Indian civilization is one of few oldest and surviving civilization. People around world are slowly coming to understand us and our way of life and evolved certain of their conscience after experiencing them.These small spiritual science remedy are also part of that ancient wisdom.
Across the subcontinent, tilak is an indispensable part of our outward get-up, the crux of our self-presentation. The face is how we interact with society. The eyes, as the theory goes is truly a window to the soul. Every time someone behelds an Indian countenance, peered into our eyes, the gaze would be drawn upwards to those strange markings. Markings which clearly announce what we value most above all things which was perfecting the instrument placed behind the forehead and between the ears, our agnya chakra.
Knowledge about keeping body and mind pure is given in the Vedas and Pancharatra Pradipa. Since universe was created from the Vedas, we had a culture of putting Tilak on our foreheads. It is true that different sampradayas were differentiated by their tilaks. In sampradyaas,there exists a saying, "ललाट शून्यं, श्मशान तुल्यं"/[lalaata shunyam, shamshaan tulyam] which means an unadorned forehead is similar to a charnel ground.
The benefits of applying Tilak is many-fold; It battles anxiety and stress by keeping the mind calm and pure. Especially Kumkum which has mercury in it.When pressed on the forehead, it acts as acupressure to the nerve joint in that area and cools the entire nervous system.
The Ajna chakra is positioned in the mid directly behind the center of the forehead. Its position is between two eyebrow region that is called as Agya Chakr, which is also the position of the "third eye". Putting Tilak on Ajna Chakra keeps it cool, control the enrage, degeneration, disorder, sexual desire and lust etc. Applying Tilak with sandal wood keeps the mind and body in control.
Across sampradayas, there are different types of Tilaks,
The worshippers of Lord Shiva wore Bhasma/Vibhuthi in three horizontal lines (also called Tripundra). The lines and the color used may vary from region to region and from sect to sect.The worshippers of Lord Vishnu wore a tilak in the shape of 'U' also called Urdhapunda.
For Shaivites: Single, double or triple horizontal lines; This is for those who have Shiva as their primary worshiping deity.They use either white ash[Vibhuti] or yellow/saffron paste.
The word Vibhuti can be divided into two parts: ‘Vi’ and ‘Bhuti’. 'Vi' + 'Bhuti' means free from the constraints of the five elements (bhuta). It also represents the 4 purusharthas which we humans have to follow for a peaceful and fulfilled life, they are Dharma, Artha, Kama, Moksha.
In many parts across bharata, vibhuti is also called Bhasma. The word bhasma means “that by which our sins are destroyed and the Lord is remembered". ”Bha” means “to destroy” and “sma” implies smaran which means “to remember”. The application of Bhasma therefore signifies destruction of the evil and remembrance of the divine. The variant called Bhasma is also used as Vibhuti as this is prepared from the purified ashes of cow dung.
Vibhuthi when ingested has many healing properties as well due to it being the residue of many herbs which get burnt in the homakunda. Vibhuti has many meanings as Sanskrit etymology portrays different meanings at different levels of understanding.
For Vaishnavites : Single, double, or triple vertical lines; This is for those who have Vishnu as their primary worship deity. They use either white or yellow paste.
Among the Vaisnavas are many sub-groups,recognised by their styles of tilaka. It’s shape and color and the type of material used to make it. The upper part of this tilaka, shaped like the prongs of a tuning-fork or inverted |_|, represents Lord Krishna’s footprint, and the leaf-shaped part on the nose represents a leaf of the tulasi, Krishna’s favorite plant.
In some sects, two type of clay is used, one white in colour called Gopi Chandan (is the clay of Gopi Talav) and the other black in colour called Radha Kunda Raj (is the clay of Radha Kunda).
Some Hindus mix both these three horizontal vibhuti lines of Shiva and the 'U' shape tilaka of Vishnu in an amalgam marker signifying ‘Hari-Hara’or Vishnu-Shiva. In addition, sacred ash signifies that the body's origin from dust and ash and where it shall return after a life.
How to apply Tilaka?
Tilaka is applied to twelve parts of the body, and the twelve names of the Lord are recited with each application. To apply tilaka, start with a little Ganges or Yamuna water [if you don't have any, get some water, and stirring it with your right ring finger]. While mixing you can chant:
गङ्गे च यमुने चैव गोदावरि सरस्वति । नर्मदे सिन्धु कावेरि जलेऽस्मिन् संनिधिं कुरु ॥
Ganga cha Yamune chaiva Godavari Saravati Narmade Sindho Kaveri jale smin sannidhim kuru.
(O Ganges, O Yamuna, O Godavari, O Saravati, O Narmada, O Sindhu, O Kaveri, have a holy confluence in this water)
Put the water in your left hand, and rub the hard tilak into the water, creating a wet paste out of the clay. Begin by putting your ring finger of the right hand into the clay, and starting between the eyebrows, bring the finger straight up to the hairline, making two straight lines. It should look like a long, narrow U-shape. Then use some more tilak to make the Tulasi leaf on your nose, it should extend about 3/4 of the way down your nose.
As you apply the tilak to your body, chant the following mantras of Shri Vishnu:
Forehead: Om keshavaya namaha,
Belly: Om narayanaya namaha,
Chest: Om madhavaya namaha,
Neck: Om govindaya namaha,
Right belly: Om vishnave namaha,
Right arm: Om madhusudhanaya namaha,
Right shoulder: Om trivikramaya namaha,
Left belly: Om vamanaya namaha,
Left arm: Om shridharaya namaha,
Left shoulder: Om hrishikeshaya namaha,
Upperback: Om padmanabhaya namaha,
Lower back: Om damodaraya namaha,
Take the remaining tilak residue and wipe it on the back of the head, in the area of the sikha while chanting Om vasudevaya namaha.
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