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.
नामानीति गृणन्नुच्चैस्तापसानां शिखामणिः । कव्यवाडादयस्ते तु प्रत्युत्थानाभिवादनैः
Those like Kavyavāha and others honored him with rising, greetings, and other courtesies.
आसनाद्युपचारैश्च सम्मानं बहु चक्रिरे । नानाकथाभिरन्योन्यं सम्भाषाञ्चक्रिरे तदा
They offered him seats and other forms of respect, and engaged in various conversations with one another.
तस्मिंस्तु समये कुम्भीपाकस्थानां तु पापिनाम् । घोरः समभवच्छब्दो हा हताः स्मेतिवादिनाम्
At that time, from those suffering in Kumbhīpāka, a dreadful sound arose, of people crying, 'Alas, we are destroyed!'
मृताः स्मेति वदन्त्येके दग्धाः स्मेति परे जगुः । छिन्नाः स्मेति विभिन्नाः स्मेत्येवं रोदनकारिणः
Some were saying, 'We are dead,' others sang, 'We are burned,' still others cried, 'We are cut,' 'We are split,' thus causing lamentation.
श्रुत्वा तं करुण शब्दं दुःखितो मुनिराड् हृदि । पप्रच्छ पितृनाथांस्तान्केषां शब्दोऽयमित्यपि
Hearing that pitiful sound, the sage-king was distressed at heart and asked the ancestors, 'Whose sound is this?'
ते समूचुर्मुनेऽत्रैव पुरी संयमनी परा । वर्तते यमराडत्र पापिनां भोगदायकः
They replied, 'O sage, here in this very city, the great Saṃyamanī, Yama rules, dispensing the fruits to sinners.'
नानादूतैः कालरूपैः कृष्णवर्णेर्भयङ्करैः । सहितोऽत्रैव तत्पुर्यां नायको विद्यतेऽनघ
'There, accompanied by various terrifying, black, time-formed messengers, the lord presides in that city, O sinless one.'
तत्र कुण्डान्यनेकानि पापिनां भोगदानि च । षडशीतिर्घोररूपैर्दूतैः परिवृतानि च
'There are many pits for the enjoyment of sinners, surrounded by eighty-six dreadful-looking messengers.'
तत्र मुख्यतमं कुण्डं कुम्भीपाकाभिधं महत् । वर्तते तद्गतानां च यातनानां तु वर्णनम्
There, the foremost pit called Kumbhipaka, vast in size, exists; and the description of the torments endured by those who enter it follows.
कर्तुं न शक्यते कैश्चिदपि वर्षशतैरपि । ये शिवद्रोहिणः सन्ति तथा देवीविनिन्दकाः
No one is able to describe them, not even in hundreds of years; such are those who are enemies of Shiva and those who revile the Goddess.