Adhyaya 115

Adhyaya 115 of the Patala Khanda unfolds as a dialogue between Śrī Rāma and Śambhu (Śiva), upholding Purāṇic exposition as a singular discipline that destroys sin. It first contrasts corrupt company, which multiplies pāpa, with approaching a true knower of the Purāṇas, by which long-stored wrongdoing is annihilated. An exemplum of Vasiṣṭha and a deathless rākṣasa further displays the sage’s protective power and discerning judgment. The chapter then prescribes the rite of sacred listening (śravaṇa-vidhi): auspicious timing (tithi, nakṣatra, karaṇa, lagna), proper venues, honoring the expounder, and maintaining daily continuity of recitation. It proclaims immense expiatory fruit—even for mahāpātakas—and concludes with marks of unfit reciters or texts, recommended gifts, and a catalog of Purāṇas and Upapurāṇas, presenting Purāṇa-hearing as a complete means of salvation in Kali-yuga.