Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 52

Devanagari script

अमंत्रेणापि यः कुर्यादज्ञात्वा महिमोन्नतिम् । त्रिपुंड्रं भालपटले मुच्यते सर्वपातकैः

Transliteration

amaṃtreṇāpi yaḥ kuryādajñātvā mahimonnatim | tripuṃḍraṃ bhālapaṭale mucyate sarvapātakaiḥ

Translation

Dẫu không trì mantra, nếu ai—không biết đến uy linh cao cả—vẫn bôi Trípuṇḍra lên trán, người ấy được giải thoát khỏi mọi tội lỗi.

Word by Word

• a-mantreṇa: without a mantra
• a-mantreṇa: Karaṇa (Instrument/means; without)
• Type: Noun
• Root: a- + mantra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; नञ्-तत्पुरुष (negative determinative) ‘मन्त्रेण विना’

• api: even
• api: Sambandha-bodhaka (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अपि-निपात (particle: even/also)

• yaḥ: who
• yaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सम्बन्धक-सर्वनाम

• kuryāt: should do/make
• kuryāt: Kriyā (Predicate action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √kṛ (कृ) (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

• ajñātvā: without knowing
• ajñātvā: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (Circumstantial prior/non-knowing)
• Type: Verb
• Root: a- + √jñā (ज्ञा) (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभाव; नञ्-उपसर्गयुक्त ‘अज्ञात्वा’ = without knowing

• mahima-unnatim: its exalted greatness
• mahima-unnatim: Karma (Object of knowing/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahiman + unnati (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; समासः (तत्पुरुष) ‘महिम्नः उन्नतिः/महिमोन्नतिः’ (greatness/exalted glory)

• tripuṃḍram: tripuṇḍra
• tripuṃḍram: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tri + puṃḍra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• bhāla-paṭale: on the forehead-surface
• bhāla-paṭale: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhāla + paṭala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; समासः (तत्पुरुष) ‘भालस्य पटले’

• mucyate: is freed
• mucyate: Kriyā (Predicate; passive)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √muc (मुच्) (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), कर्मणि (passive), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

• sarva-pātakaiḥ: from all sins
• sarva-pātakaiḥ: Apādāna (Ablative-like source via instrumental; from)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarva + pātaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; समासः (कर्मधारय) ‘सर्वाणि पातकानि’

Speaker

Deductive attribution: Purāṇic narrator (likely Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa tradition within Brāhma Khaṇḍa)

Visual Art Cues

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.

Characters & Entities

• Tripuṇḍra
• Bhāla (forehead)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The rite’s sanctity is portrayed as intrinsically potent—effective even when performed without full ritual knowledge.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

None; the verse glorifies a bodily sādhana (forehead Tripuṇḍra) rather than sacred geography.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Apply the Tripuṇḍra on the forehead; mantra is presented as helpful but not mandatory for efficacy here.