O Śaunaka, listen with attention to this sacred teaching. One who is ever purified by the application of holy ash and who utters the name of Śiva with deep reverence transcends even the most fearsome cycle of worldly existence. Such is the power of Śiva’s name that, even if a person has committed grave sins—whether stealing the wealth of Brahmins or taking the lives of many Brahmins—if he recites Śiva’s name with devotion, he remains untouched by those sins. Indeed, the wise have examined all the Vedas and have proclaimed that reciting Śiva’s name is the supreme means to cross over the ocean of worldly bondage. Why elaborate further, O best of sages? In a single statement, know this: the greatness of Śiva’s name lies in its power to destroy all sins. No sin is so great that it cannot be cleansed by the purifying power of Śambhu’s name. There is not a single person whose sins cannot be removed by it. By the force of Śiva’s name, King Indradyumna, though once a great sinner, attained supreme blessedness, O sage. Similarly, a certain twice-born woman, though burdened with many sins, also attained the highest good through the power of Śiva’s name. Thus, O best of the twice-born, I have told you the supreme glory of the name of Śiva. Now, listen to the greatness of ash, which purifies all impurities. There are two kinds of ash described, both supremely auspicious. I will now explain their forms; listen carefully. One is known as ‘great ash’ and the other as ‘lesser ash.’ The great ash is of many excellent kinds, and is further divided into three types: śrauta, smārta, and laukika. The lesser ash, too, is described in various ways. Śrauta and smārta ash are prescribed only for twice-born men, while for all others, the laukika ash is to be used. The practice of applying ash with mantra has been taught by wise sages for the twice-born; for others, only the application without mantra is to be performed. Ash that arises from cow dung burned to cinders is called ‘āgneya,’ and this too is the substance for marking the tripuṇḍra, O great sage. Those who know should take ash from the agnihotra or from other sacrifices for the application of the tripuṇḍra. With mantras beginning with ‘Agni,’ as found in the Jābāla Upaniṣad, one should sprinkle the ash seven times with water taken into the mouth. For all castes and stages of life, whether with mantra or without, the application of the tripuṇḍra is prescribed by the Jābālas, always with reverence. Even if done by mistake, the application of ash and the transverse tripuṇḍra should never be abandoned by those who seek liberation, so the tradition declares. Śiva, Viṣṇu, Umā Devī, Lakṣmī, and other goddesses themselves always wear the transverse tripuṇḍra. All—brāhmaṇas, kṣatriyas, vaiśyas, and śūdras, whether refined or not—should apply the tripuṇḍra made of ash with their own hands. Those who apply the tripuṇḍra with faith are not bound by the distinctions of caste or stage of life. But, O sage, those who apply the tripuṇḍra with faith are never released from saṃsāra, even after millions of births. They do not attain knowledge of Śiva, even after hundreds of millions of aeons. The scriptures say that those who apply the tripuṇḍra with faith are associated with great sins, and whatever they perform leads to contrary results. For those beings afflicted by great sins and who hate Śarva, there arises a strong aversion towards the application of the tripuṇḍra, O sage. Yet, he who, having performed the Śiva fire rite, applies the tripuṇḍra with ash, is freed from all sins, even if his lifespan is short. He who applies the tripuṇḍra with white ash at the three junctions of the day is freed from all sins and rejoices together with Śiva. He who applies the tripuṇḍra with white ash on his forehead attains the worlds beginning with Brahmā, and upon death, is liberated. Without bathing with ash, one should not recite the six-syllable mantra, but after properly applying the tripuṇḍra with ash, one may recite it. Whether one is noble or base, burdened with every sin, tainted by the faults of dawn, ignorant, or fallen—in whatever place the command of Bhūti is observed, there, all sacred fords and sacrifices are ever present. A living being marked with the three lines is to be honored by all gods and demons; even if sinful, he is pure in soul—how much more so if endowed with faith! Wherever a knower of Śiva, observing the command of Bhūti, happens to go, there all sacred fords are gathered. What more needs to be said? The wise should always bear the sacred ash; worship of the liṅga and recitation of the six-syllabled mantra must always be performed. Not even Brahmā, Viṣṇu, Rudra, the sages, or the gods are able to fully describe the greatness of wearing ash. Thus, even one who has abandoned the duties of caste and stage of life, or whose caste rites are lost, is freed from sin by merely wearing the tripuṇḍra once. Those people who, neglecting the wearer of ash, perform rituals—there is no liberation for them from saṃsāra, even after millions of births. Whatever a brāhmaṇa has learned from his teacher, whatever he has performed, is all in vain if he has not marked his head with the tripuṇḍra of ash. Those men who, seeing a wearer of ash, commit violence against him—the wise know that their birth is lower than that of a caṇḍāla. Thus, O Śaunaka, the supreme glory and sanctity of Śiva’s name and the sacred ash have been revealed.