Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 8
पश्चात्पूर्णे ततः काले मर्त्यलोके प्रजायते । अन्नदानप्रदो नित्यं जीवेद्वर्षशतं नरः
paścātpūrṇe tataḥ kāle martyaloke prajāyate | annadānaprado nityaṃ jīvedvarṣaśataṃ naraḥ
Cuando se cumple el tiempo señalado, renace en el mundo de los mortales. Siempre dedicado al don de alimento, ese hombre vive cien años.
Mārkaṇḍeya (contextual continuation)
Listener: Mahīpāla (king)
Scene: A pious householder at a riverside rest-house distributes steaming food to pilgrims and ascetics; in the background the Revā flows, suggesting merit leading to a renewed birth and full lifespan.
FAQs
Merit ripens both beyond death and within human life—charity, especially food-giving, supports auspicious rebirth and longevity.
The Varuṇeśvara tīrtha setting remains the implied sacred context.
Nitya anna-dāna—regular/continual giving of food—is praised as a sustaining dharma with tangible life-benefits.