Regarding the Practice of Tilaka (Forehead Marks) in Hinduism

[Yasoda Jivan dasa]

Respected vidvaj-janaḥ,

I humbly submit a few questions regarding tilaka and seek your learned guidance. My queries are presented below in a clear and systematic manner for your kind consideration:

1.  What are the relevant  sūtras used to derive the word tilaka? What meanings of tilaka are attested in the Vedas and in the Smṛtis?

2. According to Vedic texts and Sampradayika evidence, what are the prescribed purposes of wearing different tilaka including Saiva, Sakta and Vaishnava?

3. What benefits are described in Vedic texts and traditional practices for wearing tilaka? Conversely, are there any stated disadvantages associated with not wearing it?

4. What is the actual meaning and significance of the various forms of tilaka—Śaiva, Śākta, Ganapatya and Vaiṣṇava—as understood within their respective sampradāyas and within Vedic texts?

Further, why do different sampradāyas employ different substances such as bhasma, candana, and others for applying tilaka?

5. With particular reference to Vaiṣṇavism including the Madhva and Sri Vaisnavas sects, why do we observe so many variations in tilaka among different Vaiṣṇava sampradāyas? What are the theological, ritual, or scriptural reasons for these distinctions?

I respectfully seek your insights on these matters and remain grateful for your time and wisdom.

With humble regards,

[kamalesh pathak]

Please refer various आह्निक सुत्रावलि granthas where one can find tilakam, type, and also आगम will give more details, once I seen अहिर्बुध्न्य संहिता a part of narad panchratra, 

 please correct me- if I am wring

Regards

Kamlesh Pathak

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[G S S Murthy]

Sirs,

  विहीनतिलकस्त्रीव चन्द्रमा न प्रकाशते 

This occurs in Valmiki and I wanted to cnfirm on Google. It refers to school  books! Any idea why?  

Thanks

GSS Murthy

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[Nagaraj Paturi]

The pages shown have a text book having a verse with  चन्द्रमा न प्रकाशते

रविसङ्क्रान्तसौभाग्य स्तुषारारुणमण्डलः।

निश्श्वासान्ध इवादर्शन्छन्द्रमा न प्रकाशते।।3.16.13।।

as per 

https://www.valmiki.iitk.ac.in/sloka?field_kanda_tid=3&language=dv&field_sarga_value=16

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Nagaraj Paturi

Hyderabad, Telangana-500044

 

 

 

[K S Kannan]

vihīnatilakeva strī nottarā dik prakāśate

- is what I remember

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--

Dr. K.S.Kannan  D.Litt.

Hon. Prof., Chanakya University, Bangalore.,

Emeritus Prof. and Director, Vishnugupta VishwaVidyapeetham, Gokarna.,

Sant Rajinder Singh Ji Maharaj Chair Professor (Retd.), IIT-Madras.

Member, Advisory Board, "Prof. A K Singh AURO Chair of Indic Studies", AURO University, Surat.
Member, Expert Committee for Review of Criticism of Indian Knowledge Traditions, Central Sanskrit University (under MoE, GoI), Ganganath Jha Campus, Prayagraj.
Adjunct Faculty, Dept of Heritage Science and Technology, IIT Hyderabad.

Nominated Member, Academic Committee, Kavi Kula Guru Kalidasa University, Ramtek.
Member, Academic Council, Veda Vijnana Shodha Samsthana.
Academic Director, Swadeshi Indology.
Nominated Member, IIAS, Shimla.

Former Professor, CAHC, Jain University, Bangalore.

Former Director, Karnataka Samskrit University, Bangalore.

Former Head, Dept. of Sanskrit, The National Colleges, Bangalore.

https://sites.google.com/view/kskannan

[V Subrahmanian]

In 2018 there was a discussion on a topic and some mails in that discussion thread could be useful in the present query raised by Sri Yasoda Jivan dasa.

https://groups.google.com/g/bvparishat/c/cgVz3QiPn_8/m/S6ccokMTCgAJ

 warm regards

subrahmanian.v

 

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[Siddharth Wakankar]

सुप्रभात.

विहीनतिलकेव स्त्री नोत्तरा दिक् प्रकाशते।

This shloka from the Valmiki Ramayana- I forgot the exact reference - describing the rainy season -was studied by us in 1963.

शैत्यादगाग्रस्थमपि प्रायेण रसवज्जलम्।

Is another beautiful line from that description.It could be from the Kishkindha.kanda.

Best Regards,

Prof. Dr Siddharth Y. Wakankar

I-5, Vrindavan Estates, Pashabhai Park, Race Course Circle (South), 

Vadodara - 390007. Gujarat, India.

Mobile: +91 9427339942

Email ID: sywak...@gmail.com

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[Nagaraj Paturi]

सेवमाने दृढं सूर्ये दिशमन्तक सेविताम्।

विहीनतिलकेव स्त्री नोत्तरा दिक्प्रकाशते।।3.16.8।।

https://www.valmiki.iitk.ac.in/content?field_kanda_tid=3&language=dv&field_sarga_value=16&field_sloka_value=8&

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[G S S Murthy]

I mixed up two different padas. I wanted to check with Google. It did not help. Maybe search engines are commercialized.

Regards,

Murthy

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[Siddharth Wakankar]

कृतज्ञतां व्यक्तीकरोमि.

Best Regards,

Prof. Dr Siddharth Y. Wakankar

I-5, Vrindavan Estates, Pashabhai Park, Race Course Circle (South), 

Vadodara - 390007. Gujarat, India.

Mobile: +91 9427339942

Email ID: sywak...@gmail.com

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[Mahamaho. Subrahmanyam Korada]

नमो विद्वद्भ्यः

त्रिपुंड्रधारणा - तिलकधारणा 

The tradition has been there since time immemorial .

In महाभाष्यम् (ऋलृक्) Patanjali refers to अनुलेप --

...तस्यानुकुर्वन् स्नातानुलिप्तः माल्यगुणकण्ठः कदलीस्तंभं छिन्द्यात् पयो वा पिबेत्, न स मन्ये पतितः स्यात् ।

कैयटः : स्नातानुलिप्त इति । स्वस्थचित्तत्वं दर्शयति ।अस्वस्थेन हि चित्तेन अकार्यं क्रियते ।

The context is --

What is the result of कर्मs that are neither injuncted (विधि) nor restricted (निषेध) such as हिक्कित - हसित - कण्डूयितानि ( hiccups, laughter, scratching - all without need / reason ) -- 

नैव तद्दोषाय नाभ्युदयाय -- neither for पापम्  nor for पुण्यम् --  a third type of कर्म (which is not known to many people) .

In the same context अनुकरणम् / imitation -- स्नातश्चासौ अनुलिप्तश्च । 

So i is an age old tradition to apply विभूति etc. on the forehead , hands , chest etc. after having bath .

What is it for ? Kaiyata says it (application of अनुलेप)  indicates one's heealthy mind . Because a  person with unhealthy mind  may commit something restricted (although he is an आस्तिक) .

I tell people - it reminds people time and again - be careful with what you do (कर्माणि ) -  finally this is what is going to remain - just dust .

The issue is dealt with in History of Dharmasastra (pp 674 - 675 , Vol 2 Part 1) . 

स्मृतिमुक्ताफल  (आह्निक p 301) quotes  a passage from बौधायन in which the words of exhortation to the pupil returning home ’भूत्यै न प्रमदितव्यम्’

(तैत्तिरीयोपनिषत् 1-11 - for which शांकरभाष्यम् is - भूतिः विभूतिः तस्यै भूत्यै भूत्यर्थात् मङ्गलयुक्तात् कर्मणः न प्रमदितव्यम् ) are interpretted as refering to the making of the त्रिपुंड्र  mark with ashes ( भूति ) .

The स्मृतिमुक्ताफल (आह्निक p 310} advises -- as one God appears in the form of various deities all should worship (their (favourite) god , whether शिव विष्णु or any other, without indulging ..... and wear the पुन्ड्र mark that is deemed to be pleasing to any deity without calumniating other sect marks .

The निर्णयसिन्धु (2nd परिच्छेद) quoting from रामार्चनचन्द्रिका about the marking of the body with conch figure by means of heated metal pieces and also quotes पृथ्वीचन्द्रोदय and other works that condemn such practices and remarks that one may follow the शिष्टाः ।

In श्राद्धपरिभाषा , तृतीयपरिच्छेद , निर्णयसिन्धु - कमलाकरभट्ट , the author, discusses the traditions and remarks -  अत्र आचाराद्व्यवस्था ।

 He also discusses तिलकधारणम्  during श्राद्धकर्म ।

In our families we  recite - त्रियंबकं यजामहे ..... । सद्योजातं ..... while making पुंड्रधारणा (अद्वैतपद्धतिः) ।

धन्यो’स्मि

Dr.Korada Subrahmanyam

Prof of Sanskrit (Retd)

Chairman , Bharateeya Vidvat Parishat

Ph:09866110741

https://sites.google.com/view/koradeeyam/home

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