Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 9
देवानां परमो देवो यथा वै त्रिपुरांतकः । मंत्राणां परमो मंत्रस्तथा शैवः षडक्षरः
devānāṃ paramo devo yathā vai tripurāṃtakaḥ | maṃtrāṇāṃ paramo maṃtrastathā śaivaḥ ṣaḍakṣaraḥ
যেমন দেবদের মধ্যে পরম দেব ত্রিপুরান্তক (শিব), তেমনই মন্ত্রদের মধ্যে শৈব ষড়ক্ষর মন্ত্র পরম মন্ত্র।
Sūta
Listener: Ṛṣis (implied)
Scene: Symbolic pairing: Śiva as Tripurāntaka with bow (or fiery glance) destroying Tripura, juxtaposed with a radiant six-syllable mantra hovering like a weapon of sound.
FAQs
Supreme refuge is Śiva, and the most exalted means of approach is His ṣaḍakṣara mantra through japa.
No specific tīrtha is mentioned; the verse establishes a doctrinal hierarchy (Śiva as supreme; ṣaḍakṣara as supreme mantra).
Implicit prescription: undertake japa of the Śaiva ṣaḍakṣara mantra as the foremost mantra-practice.