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

Sans l’acquittement de la peine, le signe de la mudrā ne doit pas être porté. Et ceux qui portent la mudrā sur la main doivent être reconnus comme des « Vāḍavas », ô meilleur des rois.

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.