Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 52
अमंत्रेणापि यः कुर्यादज्ञात्वा महिमोन्नतिम् । त्रिपुंड्रं भालपटले मुच्यते सर्वपातकैः
amaṃtreṇāpi yaḥ kuryādajñātvā mahimonnatim | tripuṃḍraṃ bhālapaṭale mucyate sarvapātakaiḥ
Kahit walang mantra, kung may taong maglagay ng Tripuṇḍra sa noo, kahit di niya alam ang dakila nitong kamahalan, siya’y napapalaya sa lahat ng kasalanan.
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.