Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 13
श्रुतयापि यया मर्त्यो दीर्घायुर्जायतेनरः । नापमृत्युमवाप्नोति कथंचित्तत्प्रभावतः
śrutayāpi yayā martyo dīrghāyurjāyatenaraḥ | nāpamṛtyumavāpnoti kathaṃcittatprabhāvataḥ
“Dengan hanya mendengarnya, seorang insan menjadi panjang umur; dengan kuasanya, dia tidak akan menemui kematian sebelum waktunya.”
Sūta
Listener: munis (sages) / audience addressed as ‘martyas’ in general phala-śruti sense
Scene: A sage recites a tīrtha-māhātmya to attentive listeners; a subtle aura of protection surrounds them, symbolizing long life and the warding off of apamṛtyu.
FAQs
Sacred listening (śravaṇa) itself is a dharmic act that yields protection and longevity when the subject is a tīrtha-māhātmya.
The tīrtha connected to the forthcoming narrative; its greatness is emphasized through the promised fruit of hearing.
Śravaṇa—devotional hearing of the māhātmya—is implied as a practice conferring merit and protection.