Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 42
मध्यमानामिकांगुल्योर्मध्ये तु प्रतिलोमतः । अंगुष्ठेन कृता रेखा त्रिपुंड्रस्याभिधीयते
madhyamānāmikāṃgulyormadhye tu pratilomataḥ | aṃguṣṭhena kṛtā rekhā tripuṃḍrasyābhidhīyate
A linha feita com o polegar—traçada em sentido inverso—entre o dedo médio e o anelar, é dita ser (a correta) linha do Tripuṇḍra.
Śrī Rudra (Śiva)
Listener: Implied: the addressed sage
Scene: Close-up of hands: ash placed between middle and ring fingers; thumb draws a horizontal line in reverse direction; the resulting Tripuṇḍra appears neat and even.
FAQs
Traditional methods preserve sanctity—proper technique is part of reverence in Śaiva observance.
None is mentioned; the focus is the method of forming the Tripuṇḍra.
Form the Tripuṇḍra line with the thumb, using the space between the middle and ring fingers, in a reverse direction (pratiloma).