Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 1
व्यास उवाच । अतः परं प्रवक्ष्यामि धर्मराजस्य चेष्टितम् । यच्छ्रुत्वा यमदूतानां न भयं विद्यते क्वचित्
vyāsa uvāca | ataḥ paraṃ pravakṣyāmi dharmarājasya ceṣṭitam | yacchrutvā yamadūtānāṃ na bhayaṃ vidyate kvacit
വ്യാസൻ പറഞ്ഞു—ഇനി ഞാൻ ധർമ്മരാജന്റെ ചരിതം വിവരിക്കും; അത് ശ്രവിച്ചാൽ യമദൂതന്മാരുടെ ഭയം എവിടെയും, ഏതൊരു സാഹചര്യത്തിലും, ഉണ്ടാകുകയില്ല।
Vyāsa
Listener: Ṛṣis (implied)
Scene: Vyāsa as narrator seated in an āśrama, palm-leaf manuscript in hand, addressing attentive sages; behind him a faint vision of Dharmarāja and distant Yama-dūtas receding, symbolizing fear dispelled by narration.
FAQs
Śravaṇa (devout listening) to dharmic Purāṇic narratives strengthens fearlessness and moral clarity regarding death and judgment.
No specific tīrtha is named in this opening verse; it introduces a dharma-narrative within Dharmāraṇya.
Implicitly, śravaṇa (listening) to the sacred account is presented as spiritually protective; no formal rite is detailed.