Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 12
विना दण्डप्रदानेन मुद्राचिह्नं न धार्यते । मुद्राहस्ताश्च विज्ञेया वाडवा नृपसत्तम
vinā daṇḍapradānena mudrācihnaṃ na dhāryate | mudrāhastāśca vijñeyā vāḍavā nṛpasattama
दंड दिल्यावाचून मुद्रा-चिन्ह धारण करता येत नाही. आणि ज्यांच्या हातावर मुद्रा आहे, ते ‘वाडव’ म्हणून ओळखले जातात—हे नृपश्रेष्ठ.
Skanda (deduced from section context)
Listener: nṛpasattama (a king)
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.
FAQs
Purity and legitimacy precede religious insignia; dharma also defines social recognition tied to ritual marks.
The snippet does not glorify a named tīrtha; it continues Dharmāraṇya’s normative instructions.
Do not wear the mudrā-mark without first paying the prescribed penalty; mudrā-on-hand functions as an identifying sign.