O sage, hear of the supreme and sacred greatness of the tripuṇḍra, the threefold lines of holy ash. Those who, with faith and devotion, apply the tripuṇḍra upon their bodies are said to move beyond the bounds of caste and stage of life; their conduct is no longer measured by such distinctions. Yet, if such application is done without the right understanding, even though it is performed faithfully, it is taught that these people remain bound in saṃsāra, the endless cycle of birth and death, for countless lives. Even after hundreds of millions of aeons, they do not attain the true knowledge of Śiva. The scriptures declare that such acts, performed mechanically or with misunderstanding, are linked to great sins, and every deed of theirs leads to contrary results. For those beings who are deeply afflicted by sin and harbor hatred toward Lord Śarva, a powerful aversion arises against the very sight or thought of the tripuṇḍra. But, O sage, one who has performed the sacred Śiva fire rite and then applies the tripuṇḍra with holy ash is freed from all sins, even if his lifespan is short. He who applies the white ash at the three junctions of the day is freed from all sins and rejoices in the company of Śiva. When the tripuṇḍra of white ash is placed upon the forehead, such a person attains the highest worlds, beginning with Brahmā, and upon death, achieves liberation. It is said that one should not recite the six-syllabled mantra of Śiva without first bathing with ash and properly applying the tripuṇḍra; only then should the sacred mantra be uttered. No matter whether a person is noble or base, burdened with every sin, tainted by the wrongdoings of the dawn, ignorant, or fallen—wherever the command of Bhūti, the sacred ash, is observed, there all the merits of sacred fords and sacrifices are ever present. A living being marked with the three lines of ash is to be honored by all gods and demons. Even if sinful, he is pure in soul—how much more so if he is endowed with true faith. Wherever a knower of Śiva, observing the command of Bhūti, happens to go, there all the sacred fords are gathered together. What more can be said? The wise should always bear the sacred ash. Worship of the liṅga and recitation of the six-syllabled mantra must never be neglected. Not even Brahmā, Viṣṇu, Rudra, the sages, or the gods themselves can fully describe the greatness of wearing ash. Even one who has abandoned the duties of caste and stage of life, or whose caste rites have been lost, is freed from sin by wearing the tripuṇḍra just once. Those who ignore or neglect the wearer of ash and perform rituals without honoring him—such people find no liberation from saṃsāra, even after millions of births. Whatever has been learned from a teacher or performed in ritual is all in vain for a brāhmaṇa who has not marked his head with the tripuṇḍra of ash. Those who, upon seeing a wearer of ash, commit violence against him are known by the wise to be of a birth lower than even a caṇḍāla, the lowest of the low. A brāhmaṇa or kṣatriya who is devoted should apply ash consecrated with the 'mānastokena' mantra to the prescribed limbs. A vaiśya should use the Triyambaka mantra, and a śūdra the Pañcākṣara; for others, widows, and women, the rule is the same as for the śūdra. For a householder, the application should be accompanied by mantras beginning with the five Brahmas; for a brahmacārin, with the Triyambaka mantra. For one dwelling in the forest, the Aghora mantra is prescribed, while a renunciant should use only the Praṇava to make the tripuṇḍra and other marks. One who always transcends caste and stage of life, meditating supremely on 'I am Śiva,' as well as the Śiva yogī, should regularly apply the ash with the Īśāna mantra. The supreme wearing of ash is never to be abandoned by any caste; for all, as long as life lasts, this is the command of Śiva. As many particles of ash as remain on the body after bathing in ash, so many liṅgas of Śiva does the wearer bear. Brāhmaṇas, kṣatriyas, vaiśyas, śūdras, those of mixed castes, women, widows, children, and even heretics—whether a celibate student, householder, forest-dweller, renunciant, or one observing vows, and women as well—those who bear the marks of ash and tripuṇḍra are liberated, without doubt. Just as fire burns equally, whether fueled by knowledge or ignorance, so too does ash, worn with or without knowledge, purify a person completely. One should not eat even a little water or food without wearing ash or tripuṇḍra; if one does so—whether householder, forest-dweller, king, renunciant, or of mixed caste—one goes to hell. Yet by reciting the Gāyatrī, those of the prescribed castes, and for renunciants by reciting the chief Praṇava, are freed. Those who revile the tripuṇḍra revile Śiva himself, and those who wear it with devotion truly wear him. Shame be upon a forehead without ash, shame upon a village not a dwelling of Śiva, shame upon worship of the Lord that is not genuine, and shame upon knowledge that is not rooted in Śiva. Those who revile the great Lord, the support of the three worlds, the destroyer, and those who revile the act of wearing tripuṇḍra—even seeing such people brings fault. They are born as outcastes, pigs, demons, donkeys, dogs, jackals, and worms, utterly sinful and destined for hell. If such people are seen by the moon or sun, by day or night, or even in a dream, one should at once recite the Rudra Sūkta from the Vedas; by doing so, one is freed. Through respectful conversation with the virtuous, one is delivered from hell. But those who revile the practice of wearing ash and the like are certainly bound for hell. O sage, one who is not a follower of the Tantras nor properly authorized, but who wears the upward-marked tripuṇḍra or the mark of a heated disc, is excluded from Śiva's sacrifices. There are many people, as taught in the Bṛhadjābāla, who must be carefully examined; only those devoted to the ash are to be accepted. If ash is mixed with sandalwood or sandal paste and applied as tripuṇḍra, nothing else should ever be placed above the ash on the forehead, if one has discernment. Women should wear the tripuṇḍra up to the hairline; ash should be worn by the twice-born and others, as well as by widows. Likewise, those in the four stages of life should always wear clear vibhūti, which grants liberation and destroys all sins. Whoever properly applies the tripuṇḍra with ash according to the rite is freed from the mass of great sins and also from lesser transgressions. Thus is the supreme glory of the tripuṇḍra and the sacred ash, O sage—an eternal command of Śiva, a path to purity, merit, and liberation.