ईश्वर उवाच । शृणु देवि प्रवक्ष्यामि तीर्थमाहात्म्यमुत्तमम् । सर्वपापहरं नृणां पुण्यं देवर्षिसत्कृतम्
īśvara uvāca | śṛṇu devi pravakṣyāmi tīrthamāhātmyamuttamam | sarvapāpaharaṃ nṛṇāṃ puṇyaṃ devarṣisatkṛtam
Īśvara bersabda: Dengarlah, wahai Devī; akan aku nyatakan kemuliaan tertinggi tīrtha—yang suci, dihormati para dewa dan para resi, serta bagi manusia penghapus segala dosa.
Īśvara (Śiva)
Listener: Devī (Pārvatī)
Scene: Īśvara begins the discourse, addressing Devī: a solemn proclamation that the forthcoming tīrtha-mahātmya is supreme and sin-destroying, honored by gods and sages.
Hearing and knowing tīrtha-mahātmya is itself purifying, because tīrthas are divinely sanctioned means of removing sin.
The verse introduces tīrtha-mahātmya broadly; named tīrthas follow immediately afterwards.
Śravaṇa (devout listening) is implicitly prescribed by “Listen, O Devī,” as the gateway to the teaching.