Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 37
जपैर्ध्यानैः शमपरैर्मोक्षं यास्येत निश्चितम । शूद्राणां चापि नारीणां प्रणवेन विवर्जितः
japairdhyānaiḥ śamaparairmokṣaṃ yāsyeta niścitama | śūdrāṇāṃ cāpi nārīṇāṃ praṇavena vivarjitaḥ
Durch Japa, Meditation und auf innerer Ruhe gegründete Disziplinen gelangt man gewiss zur Befreiung. Für Śūdras und ebenso für Frauen heißt es, dies geschehe ohne den Praṇava (Oṃ).
Skanda (deduced from Nāgarakhaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya narrative style)
Type: kshetra
Scene: A quiet hermitage-like tīrtha bank: practitioners seated in meditation; a teacher gestures toward the heart (śama), while a subtle boundary is shown around the Oṃ symbol, indicating restricted use and alternate devotion.
FAQs
Liberation is linked to sustained japa, dhyāna, and inner calm; the verse also reflects traditional rules about praṇava usage for different practitioners.
No specific tīrtha is named; the focus is on practice-eligibility and methods within the larger māhātmya discourse.
Practice japa and meditation with śama (tranquility); for certain practitioners, mantra recitation is indicated without the praṇava prefix.