Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 8
पश्चात्पूर्णे ततः काले मर्त्यलोके प्रजायते । अन्नदानप्रदो नित्यं जीवेद्वर्षशतं नरः
paścātpūrṇe tataḥ kāle martyaloke prajāyate | annadānaprado nityaṃ jīvedvarṣaśataṃ naraḥ
ครั้นกาลที่กำหนดครบถ้วนแล้ว เขาย่อมบังเกิดอีกในโลกมนุษย์ ผู้ตั้งมั่นในการถวายทานอาหารเป็นนิตย์ ย่อมมีอายุครบหนึ่งร้อยปี
Mārkaṇḍeya (contextual continuation)
Listener: Mahīpāla (king)
Scene: A pious householder at a riverside rest-house distributes steaming food to pilgrims and ascetics; in the background the Revā flows, suggesting merit leading to a renewed birth and full lifespan.
FAQs
Merit ripens both beyond death and within human life—charity, especially food-giving, supports auspicious rebirth and longevity.
The Varuṇeśvara tīrtha setting remains the implied sacred context.
Nitya anna-dāna—regular/continual giving of food—is praised as a sustaining dharma with tangible life-benefits.