Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 30
अभक्ता ये कथां पुण्यां शृण्वंति मनुजाधमाः । तेषां पुण्यफलं नास्ति दुःखं स्याज्जन्मजन्मनि
abhaktā ye kathāṃ puṇyāṃ śṛṇvaṃti manujādhamāḥ | teṣāṃ puṇyaphalaṃ nāsti duḥkhaṃ syājjanmajanmani
பக்தியற்ற, மனிதர்களில் தாழ்ந்தோர் இந்தப் புண்ணியக் கதையை கேட்டாலும்—அதன் புண்ணியப் பயன் அவர்களுக்கு இல்லை; பிறவி பிறவியாகத் துயரம் தொடரும்।
Narratorial Purāṇic voice (context not explicit in the snippet)
Scene: A kathā assembly where a few listeners sit with indifferent or contemptuous expressions; a shadowed aura around them contrasts with the luminous, devoted listeners; the mood is admonitory.
FAQs
Mere hearing is not enough; devotion and reverence are required for sacred discourse to yield puṇya and upliftment.
None; the verse is a general warning about faithless listening.
No specific rite; it prescribes the inner requirement of bhakti for kathā-śravaṇa.