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—
न भविष्यति पूतात्मा नाधिकार्यपि कर्मणि । अपानवायुनिर्याते जृम्भणे स्कन्दने क्षुते
He does not become pure in soul, nor is he qualified for ritual action; after the expulsion of wind, yawning, sneezing—
श्लेष्मोद्गारेऽपि कर्तव्यं भस्मस्नानं प्रयत्नतः । श्रीभस्मस्नानमाहात्म्यस्यैकदेशोऽत्र वर्णितः
Even after expectoration, the ash bath should be performed diligently; here a portion of the glory of the sacred ash bath has been described.
पुनश्च सम्प्रवक्ष्यामि भस्मस्नानोत्थितं फलम् । सावधानेन मनसा श्रोतव्यं मुनिपुङ्गव
Again, I shall declare the result that arises from bathing with ashes; O best of sages, listen with attentive mind.
त्रिपुण्ड्रोर्ध्वपुण्ड्रधारणविधिवर्णनम् त्रिपुण्ड्रोर्ध्वपुण्ड्रधारणविधिवर्णनम् श्रीनारायण उवाच अग्निरित्यादिभिर्मन्त्रैर्भस्म संशोध्य सादरम् । धारणीयं ललाटादौ त्रिपुण्ड्रं केवलं द्विजैः
Description of the method for applying tripuṇḍra and ūrdhvapuṇḍra. Śrī Nārāyaṇa said: With the mantras beginning with 'Agni', one should respectfully purify the ashes; then, only the twice-born should apply the tripuṇḍra on the forehead and other places.
ब्रह्मक्षत्रियवैश्याश्च एते सर्वे द्विजाः स्मृताः । तस्माद्द्विजैः प्रयत्नेन त्रिपुण्ड्रं धार्यमन्वहम्
Brahmins, Kṣatriyas, and Vaiśyas—all these are considered twice-born; therefore, the twice-born should diligently wear the tripuṇḍra every day.
यस्योपनयनं ब्रह्मन् स एव द्विज उच्यते । तस्माच्छ्रौतं द्विजैः कार्यं त्रिपुण्ड्रस्य च धारणम्
He whose initiation (upanayana) has been performed, O Brahmin, is called a twice-born; therefore, the twice-born should perform the prescribed wearing of tripuṇḍra.
विभूतिधारणं त्यक्त्वा यः सत्कर्म समाचरेत् । तत्कृतं चाकृतप्रायं भवत्येव न संशयः
Whoever abandons the wearing of sacred ash and performs righteous acts, those acts are mostly rendered fruitless—there is no doubt of this.
न गायत्र्युपदेशोऽपि भस्मनो धारणं विना । ततो धृत्वैव भस्माङ्गे गायत्रीजपमाचरेत्
Even the instruction in the Gāyatrī is not to be given without the wearing of ash; therefore, having applied ash to the body, one should recite the Gāyatrī.
गायत्रीं मूलमेवाहुर्ब्राह्मण्ये मुनिपुङ्गव । सा भस्मधारणाभावे न केनाप्युपदिश्यते
O best of sages, they say the Gāyatrī is the very root of Brāhmaṇahood; but in the absence of wearing ash, it is not to be imparted by anyone.
न तावदधिकारोऽस्ति गायत्रीग्रहणे मुने । यावन्न भस्म भालादौ धृतमग्निसमुद्भवम्
There is no eligibility, O sage, for receiving the Gāyatrī until the ash, born of fire, is applied to the forehead and other places.
भस्महीनललाटत्वं न ब्रह्मण्यानुमापकम् । एवमेव मया ब्रह्मन् हेतुरुक्तः सुपुण्यदः
The absence of ash on the forehead does not indicate Brāhmaṇahood; thus, O Brahmin, I have stated the reason, which bestows great merit.
मन्त्रपूतं सितं भस्म ललाटे परिवर्तते । स एव ब्राह्मणो विद्वान्सत्यं सत्यं मयोच्यते
He in whom the white ash, purified by mantra, is seen on the forehead—that one alone is a wise Brāhmaṇa; this is the truth, the truth I declare.
यस्यास्ति सहजा प्रीतिर्मणिवद्भस्मसंग्रहे । स एव ब्राह्मणो ब्रह्मन् सत्यं सत्यं मयोच्यते
He who has natural delight, like for a jewel, in collecting ash—that one alone is a Brāhmaṇa, O Brahmin; this is the truth, the truth I declare.
न यस्य सहजा प्रीतिर्मणिवद्भस्मसंग्रहे । स चाण्डाल इति ज्ञेयो जन्मजन्मान्तरे ध्रुवम्
He who has no natural delight, like for a jewel, in collecting ash—know him to be a caṇḍāla, certainly, in birth after birth.
न यस्य सहजा प्रीतिस्त्रिपुण्ड्रोद्धूलनादिषु । स चाण्डाल इति ज्ञेयः सत्यं सत्यं मयोच्यते
He who has no natural delight in the application and removal of tripuṇḍra—know him to be a caṇḍāla; this is the truth, the truth I declare.
ये भस्मधारणं त्यक्त्वा भुञ्जन्ते च फलादिकम् । ते सर्वे नरकं घोरं प्राप्नुवन्ति न संशयः
Those who, abandoning the wearing of ash, partake of fruits and such—all of them attain terrible hell, without doubt.
(विभूतिधारणं त्यक्त्वा यः शिवं पूजयिष्यति । स दुर्भगः शिवद्वेष्टा स द्वेषो नरकप्रदः । सर्वकर्मबहिर्भूतो भस्मधारणवर्जितः ॥) विभूतिधारणं त्यक्त्वा कुर्वन् हेमतुलामपि । न तत्फलमवाप्नोति पतितो हि भवेद्धि सः
Abandoning the wearing of sacred ash, even if one performs acts like weighing gold, he does not obtain that fruit; indeed, he falls.
यथोपवीतरहितैः सन्ध्या न क्रियते द्विजैः । तथा सन्ध्या न कर्तव्या विभूतिरहितैरपि
Just as the twice-born do not perform the sandhyā without the sacred thread, so too, sandhyā should not be performed by those without sacred ash.
गतोपवीतैः सन्ध्यायां कार्यः प्रतिनिधिः क्वचित् । जपादिकं तु सावित्र्यास्तथैवोपोषणादिकम्
If the sacred thread is lost, a substitute may sometimes be used for sandhyā; likewise, for the recitation of Sāvitrī and other observances.
विभूतिधारणे त्वन्यो नास्ति प्रतिनिधिः क्वचित् । विभूतिधारणं त्यक्त्वा यदि सन्ध्यां करोति यः
But for the wearing of sacred ash, there is never any substitute; if one performs sandhyā after abandoning the wearing of ash—