Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 94

Devanagari script

ललाटे पतिता तस्य त्रिपुंड्रांकिंतमुद्रया । चैतन्येन विना तस्य देहमात्रैकलग्नया

Transliteration

lalāṭe patitā tasya tripuṃḍrāṃkiṃtamudrayā | caitanyena vinā tasya dehamātraikalagnayā

Translation

Mit dem Siegel des Tripuṇḍra, der drei heiligen Aschelinien, versehen, fiel es auf seine Stirn. Doch ohne wache Hingabe blieb es an ihm nur als bloßes körperliches Zeichen haften.

Word by Word

• ललाटे: on the forehead
• ललाटे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ललाट (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• पतिता: fallen
• पतिता: Kriya (Predicate participle)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पत् (धातु) → पतित (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्तरि

• तस्य: of him
• तस्य: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• त्रिपुण्ड्राङ्कितमुद्रया: by the seal/mark imprinted with the tripuṇḍra
• त्रिपुण्ड्राङ्कितमुद्रया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रि (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + पुण्ड्र (प्रातिपदिक) + अङ्कित (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक) + मुद्रा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; करणार्थ (instrument)

• चैतन्येन: with consciousness
• चैतन्येन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चैतन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• विना: without
• विना: Sambandha (Exclusion marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विना (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उपसर्गसदृश-निपात (preposition-like indeclinable)

• तस्य: of him
• तस्य: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• देहमात्रैकलग्नया: by (it) being attached only to the body alone
• देहमात्रैकलग्नया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: देह (प्रातिपदिक) + मात्र (प्रातिपदिक) + एक (प्रातिपदिक) + लग्न (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (to मुद्रा/रक्षा implied)

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) to the sages (deduced from Māheśvarakhaṇḍa narrative style)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Brāhmaṇas

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Close view of the thief’s forehead as the tripuṇḍra-mark (like a stamped seal) settles upon it; the face is lifeless, emphasizing ‘without caitanya,’ while a subtle divine aura indicates latent potency.

Characters & Entities

• Tripuṇḍra
• Vibhūti

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Outer Śaiva marks like tripuṇḍra bear fruit when joined with inner conscious devotion; otherwise they remain merely physical.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kedāra/Kedārakṣetra is the wider setting of this teaching in the Kedārakhaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The verse implies wearing/placing tripuṇḍra (sacred ash lines), emphasizing that it should be done with devotional awareness.