Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 59
मध्यमां वर्जयित्वा तु अंगुलीक्द्वयेन च । एवं त्रिरेखासंयुक्तो ललाटे यस्य दृश्यते । स शैवः शिववज्ज्ञेयो दर्शनात्पापनाशनः
madhyamāṃ varjayitvā tu aṃgulīkdvayena ca | evaṃ trirekhāsaṃyukto lalāṭe yasya dṛśyate | sa śaivaḥ śivavajjñeyo darśanātpāpanāśanaḥ
En laissant de côté le majeur et en utilisant deux doigts, celui dont on voit sur le front la marque jointe à trois lignes doit être reconnu comme un Śaiva, tel Śiva lui-même ; rien qu’à le voir, les péchés sont détruits.
Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) to the Ṛṣis (deduced from Māheśvarakhaṇḍa narrative style)
Tirtha: Kedāra/Kedāranātha-kṣetra
Type: kshetra
Listener: null
Scene: A Śaiva ascetic with bright tripuṇḍra stands near Kedāra; pilgrims fold hands as they behold him, and a visual motif of dark smoke (sins) dissolves upon sight.
FAQs
External sacred marks (like the tripuṇḍra) signify inner Śiva-bhakti, and honoring such devotees is itself purifying.
Within Kedārakhaṇḍa, the broader context is Kedāra sacred geography, though this verse specifically praises Śaiva-lakṣaṇa rather than naming a single tirtha.
Applying the tripuṇḍra on the forehead using two fingers (excluding the middle finger) is indicated as a Śaiva practice.