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—
प्रत्यवैत्येव येनासौ नाधिकारी तदा द्विजः । यथा श्रुत्वान्त्यजो वेदान्प्रत्यवैति तथा द्विजः
If a twice-born does not observe this, he loses his eligibility, just as an outcaste, though hearing the Vedas, is disqualified.
प्रत्यवैति न सन्देहः सन्ध्याकृद्भस्मवर्जितः । सम्पादनीय यत्नेन श्रौतं भस्म सदा द्विजैः
There is no doubt that one who neglects the sandhya ritual and the sacred ash becomes disqualified; therefore, twice-borns should always diligently prepare the Vedic ash.
स्मार्तं वा तदभावे तु लौकिकं वा समाहितैः । यादृशं तादृशं वास्तु पवित्रं भस्म सन्ततम्
In the absence of Vedic ash, one should use the smārta or even worldly ash with concentration; whatever kind it may be, let the ash always be pure.
धारणीयं प्रयत्नेन द्विजैः सन्ध्यादिकर्मसु । न संविशन्ति पापानि भस्मनिष्ठे ततः सदा
Twice-borns should carefully apply the ash during sandhya and other rites; sins never attach to those who are devoted to the ash.
कर्तव्यमपि यत्नेन ब्राह्मणैर्भस्मधारणम् । मध्याङ्गुलित्रयेणैव स्वदक्षिणकरस्य तु
Brahmins must diligently apply the ash, using the middle three fingers of their right hand.
षडङ्गुलायतं मानमपि चाधिकमानकम् । नेत्रयुग्मप्रमाणेन भाले दीप्तं त्रिपुण्ड्रकम्
The measure should be six finger-widths or more; on the forehead, the shining tripuṇḍra should be made, matching the width of both eyes.
कदाचिद्भस्मना कुर्यात्स रुद्रो नात्र संशयः । अकारोऽनामिका प्रोक्त उकारो मध्यमाङ्गुलिः
Sometimes one should make the tripuṇḍra with ash; there is no doubt that this is Rudra's act. The letter 'a' is applied with the ring finger, 'u' with the middle finger,
मकारस्तर्जनी तस्मात् त्रिपुण्ड्रं त्रिगुणात्मकम् । त्रिपुण्ड्रं मध्यमातर्जन्यनामाभिरनुलोमतः
'ma' with the index finger; thus, the tripuṇḍra is of threefold nature. The tripuṇḍra is to be drawn in order with the middle, index, and ring fingers.
अत्र ते कथयाम्येनमितिहासं पुरातनम् । कदाचिदथ दुर्वासाः पितृलोकं गतोऽभवत्
Now I will tell you an ancient story about this. Once, Durvāsas went to the realm of the ancestors.
भस्मसन्दिग्धसर्वाङ्गो रुद्राक्षाभरणान्वितः । शिव शङ्कर सर्वात्मञ्छ्रीमातर्जगदम्बिके
His whole body was smeared with ash, adorned with rudrākṣa beads; he recited the names 'Śiva, Śaṅkara, Sarvātman, Śrī Mātṛ, Jagadambikā' loudly, the crest-jewel among ascetics.