Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 12

Devanagari script

विना दण्डप्रदानेन मुद्राचिह्नं न धार्यते । मुद्राहस्ताश्च विज्ञेया वाडवा नृपसत्तम

Transliteration

vinā daṇḍapradānena mudrācihnaṃ na dhāryate | mudrāhastāśca vijñeyā vāḍavā nṛpasattama

Translation

ومن غير أداء العقوبة لا يجوز حمل علامة المُدْرَا. والذين يحملون المُدْرَا على اليد يُعرَفون بأنهم «فادافا» (Vāḍava)، يا خير الملوك.

Word by Word

• विना: without
• विना: Apadana (Separation/अपादान)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विना (अव्यय)
• Form: अपादानार्थक-अव्यय/उपपद (preposition-like: without)

• दण्डप्रदानेन: by/with the giving of the penalty
• दण्डप्रदानेन: Karana (Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दण्ड + प्रदान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (Singular)

• मुद्राचिह्नम्: seal-mark
• मुद्राचिह्नम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुद्रा + चिह्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom/Acc), एकवचन (Singular)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय

• धार्यते: is worn/borne
• धार्यते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: धृ (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive: is to be worn/borne)

• मुद्राहस्ताः: those having (or bearing) the seal on the hand
• मुद्राहस्ताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुद्रा + हस्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Plural)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• विज्ञेयाः: should be recognized
• विज्ञेयाः: Kriya (Predicative/क्रिया-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि + ज्ञा (धातु) → विज्ञेय (कृदन्त)
• Form: कर्तव्यता/ज्ञेयता-वाचक (gerundive), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; ‘to be known/recognized’

• वाडवाः: Vāḍavas (a group/people)
• वाडवाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाडव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Plural)

• नृपसत्तम: O best of kings
• नृपसत्तम: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृप + सत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन (Singular)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from section context)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: nṛpasattama (a king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A king is shown observing pilgrims; some bear a distinct hand-mark (mudrā) identifying them as Vāḍavas, while a penitent without the mark waits to be reinstated.

Characters & Entities

• Rāma
• Vāḍava
• nṛpa (king)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purity and legitimacy precede religious insignia; dharma also defines social recognition tied to ritual marks.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The snippet does not glorify a named tīrtha; it continues Dharmāraṇya’s normative instructions.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Do not wear the mudrā-mark without first paying the prescribed penalty; mudrā-on-hand functions as an identifying sign.