Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 16
त्रिदंडी स तु विज्ञेयो ज्ञाते देवे निरंजने । मनोदण्डः कर्मदण्डो वाग्दंडो यस्य योगिनः
tridaṃḍī sa tu vijñeyo jñāte deve niraṃjane | manodaṇḍaḥ karmadaṇḍo vāgdaṃḍo yasya yoginaḥ
నిరంజనుడైన, నిర్వికారుడైన దేవుని సాక్షాత్కరించినవాడే నిజమైన త్రిదండీ. ఆ యోగికి మనోదండం, కర్మదండం, వాగ్దండం అనే నియమాలు ఉంటాయి.
Skanda (deduced from Nāgarakhaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya didactic narration)
Type: kshetra
Scene: A yogin stands with a triple staff, but the scene highlights three subtle streams—thought, word, deed—depicted as controlled flames or lotuses, with the niranjana Lord as a luminous, unstained presence.
FAQs
True renunciation is inner: mastery of mind, speech, and action grounded in realization of the stainless Lord.
This verse is primarily doctrinal (mokṣa-yoga teaching) within the Tīrthamāhātmya context; no single tirtha is explicitly named in the verse.
No external rite is prescribed; the ‘three daṇḍas’ are ethical-yogic restraints (mind, speech, action).