Shiva Purana (Books 1 & 7)

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.

नाश्नीयाज्जलमन्नमल्पमपिवा भस्माक्षधृत्याविना भुक्त्वावाथगृहीवनीपतियतिर्वर्णीतथासंकरः एनोभुङ्नरकंप्रयातिसतदागायत्रिजापेनतद्वर्णानां तु यतेस्तु मुख्यप्रणवाजपेन मुक्तंभवेत्

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. But by reciting the Gāyatrī, those of the prescribed castes, and for renunciants by reciting the chief Praṇava, are freed.

त्रिपुंड्रं ये विनिंदंति निन्दन्तिशिवमेवते धारयंतिचयेभक्त्या धारयन्ति तमेवते

Those who revile the tripuṇḍra, revile Śiva himself; and those who wear it with devotion, truly wear him.

धिग्भस्मरहितं भालंधिग्ग्राममशिवालयम् धिगनीशार्चनं जन्मधिग्विद्यामशिवाश्रयाम्

Shame on a forehead without ash, shame on a village that is not a dwelling of Śiva, shame on worship of the Lord that is not genuine, and shame on knowledge that is rooted in what is not Śiva.

येनिंदंतिमहेश्वरंत्रिजगतामाधारभूतंहरं ये निन्दंतित्रिपुंड्रधारणकरं दोषस्तु तद्दर्शने तेवैसंकरसूकरासुरखरश्वक्रोष्टुकीटोपमाजाता एव भवंतिपापपरमास्तेनारकाः केवलम्

Those who revile the great Lord, the support of the three worlds, the destroyer, and those who revile the act of wearing tripuṇḍra—merely seeing them brings fault. They are born like outcastes, pigs, demons, donkeys, dogs, jackals, and worms, and are utterly sinful, destined only for hell.

तेदृष्ट्वा शशिभास्करौनिशि दिनेस्वप्नेपिनोकेवलंपश्यंतुश्रुतिरुद्रसूक्तजपतोमुच्येततेनादृताः सत्संभाषणतोभवेद्धिनरकंनिस्तारवानास्थितंयेभस्मादिविधारणंहिपुरुषंनिंदंतिमंदाहिते

If such people are seen by the moon or sun, by night or day, 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.

नतांत्रिकस्त्वधिकृतोनोर्ध्वपुंड्रधरोमुने संतप्तचक्रचिह्नोत्रशिवयज्ञेबहिष्कृतः

O sage, one who is not a follower of the Tantras, nor authorized, but wears the upward-marked tripuṇḍra, or the mark of a heated disc, is excluded from Śiva's sacrifices.

तत्रैतेबहवोलोकाबृहज्जाबालचोदिताः तेविचार्याःप्रयत्नेनततोभस्मरतोभवेत्

There are many people, as taught in the Bṛhadjābāla, who are to be carefully examined; only those devoted to ash should be accepted.

यच्चंदनैश्चंदनकेपिमिश्रंधार्यंहिभस्मैवत्रिपुंड्रभस्मना विभूतिभालोपरिकिंचनापिधार्यंसदानोयदिसंतिबुद्धयः

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.

स्त्रीभिस्त्रिपुण्ड्रमलकावधि धारणीयं भस्मद्विजादिभिरथो विधवाभिरेवम् तद्वत्सदाश्रमवतां विशदाविभूतिर्धार्यापवर्गफलदासकलाघहन्त्री

Women should wear the tripuṇḍra up to the hairline; ash should be worn by 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.

त्रिपुण्ड्रंकुरुतेयस्तु भस्मना विधिपूर्वकम् महापातकसंघातैर्मुच्यते चोपपातकैः

Whoever properly applies the tripuṇḍra with ash according to the rite is freed from the mass of great sins and also from lesser transgressions.