Shiva Purana (Books 1 & 7)

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.

ब्रह्मचारीगृहस्थोवावानप्रस्थोथवायतिः ब्रह्मक्षत्त्राश्चविट्शूद्रास्तथान्ये पतिताधमाः

Whether celibate student, householder, forest-dweller, or renunciant; whether brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra, or even the fallen and lowest—

उद्धूलनंत्रिपुंड्रं च धृत्वाशुद्धाभवंतिच भस्मनोविधिना सम्यक्पापराशिंविहाय च

By properly applying the sprinkling and tripuṇḍra with ash, they become pure, having cast off the heap of sins.

भस्मधारी विशेषेण स्त्रीगोहत्यादिपातकैः वीरहत्याश्वहत्याभ्यां मुच्यतेनात्र संशयः

Especially, the wearer of ash is freed from the sins of killing women or cows, and from the sins of killing a hero or a horse—there is no doubt of this.

परद्रव्यापहरणं परदाराभिमर्शनम् परनिन्दा परक्षेत्रहरणं परपीडनम्

Stealing another's property, touching another's wife, slandering others, taking another's field, and harming others—

सस्यारामादिहरणं गृहदाहादिकर्म च गोहिरण्यमहिष्यादितिलकम्बलवाससाम्

Stealing crops or gardens, burning houses, and acts such as stealing cows, gold, buffaloes, sesame, blankets, or garments—

अन्नधान्यजलादीनां नीचेभ्यश्चपरिग्रहः दशवेश्यामतंगीषु वृषलीषु नटीषु च

Taking food, grain, water, and the like from the lowly, and consorting with prostitutes, elephant-women, outcast women, and dancers—

रजस्वलासु कन्यासु विधवासु च मैथुनम् मांसचर्मरसादीनां लवणस्य च विक्रयः

Sexual union with menstruating women, maidens, or widows, and the sale of flesh, skin, marrow, or salt—

पैशुन्यं कूटवादश्च साक्षिमिथ्याभिलाषिणाम् एवमादीन्यसंख्यानि पापानि विधानि च सद्य एव विनश्यंति त्रिपुंड्रस्य च धारणात्

Slander, false accusation, and bearing false witness—such countless sins and offenses are instantly destroyed by the wearing of tripuṇḍra.

शिवद्रव्यापहरणंशिवनिंदाचकुत्रचित् निंदाचशिवभक्तानांप्रायश्चित्तैर्नशुद्ध्यति

The theft of Śiva's offerings, blasphemy against Śiva anywhere, and the slander of Śiva's devotees—these are not purified even by penances.

रुद्राक्षं यस्य गात्रेषु ललाटे तु त्रिपंड्रकम् सचांडालोपिसंपूज्यस्सर्ववर्णोत्तमोत्तमः

He who wears rudrākṣa on his body and tripuṇḍra on his forehead, even if he is an outcaste, is to be honored as the best among all classes.

यानितीर्थानिलोकेस्मिन्गंगाद्यास्सरितश्चयोः स्नातोभवतिसर्वत्रललाटेयस्त्रिपुंड्रकम्

Wherever there are holy places in this world, wherever there are rivers like the Gaṅgā, one who wears tripuṇḍra on the forehead is considered to have bathed in them all.

सप्तकोटि महामंत्राः पञ्चाक्षरपुरस्सराः तथान्ये कोटिशो मंत्राः शैवकैवल्यहेतवः

Seven crore great mantras, headed by the pañcākṣara, and countless other mantras that lead to Śaiva liberation—

अन्ये मंत्राश्च देवानां सर्वसौख्यकरामुने ते सर्वे तस्य वश्याः स्युर्यो बिभर्ति त्रिपुंड्रकम्

And other mantras of the gods that bestow all happiness, O sage—all these become subject to him who bears tripuṇḍra.

सहस्रं पूर्वजातानां सहस्रं जनयिष्यताम् स्ववंशजानां ज्ञातीनामुद्धरेद्यस्त्रिपुण्ड्रकृत्

He who applies tripuṇḍra rescues a thousand of his ancestors and a thousand of his future descendants, as well as his own kin.

इह भुक्त्वाखिलान्भोगान्दीर्घायुर्व्याधिवर्जितः जीवितांते च मरणं सुखेनैव प्रपद्यते

Here, enjoying all pleasures, long-lived and free from disease, at the end of life he attains death with ease.

अष्टैश्वर्यगुणोपेतंप्राप्यदिव्यवपुः शिवम् दिव्यंविमानमारुह्यदिव्यत्रिदशसेवितम्

Endowed with the eight qualities of prosperity, attaining a divine body, he ascends a celestial chariot, served by the gods.

विद्याधराणांसर्वेषांगंधर्वाणांमहौजसाम् इंद्रादिलोकपालानांलोकेषुचयथाक्रमम्

Among all the Vidyādharas, the mighty Gandharvas, and the guardians of the worlds led by Indra, he moves as he wishes in their realms.

भुक्त्वा भोगान्सुविपुलान्प्रजेशानां पदेषु च ब्रह्मणः पदमासाद्यतत्रकन्याशतंलमेत्

Enjoying abundant pleasures in the realms of the lords of creatures, attaining the abode of Brahmā, there he delights in a hundred maidens.

तत्र ब्रह्मायुषोमानंभुक्त्वाभोगाननेकशः विष्णोर्लोकेलभेद्भोगंयावद्ब्रह्मशतात्ययः

There, enjoying pleasures for the span of Brahmā's life, and in Viṣṇu's world experiencing pleasures until a hundred Brahmā-ages pass—

शिवलोकं ततः प्राप्य लब्ध्वेष्टं काममक्षयम् शिवसायुज्यमाप्नोतिसंशयोनात्रजायते

Then, attaining Śiva's world, obtaining his desired, inexhaustible wishes, he achieves union with Śiva; there is no doubt about this.