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.
अप्यकार्यसहस्राणि कृत्वा यः स्नाति भस्मना । तत्सर्वं दहते भस्म यथाग्निस्तेजसा वनम्
Even if one has committed thousands of improper acts, if he bathes with ash, the ash burns them all, just as fire burns a forest with its energy.
कृत्वापि चातुलं पापं मृत्युकालेऽपि यो द्विजः । भस्मस्नायी भवेत्कश्चित्क्षिप्रं पापैः प्रमुच्यते
Even if a twice-born commits great sin, even at the time of death, if he bathes with ash, he is quickly freed from sins.
भस्मस्नानाद्धि शुद्धात्मा जितक्रोधो जितेन्द्रियः । मत्समीपं समागम्य न स भूयोऽभिवर्तते
By bathing with ash, one becomes pure in self, conquers anger and the senses; coming near to me, he does not return again.
वनस्पतिगते सोमे भस्मोद्धूलितविग्रहः । अर्चितं शङ्करं दृष्ट्वा सर्वपापैः प्रमुच्यते
When the soma is on the trees, one whose body is dusted with ash, seeing and worshipping Śaṅkara, is freed from all sins.
आयुष्कामोऽथवा विद्वान्भूतिकामोऽथवा नरः । नित्यं वै धारयेद्भस्म मोक्षकामी च वै द्विजः
Whether desiring long life, wisdom, prosperity, or liberation, one should always wear the sacred ash, O twice-born.
त्रिपुण्ड्रं परमं पुण्यं ब्रह्मविष्णुशिवात्मकम् । ये घोरा राक्षसाः प्रेता ये चान्ये क्षुद्रजन्तवः
The three-lined mark is supremely holy, embodying Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva; those fierce demons, spirits, and other small creatures—
त्रिपुण्ड्रधारणं दृष्ट्वा पलायन्ते न संशयः । कृत्वा शौचादिकं कर्म स्नात्वा तु विमले जले
Upon seeing the wearing of the three-lined mark, they flee without doubt; after performing purification and bathing in pure water—
भस्मनोद्धूलनं कार्यमापादतलमस्तकम् । केवलं वारुणं स्नानं देहे बाह्यमलापहम्
One should apply the ash from the soles of the feet to the crown of the head; even the Varuna bath only removes external impurity from the body.
विभूतिस्तानमनघं बाह्यान्तरमलापहम् । त्यक्त्वापि वारुणं स्नानं तत्परः स्यान्न संशयः
The sacred ash is faultless and removes both external and internal impurity; even if the Varuna bath is abandoned, one devoted to this remains without doubt.
कृतमप्यकृतं सत्यं भस्मस्नानं विना मुने । भस्मस्नानं श्रुतिप्रोक्तमाग्नेयं स्नानमुच्यते
Even if bathing is performed, it is not truly accomplished without the ash bath, O sage; the ash bath, spoken of in the scriptures, is called the fire bath.
अन्तर्बहिश्च संशुद्धं शिवपूजाफलं लभेत् । यद्बाह्यमलमात्रस्य नाशकं स्तानमस्ति तत्
Purified within and without, one attains the fruit of Shiva worship; for the removal of only external impurity, there is a place for that.
तन्नाशयति तीव्रेण प्राणिबाह्यान्तरं मलम् । कृत्वापि कोटिशो नित्यं वारुणं स्नानमादरात्
That ash intensely destroys the impurity within and without living beings; even if one performs the Varuna bath countless times with devotion—
न भवत्येव पूतात्मा भस्मस्नानं विना मुने । यद्भस्मस्नानमाहाम्यं तद्वेदो वेद तत्त्वतः
One does not become truly pure without the ash bath, O sage; the ash bath is declared in the Vedas, and the Veda knows its essence.
यद्वा वेद महादेवः सर्वदेवशिखामणिः । भस्मस्नानमकृत्वैव यः कुर्यात्कर्म वैदिकम्
Whatever the Veda or Mahadeva, the crest-jewel of all gods, declares; if one performs Vedic rites without the ash bath—
स तत्कर्मकलार्धार्धमपि नाप्नोति वस्तुतः । यः करिष्यति यत्नेन भस्मस्नानं यथाविधि
He does not truly attain even a fraction of the merit of that action; but whoever diligently performs the ash bath according to the rule—
स एवैकः सर्वकर्मस्वधिकारी श्रुतिश्रुतः । पावनं पावनानां च भस्मस्नानं श्रुतिश्रुतम्
He alone, heard in the scriptures, is qualified for all actions; the ash bath, spoken of in the scriptures, is the purifier of purifiers.
न करिष्यति यो मोहात्स महापातकी भवेत् । अनन्तैर्वारुणैः स्नानैर्यत्पुण्यं प्राप्यते द्विजैः
Whoever neglects it out of delusion becomes a great sinner; whatever merit is gained by twice-born through countless Varuna baths—
ततोऽनन्तगुणं पुण्यं भस्मस्नानादवाप्यते । कालत्रयेऽपि कर्तव्यं भस्मस्नानं प्रयत्नतः
Even greater merit, multiplied endlessly, is attained from the ash bath; the ash bath should be performed diligently at all three times of day.
भस्मस्नानं स्मृतं श्रौतं तत्त्यागी पतितो भवेत् । मूत्राद्युत्सर्जनान्ते तु भस्मस्नानं प्रयत्नतः
The ash bath is remembered and prescribed in the scriptures; one who abandons it becomes fallen; after urination and other excretions, the ash bath should be performed diligently.
कर्तव्यमन्यथा पूता न भविष्यन्ति मानवाः । विधिवत्कृतशौचोऽपि भस्मस्नानं विना द्विजः
Otherwise, men will not become pure; even if purification is performed according to rule, a twice-born without the ash bath—