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

ത്രിപുണ്ഡ്രമുദ്രയാൽ അങ്കിതമായത് അവന്റെ ലലാട്ടിൽ വീണു; എന്നാൽ ചൈതന്യഭക്തിയില്ലാതെ, അത് വെറും ദേഹചിഹ്നമായി മാത്രമേ അവനോട് ചേർന്നുനിന്നുള്ളൂ.

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.