Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 20

Devanagari script

एष एव परो मन्त्र एष एव परं तपः । रुद्राध्यायजपः पुंसां परं कैवल्यसाधनम्

Transliteration

eṣa eva paro mantra eṣa eva paraṃ tapaḥ | rudrādhyāyajapaḥ puṃsāṃ paraṃ kaivalyasādhanam

Translation

Inilah mantra tertinggi; inilah tapa yang paling luhur: bagi manusia, japa Rudra-adhyāya adalah sarana utama untuk mencapai kaivalya (kemerdekaan yang sunyi).

Word by Word

• एषः: this (one)
• एषः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• एव: indeed/only
• एव: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle/emphasis)

• परः: supreme
• परः: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifier)

• मन्त्रः: mantra
• मन्त्रः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मन्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• एषः: this (one)
• एषः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• एव: indeed/only
• एव: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle/emphasis)

• परम्: supreme
• परम्: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd Nom/Acc), एकवचन; विशेषण

• तपः: austerity/penance
• तपः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• रुद्राध्यायजपः: recitation of the Rudra-chapter
• रुद्राध्यायजपः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रुद्र + अध्याय + जप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (genitive determinative): ‘रुद्रस्य अध्यायस्य जपः’

• पुंसाम्: of men/for people
• पुंसाम्: Shashthi-Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुम्स्/पुंस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

• परम्: supreme
• परम्: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd Nom/Acc), एकवचन; विशेषण

• कैवल्यसाधनम्: means to liberation (kaivalya)
• कैवल्यसाधनम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कैवल्य + साधन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः: ‘कैवल्यस्य साधनम्’

Speaker

Brahmā (deduced from Brahmottarakhaṇḍa context; speaker not explicit in the snippet)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A solitary sādhaka seated in padmāsana, holding rudrākṣa-mālā, reciting the Rudrādhyāya; behind, a serene liṅga with bilva leaves; subtle aura suggesting kaivalya—stillness beyond dualities.

Characters & Entities

• Rudra
• Śiva

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śiva-devotion through Rudrādhyāya recitation is presented as a complete path—both mantra and austerity—culminating in liberation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No single tīrtha is named in this verse; the focus is on the universal merit of Rudrādhyāya-japa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Japa (repetitive recitation) of the Rudrādhyāya is prescribed as the supreme sādhana.