Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 32
तथान्येऽपि बहुत्वाद्ये न मया परिकीर्तिताः । आराधितास्तु कृच्छ्रेण पूजिताश्च सुविस्तरैः । हरंतु देवताः पापमन्ये त्वं कीर्तिताऽपि च
tathānye'pi bahutvādye na mayā parikīrtitāḥ | ārādhitāstu kṛcchreṇa pūjitāśca suvistaraiḥ | haraṃtu devatāḥ pāpamanye tvaṃ kīrtitā'pi ca
Ainsi encore, bien d’autres—car ils sont innombrables—n’ont pas été pleinement célébrés par moi. Certains ne sont apaisés qu’au prix de peines, et sont honorés par des rites très étendus. Que d’autres divinités ôtent le péché ; mais toi—même par la seule louange—tu l’ôtes aussi.
A king (bhūbhuj) praising Goddess Sarasvatī (deduced from immediate context; Sarasvatī speaks in 34)
Type: kshetra
Listener: Devī addressed by the king
Scene: The king, humble, declares that countless beings and deities exist; some require severe austerities and elaborate worship, yet this Goddess removes sin even when simply praised—visualized as dark smoke (pāpa) dissolving into light at the sound of her stotra.
FAQs
Sincere praise (kīrtana) can be spiritually potent; the verse elevates heartfelt devotion over mere ritual complexity.
The chapter belongs to a tīrtha-māhātmya context, but this verse highlights the fruit of Devī-stuti rather than describing a particular site.
It contrasts elaborate worship requiring hardship with the efficacy of simple recitation/praise of the Goddess; no specific dāna or snāna is mandated.