Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 52
अमंत्रेणापि यः कुर्यादज्ञात्वा महिमोन्नतिम् । त्रिपुंड्रं भालपटले मुच्यते सर्वपातकैः
amaṃtreṇāpi yaḥ kuryādajñātvā mahimonnatim | tripuṃḍraṃ bhālapaṭale mucyate sarvapātakaiḥ
അതിന്റെ മഹിമോന്നതി അറിയാതിരുന്നാലും, മന്ത്രമില്ലാതെ, ആരെങ്കിലും നെറ്റിയിൽ ത്രിപുണ്ഡ്രം ധരിച്ചാൽ—അവൻ സർവ്വപാപങ്ങളിൽ നിന്നും മോചിതനാകും.
Deductive attribution: Purāṇic narrator (likely Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa tradition within Brāhma Khaṇḍa)
Scene: A simple villager or traveler, unaware of doctrine, casually yet respectfully applies ash Tripuṇḍra on the forehead; a subtle radiance indicates sins falling away despite absence of mantra.
FAQs
The rite’s sanctity is portrayed as intrinsically potent—effective even when performed without full ritual knowledge.
None; the verse glorifies a bodily sādhana (forehead Tripuṇḍra) rather than sacred geography.
Apply the Tripuṇḍra on the forehead; mantra is presented as helpful but not mandatory for efficacy here.