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
हाच परम मंत्र, हाच परम तप आहे। मनुष्यांसाठी रुद्राध्यायाचा जप हाच कैवल्यसिद्धीचा श्रेष्ठ उपाय आहे।
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.