Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 37
परीवादी गुरोः पित्रोः साधूनां नृपतेस्तथा । तेऽपि श्रुत्वा च पापेभ्यो मुच्यन्ते नात्र संशयः
parīvādī guroḥ pitroḥ sādhūnāṃ nṛpatestathā | te'pi śrutvā ca pāpebhyo mucyante nātra saṃśayaḥ
Selbst wer den Guru, den Vater, die Heiligen und ebenso den König verleumdet—durch das Hören hiervon werden auch sie von Sünden befreit; daran besteht kein Zweifel.
Narrator (contextual Purāṇic voice within Revā Khaṇḍa; traditionally Sūta-like narration)
Tirtha: Narmadā (Revā)
Type: river
Listener: null
Scene: A contrite speaker who once slandered elders sits before a venerable reciter; behind them appear symbolic figures—guru, father, sādhus, and a king—receiving respectful salutations as the listener is absolved through sacred hearing.
FAQs
The verse magnifies the purificatory force of hearing sacred lore, while implying that slander against revered figures is a serious dharmic fault.
Narmadā/Revā is glorified implicitly as the focus of the narrative whose hearing destroys sin.
Śravaṇa of the Narmadā-carita/māhātmya as a means of pāpa-kṣaya (sin-removal).