Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 42

Devanagari script

मध्यमानामिकांगुल्योर्मध्ये तु प्रतिलोमतः । अंगुष्ठेन कृता रेखा त्रिपुंड्रस्याभिधीयते

Transliteration

madhyamānāmikāṃgulyormadhye tu pratilomataḥ | aṃguṣṭhena kṛtā rekhā tripuṃḍrasyābhidhīyate

Translation

Đường vạch được tạo bằng ngón cái—kéo theo chiều ngược—ở giữa ngón giữa và ngón áp út, được nói là đường Tripuṇḍra (đúng phép).

Word by Word

• मध्यमा: of the middle (finger)
• मध्यमा: Sambandha (Genitive in compound sense)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मध्यमा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), एकवचन; (मध्यमा-अङ्गुली)

• अनामिका: of the ring finger
• अनामिका: Sambandha (Genitive in compound sense)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अनामिका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), एकवचन

• अङ्गुल्योः: of the two fingers
• अङ्गुल्योः: Sambandha/Adhikarana (of/between the two fingers)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अङ्गुली (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी/सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Gen./Loc.), द्विवचन

• मध्ये: in the middle/between
• मध्ये: Adhikarana (Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मध्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन

• तु: indeed, but
• तु: Discourse particle
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: विरोध/विशेषार्थक-अव्यय (particle: but/indeed)

• प्रतिलोमतः: in the reverse direction
• प्रतिलोमतः: Kriya-visheshana (Manner)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्रतिलोम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (ablatival adverb), प्रकारार्थे

• अङ्गुष्ठेन: with the thumb
• अङ्गुष्ठेन: Karana (Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अङ्गुष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), एकवचन

• कृता: made
• कृता: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण (रेखा)

• रेखा: a line
• रेखा: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रेखा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन

• त्रिपुण्ड्रस्य: of the tripuṇḍra
• त्रिपुण्ड्रस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रिपुण्ड्र (प्रातिपदिक; त्रि + पुण्ड्र)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), एकवचन

• अभिधीयते: is called/denoted
• अभिधीयते: Kriya (Main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अभि + धा (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (Passive)

Speaker

Śrī Rudra (Śiva)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Implied: the addressed sage

Visual Art Cues

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.

Characters & Entities

• Tripuṇḍra
• Aṅguṣṭha (thumb)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Traditional methods preserve sanctity—proper technique is part of reverence in Śaiva observance.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

None is mentioned; the focus is the method of forming the Tripuṇḍra.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Form the Tripuṇḍra line with the thumb, using the space between the middle and ring fingers, in a reverse direction (pratiloma).