Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 31
पुराणं ये त्वसंपूज्य तांबूलाद्यैरुपायनैः । शृण्वंति च कथां भक्त्या दरिद्राः स्युर्न पापिनः
purāṇaṃ ye tvasaṃpūjya tāṃbūlādyairupāyanaiḥ | śṛṇvaṃti ca kathāṃ bhaktyā daridrāḥ syurna pāpinaḥ
താംബൂലം മുതലായ ഉപഹാരങ്ങളാൽ പുരാണത്തെ പൂജിക്കാനാകാതിരുന്നാലും, ഭക്തിയോടെ കഥ കേൾക്കുന്നവർ—ദരിദ്രരായാലും പാപികൾ അല്ല।
Narratorial Purāṇic voice (context not explicit in the snippet)
Scene: A poor devotee in simple clothes listening with tears of devotion, empty hands yet folded in añjali; beside them, wealthier patrons offer betel and gifts—both accepted, but the poor devotee is shown radiant.
FAQs
Material inability does not block spiritual merit; sincere bhakti while listening protects one from sin and grants religious fruit.
No; the verse emphasizes the universality of bhakti regardless of wealth or setting.
It references upāyana (offerings like tāmbūla) as customary honors, while affirming that devotion is the essential requirement.