भस्मस्नानेन पुरुषः कुलस्योद्धारको भवेत् । भस्मस्नानं जलस्नानादसंख्येयगुणान्वितम्
Through bathing with ash, a person becomes the redeemer of his lineage; the ash bath possesses countless virtues beyond those of bathing with water.
सर्वतीर्थेषु यत्पुण्यं सर्वतीर्थेषु यत्फलम् । तत्फलं लभते सर्वं भस्मस्नानान्न संशयः
Whatever merit and result is gained at all sacred places, all of that is attained through the ash bath—there is no doubt.
महापातकयुक्तो वा युक्तो वाप्युपपातकैः । भस्मस्नानेन तत्सर्वं दहत्यग्निरिवेन्धनम्
Even one afflicted with great or minor sins, through bathing with ash, burns them all as fire burns fuel.
भस्मस्नानात्परं स्नानं पवित्रं नैव विद्यते । एवमुक्तं शिवेनादौ तदा स्नातः स्वयं शिवः
There is no purifying bath superior to the ash bath; thus it was declared by Śiva in the beginning, and Śiva himself bathed in this way.
तदाप्रभृति ब्रह्माद्या मुनयश्च शिवार्थिनः । सर्वकर्मसु यत्नेन भस्मस्नानं प्रचक्रिरे
From that time onward, Brahmā and other sages devoted to Śiva, with effort, performed the ash bath in all their rituals.
तस्मादेतच्छिरःस्नानमाग्नेयं यः समाचरेत् । अनेनैव शरीरेण स हि रुद्रो न संशयः
Therefore, whoever performs this head bath with fire-born ash, in this very body becomes Rudra—there is no doubt.
ये भस्मधारिणं दृष्ट्वा परितृप्ता भवन्ति ते । देवासुरमुनीन्द्रैश्च पूज्या नित्यं न संशयः
Those who are satisfied upon seeing one who bears ash are always worthy of worship by gods, demons, and great sages—there is no doubt.
भस्मसञ्छन्नसर्वाङ्गं दृष्ट्वोत्तिष्ठति यः पुमान् । तं दृष्ट्वा देवराजोऽपि दण्डवत्प्रणमिष्यति
Whoever, seeing a man whose whole body is covered with ash, rises up, even the king of the gods will bow to him in reverence.
अभक्ष्यभक्षणं येषां भस्मधारणपूर्वकम् । तेषां तद्भक्ष्यमेव स्यान्मुने नात्र विचारणा
O sage, for those whose eating of forbidden food is preceded by bearing ash, that food becomes permitted—there is no question.
यः स्नाति भस्मना नित्यं जले स्नात्वा ततः परम् । ब्रह्मचारी गृहस्थो वा वानप्रस्थोऽऽथवादरात्
Whoever bathes daily with ash after bathing in water, whether a celibate, householder, forest-dweller, or renunciate,
सर्वपापविनिर्मुक्तः स याति परमां गतिम् । आग्नेयं भस्मना स्नानं यतीनां च विशिष्यते
He is freed from all sins and attains the highest state; the fire-born ash bath is especially esteemed among ascetics.
आर्द्रस्नानाद्वरं भस्मस्नानमार्द्रवधो ध्रुवः । आर्द्रं तु प्रकृतिं विद्यात्प्रकृतिं बन्धनं विदुः
The ash bath is superior to the wet bath; the destruction of wetness is certain. Know wetness as nature, and nature is known as bondage.
प्रकृतेस्तु प्रहाणाय भस्मना स्नानमिष्यते । भस्मना सदृशं ब्रह्यन्नास्ति लोकत्रयेष्वपि
For the removal of nature, bathing with ash is prescribed; nothing in the three worlds equals ash.
रक्षार्थं मङ्गलार्थं च पवित्रार्थं पुरा सुरैः । भस्म दृष्ट्वा मुने पूर्वं दत्तं देव्यै प्रियेण तु
For protection, auspiciousness, and purification, O sage, ash was first given to the goddess by the gods in ancient times, out of affection.
तस्मादेतच्छिरःस्नानमाग्नेयं यः समाचरेत् । भवपाशैर्विनिर्मुक्तः शिवलोके महीयते
Therefore, whoever performs this head bath with fire-born ash is freed from the bonds of worldly existence and is honored in the realm of Śiva.
ज्वररक्षःपिशाचाश्च पूतनाकुष्ठगुल्मकाः । भगन्दराणि सर्वाणि चाशीतिर्वातरोगकाः
Fevers, demons, ghosts, Pūtanā, leprosy, abdominal diseases, fistulas, and all eighty types of wind disorders—
चतुःषष्टिः पित्तरोगाः श्लेष्मा सप्तत्रिपञ्चकाः । व्याघ्रचौरभयं चैवाप्यन्ये दुष्टग्रहा अपि
There are sixty-four diseases of bile, seventy-five of phlegm, and also dangers from tigers, thieves, and other malevolent spirits.
भस्मस्नानेन नश्यन्ति सिंहेनैव यथा गजाः । शुद्धशीतजलेनैव भस्मना च त्रिपुण्ड्रकम्
All these are destroyed by bathing with ash, just as elephants are vanquished by a lion; and by pure, cool water and the application of ash in three lines.
यो धारयेत्परं ब्रह्म स प्राप्नोति न संशयः । (भस्मना च त्रिपुण्ड्रं च यः कोऽपि धारयेत्परम् । स ब्रह्मलोकमाप्नोति मुक्तपापो न संशयः
Whoever bears the supreme Brahman—there is no doubt—attains it; whoever applies the tripuṇḍra with ash attains the world of Brahma, freed from sin, without doubt.
नाशयेल्लिखितां यामीं ललाटस्थां लिपिं ध्रुवम् । कण्ठोपरिकृतं पापं नाशयेत्तत्प्रधारणात्
It surely destroys the written Yama-script on the forehead, and by wearing it around the neck, it destroys the sins encircling the neck.
कण्ठे च धारणात्कण्ठभोगादिकृतपातकम् । बाह्वोर्बाहुकृतं पापं वक्षसा मनसा कृतम्
By wearing it on the neck, it removes sins committed by the throat and similar acts; on the arms, it removes sins done by the arms; on the chest, those done by the mind.
नाभ्यां शिश्नकृतं पापं गुदे गुदकृतं हरेत् । पार्श्वयोर्धारणाद्ब्रह्मन् परस्त्र्यालिङ्गनादिकम्
On the navel, it removes sins committed by the genitals; on the anus, those committed by the anus; on the sides, O Brahman, sins such as embracing another’s wife.
तद्भस्मधारणं शस्तं सर्वत्रैव त्रिलिङ्गकम् । ब्रह्मविष्णुमहेशानां त्रय्यग्नीनां च धारणम्
Therefore, the wearing of this ash in three marks is praiseworthy everywhere; it is the mark of Brahma, Viṣṇu, Maheśa, and the three Vedic fires.
गुणलोकत्रयाणां च धारणं तेन वै कृतम् । भस्मच्छन्नो द्विजो विद्वान्महापातकसम्भवैः
By this, the wearing of the three qualities and worlds is accomplished; a learned twice-born covered in ash is instantly freed from the faults arising from great sins.
दोषैर्वियुज्यते सद्यो मुच्यते च न संशयः । भस्मनिष्ठस्य दह्यन्ते दोषा भस्माग्निसङ्गमात्
He is immediately released from faults, without doubt; for one devoted to ash, faults are burned up by the union of ash and fire.
भस्मस्नानविशुद्धात्मा आत्मनिष्ठ इति स्मृतः । भस्मना दिग्धसर्वाङ्गो भस्मदीप्तत्रिपुण्ड्रकः
One whose self is purified by bathing with ash is said to be established in the Self; one whose whole body is anointed with ash and bears the shining tripuṇḍra.
भस्मशायी च पुरुषो भस्मनिष्ठ इति स्मृतः । भूतप्रेतपिशाचाद्या रोगाश्चातीव दुःसहाः
A person who sleeps on ash is said to be devoted to ash; spirits, ghosts, and other extremely difficult diseases.
भस्मनिष्ठस्य सान्निध्याद्विद्रवन्ति न संशयः । भासनाद्भसितं प्रोक्तं भस्म कल्मषभक्षणात्
Flee at the presence of one devoted to ash, without doubt; it is called bhasma because it shines, and because it consumes impurities.
भूतिर्भूतिकरी पुंसां रक्षा रक्षाकरी पुरा । त्रिपुण्ड्रधारिणं दृष्ट्वा भूतप्रेतपुरःसराः
It is called bhūti because it brings prosperity to people; it is an ancient protector and bestower of protection; seeing one who wears the tripuṇḍra, spirits and ghosts led by their chiefs—
भीताः प्रकम्पिताः शीघ्रं नश्यन्त्येव न संशयः । स्मरणादेव रुद्रस्य यथा पापं प्रणश्यति
Frightened and trembling, quickly perish, without doubt; just as sin is destroyed by merely remembering Rudra.