Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 24
न च पंचाक्षरी जप्ता न कृतं शिवपूजनम् । न ध्यातो भगवाञ्छंभुः कथमेनां निनीषथ
na ca paṃcākṣarī japtā na kṛtaṃ śivapūjanam | na dhyāto bhagavāñchaṃbhuḥ kathamenāṃ ninīṣatha
Nor has she chanted the five-syllabled mantra; nor has she worshipped Śiva; nor has she meditated on the Blessed Śambhu—how will you take her away (to Śiva’s realm)?
Yamadūta
Scene: Critics point out she never chanted the pañcākṣarī, never performed Śiva-pūjā, never meditated on Śambhu; in the background, a liṅga and bilva leaves appear as silent witnesses, while the vimāna’s light suggests grace beyond formal practice.
FAQs
Japa, pūjā, and dhyāna are named as classic Shaiva means of merit—yet the broader episode stresses that Śiva’s grace can still redeem.
No tīrtha is identified in this verse; it centers on mantra and worship.
Chanting the pañcākṣarī (‘namaḥ śivāya’), performing Śiva-pūjā, and meditating on Śambhu are referenced as devotional practices.