Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 32
तस्यां रात्रौ हि मे पूजां यः करिष्यति मानवः । मंत्रैरेतैः सुरश्रेष्ठ विपाप्मा स भविष्यति
tasyāṃ rātrau hi me pūjāṃ yaḥ kariṣyati mānavaḥ | maṃtrairetaiḥ suraśreṣṭha vipāpmā sa bhaviṣyati
हे देवश्रेष्ठ! जो मनुष्य त्या रात्री या मंत्रांनी माझी पूजा करील, तो निश्चयच पापमुक्त होईल.
Śiva
Type: kshetra
Listener: surश्रेष्ठ (addressed as ‘best of the gods’ within the narrative frame)
Scene: A devotee performs night-time Śiva worship at a tīrtha shrine, lamp-light flickering, offering flowers and arghya, with an atmosphere of solemn purification and vow.
FAQs
Mantra-guided worship on Śivarātri is presented as a direct means to become free from sin.
The verse emphasizes the sacred night and method (mantra-pūjā) rather than a single geographical tīrtha.
Perform Śiva-pūjā on that night using the specified mantras (as given in the surrounding text).