Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 1
शिवशर्मोवाच । शुक्रसंबंधिनी देवौ कथा श्रावि मया शुभा । यस्याः श्रवणमात्रेण प्रीणिते श्रवणे मम
śivaśarmovāca | śukrasaṃbaṃdhinī devau kathā śrāvi mayā śubhā | yasyāḥ śravaṇamātreṇa prīṇite śravaṇe mama
শিৱশৰ্মা ক’লে: হে দেৱী, মই শুক্ৰ-সম্পৰ্কীয় এই শুভ কাহিনী বৰ্ণনা কৰিলোঁ; যাৰ কেৱল শ্ৰৱণেই, শুনি থাকোঁতেই, মোৰ হৃদয় আনন্দিত কৰে।
Śivaśarman
Listener: Devī (addressed as ‘O goddess’)
Scene: Śivaśarman addresses a goddess (Devī) in a calm dialogue setting—perhaps an āśrama or shrine—expressing that the very act of narrating/hearing the Śukra-related story brings immediate joy.
FAQs
Sacred listening itself is meritorious—śravaṇa brings immediate inner joy and devotional purification.
The verse opens a new chapter within the Kāśīkhaṇḍa stream; the māhātmya intent remains tied to Kāśī’s culture of sacred narration and merit.
Śravaṇa of śubha-kathā—hearing auspicious Purāṇic accounts as a dharmic practice.