Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 20
एष एव परो मन्त्र एष एव परं तपः । रुद्राध्यायजपः पुंसां परं कैवल्यसाधनम्
eṣa eva paro mantra eṣa eva paraṃ tapaḥ | rudrādhyāyajapaḥ puṃsāṃ paraṃ kaivalyasādhanam
ಇದೇ ಪರಮ ಮಂತ್ರ, ಇದೇ ಪರಮ ತಪಸ್ಸು. ಮನುಷ್ಯರಿಗೆ ರುದ್ರಾಧ್ಯಾಯ ಜಪವೇ ಕೈವಲ್ಯಸಾಧನೆಯ ಶ್ರೇಷ್ಠ ಮಾರ್ಗ.
Brahmā (deduced from Brahmottarakhaṇḍa context; speaker not explicit in the snippet)
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.
FAQs
Śiva-devotion through Rudrādhyāya recitation is presented as a complete path—both mantra and austerity—culminating in liberation.
No single tīrtha is named in this verse; the focus is on the universal merit of Rudrādhyāya-japa.
Japa (repetitive recitation) of the Rudrādhyāya is prescribed as the supreme sādhana.