This chapter promises to remove misery and grant spiritual welfare just by listening to stories. Isn't this just a generic, formulaic opening for a religious text designed to capture the reader's attention with grand promises?

The introduction to Chapter 36 indeed makes significant promises to engage the reader, framing the act of listening as a path to spiritual fulfillment. It states that if a 'fortunate soul desires to achieve their own spiritual welfare, they should listen respectfully to the narration of Sai’s stories.' The text describes the stories as potent narratives that can remove 'the fatigue and misery of worldly existence' and lead to happiness. From the perspective presented in Chapter 36, this is not merely a formulaic hook but the central premise: the stories themselves are a form of divine grace and spiritual nourishment for the devoted listener.