य इदं शृणुयाद्भक्त्या गौतमाख्यानमुत्तमम् । पुत्रपौत्रप्रियं प्राप्य स याति पदमव्ययम्
ya idaṃ śṛṇuyādbhaktyā gautamākhyānamuttamam | putrapautrapriyaṃ prāpya sa yāti padamavyayam
Siapa pun yang mendengarkan dengan bhakti kisah luhur tentang Gautama ini, setelah memperoleh yang dicintai berupa putra dan cucu, ia mencapai keadaan yang tak binasa.
Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (deduced from Māheśvarakhaṇḍa context)
Tirtha: Gautamākhyāna-associated kṣetra (implied)
Type: kshetra
Scene: Devotees gathered to hear the Gautama account; above them, a symbolic ‘imperishable state’ is suggested by a radiant, unsetting light; family figures (sons/grandsons) appear as blessings.
Devotional listening to holy narratives grants both worldly well-being and the highest imperishable goal.
The chapter’s Gautama-centered sacred complex—Gautama-liṅga and the associated tīrtha (Ahalyā-saras).
Bhakti-śravaṇa: hearing the Gautama narrative with devotion is itself prescribed as a meritorious act.