīrtha is named; the focus is the dharma of giving and the spiritual quality of offerings.
The concept of offering ‘parama-bhojana’ to an atithi is introduced, implying elevated, sanctified hospitality.