Shiva Purana (Books 1 & 7)

उद्धूलनंत्रिपुंड्रंचश्रद्धयानाचरंतिये तेषांनास्तिविनिमुंक्तिस्संसाराज्जन्मकोटिभिः

Those who apply the tripuṇḍra with faith are never released from saṃsāra even after millions of births.

उद्धूलनंत्रिपुंड्रंचश्रद्धयानाचरन्तिये तेषांनास्तिशिवज्ञानंकल्पकोटिशतैरपि

Those who apply the tripuṇḍra with faith do not attain knowledge of Śiva even after hundreds of millions of aeons.

उद्धूलनंत्रिपुंड्रं च श्रद्धयानाचरन्तिये तेमहापातकैर्युक्ता इतिशास्त्रीयनिर्णयः

Those who apply the tripuṇḍra with faith are said by the scriptures to be associated with great sins.

उद्धूलनंत्रिपुंड्रंचश्रद्धयानाचरन्ति ये तेषामाचरितं सर्वंविपरीतफलाय हि

Whatever is performed by those who apply the tripuṇḍra with faith, all of it leads to contrary results.

महापातकयुक्तानां जंतूनांशर्वविद्विषाम् त्रिपुंड्रोद्धूलनद्वेषोजायतेसुदृढं मुने

For those beings afflicted by great sins and haters of Śarva, a strong aversion arises towards the application of the tripuṇḍra, O sage.

शिवाग्निकार्यं यः कृत्वाकुर्यात्त्रियायुषात्मवित् मुच्यतेसर्वपापैस्तुस्पृष्टेनभस्मनानरः

He who, having performed the Śiva fire rite, applies the tripuṇḍra with ash, is freed from all sins, even if he has a short lifespan.

सितेनभस्मनाकुर्यात्त्रिसन्ध्यंयस्त्रिपुण्ड्रकम् सर्वपापविनिर्मुक्तः शिवेनसहमोदते

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.

सितेनभस्मना कुर्यालाटे तु त्रिपुण्ड्रकम् योसावनादिभूतान्हिलोकानाप्तो मृतोभवेत्

He who applies the tripuṇḍra with white ash on the forehead attains the worlds beginning with Brahmā, and upon death, is liberated.

अकृत्वा भस्मनास्नानं न जपेद्वैषडक्षरम् त्रिपुंड्रं च रचित्वा तु विधिनाभस्मनाजपेत्

Without bathing with ash, one should not recite the six-syllable mantra; but having properly applied the tripuṇḍra with ash, one should recite it.

अदयो वाधमो वापि सर्वपापान्वितोपि वा उषःपापान्वितो वापिमूर्खो वा पतितोपि वा

Whether one is noble or base, even if burdened with every sin, tainted by the sins of dawn, ignorant, or fallen—

यस्मिन्देशेवसेन्नित्यंभूतिशासनसंयुतः सर्वतीर्थैश्चक्रतुभिःसांनिध्यंक्रियतेसदा

In whatever place the command of Bhūti is always observed, there, through all sacred fords and sacrifices, presence is ever established.

त्रिपुंड्रसहितो जीवः पूज्यः सर्वैः सुरासुरैः पापान्वितोपि शुद्धात्मा किं पुनः श्रद्धया युतः

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.

यस्मिन्देशे शिवज्ञानी भूतिशासनसंयुतः गतो यदृच्छयाद्यापि तस्मिस्तीर्थाः समागताः

Wherever a knower of Śiva, observing the command of Bhūti, happens to go by chance, there all sacred fords are gathered.

बहुनात्रकिमुक्तेनधार्यंभस्मसदा बुधैः लिंगार्चनंसदाकार्यंजप्योमंत्रःषडक्षरः

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.

ब्रह्मणाविष्णुनावापि रुद्रेणमुनिभिः सुरैः भस्मधारणमाहात्म्यंनशक्यंपरिभाषितुम्

Not even Brahmā, Viṣṇu, Rudra, sages, or gods are able to fully describe the greatness of wearing ash.

इति वर्णाश्रमाचारोलुप्तवर्णक्रियोपि च पापात्सकृत्त्रिपुंड्रस्यधारणात्सोपिमुच्यते

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.

येभस्मधारिणंत्यक्त्वाकर्मकुर्वंतिमानवाः तेषां नास्तिविनिर्मोक्षः संसाराज्जन्मकोटिभिः

Those people who, neglecting the wearer of ash, perform rituals—there is no liberation for them from saṃsāra, even after millions of births.

ते नाधीतंगुरोःसर्वंतेनसर्वमनुष्ठितम् येनविप्रेणशिरसित्रिपुंड्रंभस्मनाकृतम्

Whatever has been learned from the teacher, whatever has been performed, is all in vain for that brāhmaṇa who has not marked his head with the tripuṇḍra of ash.

ये भस्मधारिणं दृष्ट्वानराः कुर्वंतिताडनम् तेषांचंडालतोजन्मब्रह्मन्नूह्यंविपश्चिता

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.

मानस्तोकेनमंत्रेणमंत्रितंभस्मधारयेत् ब्राह्मणःक्षत्रियश्चैव प्रोक्तेष्वंगेषुभक्तिमान्

A brāhmaṇa or kṣatriya, devoted, should apply ash that has been consecrated with the mantra 'mānastokena' to the prescribed limbs.

वैश्यस्त्रियंबकेनैवशूद्रःपञ्चाक्षरेणतु अन्येषां विधवास्त्रीणां विधिः प्रोक्तश्चशूद्रवत्

A vaiśya should use the Triyambaka mantra, and a śūdra the Pañcākṣara; for others, widows, and women, the rule is as for the śūdra.

पञ्चब्रह्मादिमनुभिर्गृहस्थस्यविधीयते त्रियंबकेनमनुनाविधिर्वैब्रह्मचारिणः

For a householder, the application is prescribed with mantras beginning with the five Brahmas; for a brahmacārin, with the Triyambaka mantra.

अघोरेणाथमनुनाविपिनस्थविधिःस्मृतः यतिस्तुप्रणवेनैव त्रिपुंड्रादीनिकारयेत्

For one dwelling in the forest, the rule is with the Aghora mantra; but a renunciant should make the tripuṇḍra and other marks with the Praṇava alone.

अतिवर्णाश्रमीनित्यंशिवोहंभावनात्परात् शिवयोगी च नियतमीशानेनापि धारयेत्

One who always transcends caste and stage of life, by the supreme contemplation 'I am Śiva,' and the Śiva yogī as well, should regularly apply it with the Īśāna mantra.

न त्याज्यं सर्ववर्णैश्च भस्मधारणमुत्तमम् अन्यैरपि यथाजीवैस्सदेति शिवशासनम्

The supreme wearing of ash is never to be abandoned by any caste; for others too, as long as life lasts, this is the command of Śiva.

भस्मस्नानेनयावंतः कणाः स्वाङ्गेप्रतिष्ठिताः तावंति शिवलिंगानि तनौधत्तेहिधारकः

As many particles of ash as remain on one's own body after bathing in ash, so many liṅgas of Śiva does the wearer bear.

ब्राह्मणाः क्षत्रियावैश्याः शूद्राश्चापि च संकराः स्त्रियोथविधवाबालाः प्राप्ताः पाखंडिकास्तथा

Brāhmaṇas, kṣatriyas, vaiśyas, śūdras, mixed castes, women, widows, children, and even heretics—

ब्रह्मचारीगृहीवन्यःसंन्यासीवाव्रतीतथा नार्योभस्मत्रिपुंड्रांकामुक्ता एवनसंशयः

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.

ज्ञानधृज्ञानतोवापिवह्निदाहसमोयथा ज्ञानाज्ञानधृतंभस्मपावयेत्सकलंनरम्

Just as fire burns equally, whether it is fueled by knowledge or ignorance, so too does ash, worn with knowledge or ignorance, purify a person completely.