The Greatness of Tripundra/Vibhuti mentioned in the Shiva Puranam

The Vishvesvarasamhita of the Shiva Purana explains in detail the great benefits to be had by applying Bhasma & Tripundra. It also explains in great detail the significance of the Tripundra; how, why & where to apply it.

Rishi Suta in the above Shloka says the Bhasma are of two types. One is known as Mahabhasma (great ashes) & the other is called the Svalpa (the little) . The Maha Bhasma is classified into many different types.

तद्भस्मत्रिविधंप्रोक्तंश्रोतंस्मार्तंचलौकिकम् । भस्मैव स्वल्पसंज्ञंहिबहुधापरिकीर्तितम् ॥ 

Maha Bhasma is of 3 types. 1st one is obtained from Shrauta rites, the 2nd through Smartha rites & the 3rd is Laukika, which is prepared from ordinary fire.

It is mandated for the dwijas to chant mantras while applying the Bhasma. The others can simply apply without any mantra.

People belonging to all the Varnas and Ashramas can put on the Tripundra on the forehead or dust their bodies with the mantras mentioned in the Jabala Upanishad or if no mantra is used they shall do the same with reverence.

The one who makes the Tripundra on the forehead with white ashes shall attain, on death, the primordial worlds. 

Brahmins, Kshatriyas, Vaishyas, Shudras, people of mixed castes, women, widows, girls, heretics, a brahmacarin, a householder, a forest dweller, an ascetic, performer of sacred rites who have Tripundra marks are undoubtedly liberated souls.

The one who wears the Tripundra while performing Shraddha, Yajna, Japa, Homa, Vaishvadeva and the worship of the deities is a purified soul and he conquers even death.

The Tripundra on the forehead extends from the middle of the eyebrows to the tips of the brows on either side. With the middle & the ring fingers a line drawn in the opposite direction is called Tripundra. For each of the 3 lines there are 9 deities everywhere in the body.

The nine deities of the first line of the Tripundra are: The syllable “A”(of AUM), Garhapatya (sacrificial fire), Earth, Dharma, Rajas attribute, Rigveda, Kriyashkti (the power to do), Pratahsavana (morning rituals) and Mahadeva. 

The nine deities of the second line are: The syllable “U” (of AUM), Dakshina fire (sacrificial fire), the principle of Ether, Sattva attribute, Yajurveda, Madhyandina Savana (midday rituals), Icchashakti (will power), the Antaratman (immanent soul) & Maheshwara.

The nine deities of the third line are: The syllable “M” (of AUM), Aahavaniya (sacrificial fire), the supreme soul, Tamas attribute, Swarga, Jnana Shakti, Samaveda, the third Savana (evening rituals) and Shiva.

The above Shlokas mention the different parts of the human body connected with the deities mentioned in the above Shlokas. It also mentions that the Tripundra can be applied at 32 places, 16 places, 8 places or 5 places on the body.

The 32 places are: head, forehead, two ears, two eyes, two noses, mouth, neck, two arms, two elbows, two wrists, chest, two sides, navel, two testicles, two thighs, two knees, two calves, two heels & two feet. The names of the following shall be uttered when the Tripundra is applied: Agni, Varuna, Prithvi, Vayu, followed by the names of the Ashta Dikpalakas & the eight Vasus i.e. Dhara, Dhruva, Soma, Apa, Anila, Anala, Pratyusha & Prabhasa.

Or the devotee shall apply the Tripundra in 16 parts of the body : 

head, forehead, neck, two shoulders, two arms, two elbows, two wrists, chest, navel, two sides and back. The names of the deities presiding over them and which are to be worshipped are: the two Ashvins, Dasra and Nasatya, Shiva, Shakti, Rudra, Ishana, Narada & nine Shaktis.

Deities associated with the 16 parts : Shiva, Chandra, Rudra, Brahma, Vighneshvara, Vishnu, Shri (Lakshmi) in the heart, Shambhu, Prajapati in the navel, Naga, Nagakanyas, Rishikanyas in the feet and the ocean of vast expansion in the back.

Or the devotee shall apply the Tripundra in 8 parts of the body : The private parts, forehead, the ears, two shoulders, chest and navel. The presiding deities are Brahma and the Sapta Rishis.

Or the devotee shall apply the Tripundra in 5 parts of the body : Forehead, two arms, chest and navel.

If incapable of dusting the whole body with the holy ashes the devotee shall have the Tripundra on the forehead alone, remembering Lord Shiva by repeating Namah Shivayah.

The devotee shall have Tripundra in the sides saying Ishabhyam Namah (obeisance to Shiva and the goddess) and in the forearms by saying Bijabhyam Namah.

The devotee shall apply the ashes beneath by saying Namah Pitrbhyam (obeisance to the ancestors) and above by saying Namah Umeshabhyam (obeisance to Uma and Isha), on the back and the back of the head by saying Namah Bhimaya (obeisance to Bhima)

This concludes the post. As we can see there are tremendous benefits to be had by applying the Tripundra. Same goes for the Vaishnava tilaka; Urdhva Pundra (praised in various texts like the Skandapuranam & Vasudevopanishad).Whatever be ones sampradaya, one must try to adhere to it to the best of their abilities.

Reference

Shiva Puranam

The spiritual benefits of growing the Tulasi plant at home

The greatness of Tulasi has been reiterated in many of our Puranas since ages. The Padma purana especially has many references in praise & glory of Tulasi. We'll see what they are in this post.

Tulasi at our home

Tulasi praised in the Padmapuranam

The Srishti, Brahma, Uttara & Kriyayogaasara Khanda of the Padma purana praise Tulasi to the hilt. Time & again they reiterate on the benefits of having a Tulasi at home & performing puja to her. Above is an illustration from Brahma Khanda of the Padma Purana depicting Tulasi puja.

Rishi Suta says that the servants of Yama do NOT come a house where there is a grove of Tulasi. Those who plant the Tulsi do NOT ever see Yama. All the sin of those who plant the Tulasi, nourish it, attend upon it, look at it & touch it, perishes.

The best rivers like Ganga, the best (gods) Vishnu, Brahma and Shiva, along with deities and holy places like Pushkara, remain in a Tulasi leaf. A sinner who endowed with Tulasi leaves casts his life & goes to Vishnu’s abode.

Sin does not touch the body of the man who would wear the sandal like Tulasi wood. He goes to the highest position. He who though impure and of bad conduct wears beads made of Tulasi wood round his neck, goes due to his devotion to the abode of Vishnu.

Along with Tulasi, Dhatri (Amla) fruit is praised as very auspicious. The man on whose body is seen the beads made of Dhatri fruits or Tulasi, is a devotee of Vishnu. He who, puts round his neck the garland of Tulasi, would worship Vishnu, obtains for each flower, plenty of cows.

He who keeps the Dhatri fruit in his hand, on his head, round his neck or in his ears should be known as Vishnu himself. The sin earned during crores of existences of him who would worship Vishnu with the leaves and fruits of Dhatri, at once perishes.

A man should worship Vishnu in a Tulasi grove & at the root of a Dhatri in Kaartika maasa. He certainly goes to Vishnu’s world by doing so. If a sinner devoutly holds on his head the water remaining at the root of Tulasi, he goes to Vishnu’s abode.

He who would hold on his head the water flowing from a Tulasi leaf, has bathed (i.e. has obtained the fruit of having bathed) at all sacred places, and in the end he goes to the abode of Maha Vishnu.

Pictures of Tulasi at our residence

References

Padma Puranam

The Significance of Ekadasi Vrata.

                   

The significance & benefits of keeping a fast on Ekadasi is explained in the Uttara Khanda of the Padma Purana. On Ekadasi the mind must be firmly fixated on Narayana only.

Before narrating the origins of Ekadasi, Shri Krishna explains to Yudhisthira the benefits to be had by keeping a fast on Ekadasi. Krishna says the one who keeps a fast on Ekadasi accrues more punya than performing the Ashvamedha.Krishna says keeping a fast on Ekadasi is 100 times more meritorious than giving Gau-dhana to a Brahmana who has mastered the Vedas. Krishna says those who fast on the Ekadasi day are equal to those in whose bodies live the three deities Brahma, Vishnu & Maheshwara.

Krishna says to Yudhisthira that even the performance of a thousand Yajnas is not equal to keeping the Ekadasi Vrata. Such is the power of keeping a fast on Ekadasi.

To Yudhisthira's query on the origins of Ekadasi, Shri Krishna goes on to narrate the story of the extremely powerful asura Murasura, in whose slaying lies the origins of Ekadasi. Mura who lived during the Satya yuga had taken away by force Indra's abode.

Indra turns to Lord Shiva for help. Shiva in turn directs Indra to approach the "Eagle-bannered"(गरुडध्वजः) god i.e. Maha Vishnu. Indra promptly approaches Vishnu as advised.

In the above Shlokas, Indra praises Vishnu to the hilt. Addresses Vishnu by his many names like मधुसूदन, भक्तवत्सल, पुंडरीकाक्ष, जगन्नाथ while describing to him the atrocities committed by Mura.

Indra then proceeds to list out the atrocities committed by Mura, the son of asura Talajangnha who lived in a place called Candravati. Mura is accused of forcibly expelling all Devas from Devaloka & installing in their place Mura's own versions of Indra, Vayu, Agni & Varuna.

Vishnu assures Indra that he shall slay the evil asura. He along with other Devas immediately set out to Candravati where Mura was. Except Maha Vishnu all other Devas were defeated again. They all flee in 10 different directions while Vishnu stood alone to take Mura head on.

Vishnu wielding the Sudarshana Chakra kills the whole of the army of asuras of Mura. Everyone except Mura is defeated. Then a direct battle between Vishnu & Mura ensues. This battle is described as having lasted for a 1000 years. With no end in sight Vishnu devises a plan.Vishnu goes to बदरिकाश्रमम्/Badarikashrama (Badrinath). While there he enters a cave called सिंहावती/Simhavati. In there Vishnu goes to sleep. Meanwhile Mura bent on killing Vishnu pursues him to this cave.

Ekadasi emerging out of a sleeping Maha Vishnu to slay Murasura.

Out of the sleeping Maha Vishnu emerges a divine feminine form. She is described as very beautiful & auspicious, wielding all kinds of weapons. At once she slays Murasura by burning him down to ashes.

Meanwhile Maha Vishnu wakes from his sleep & is amazed to find out that Mura has been vanquished. Vishnu says whoever has killed Mura has committed a great deed & enquirers who had done this. The divine feminine form informs to Vishnu that it was her who slayed Mura.

This divine feminine form that emerged out of the sleeping Maha Vishnu came to be known as Ekadasi. The Delighted & pleased Maha Vishnu asks what boon she'd like for having performed this great deed of slaying the evil asura Mura. 

Devi Ekadasi makes just one wish. She says "O Vishnu, give wealth, righteousness and moksha to your devotee who observes a उपवासं (fast) on the day sacred to me" (i.e Ekadasi).

Maha Vishnu gladly grants Ekadasi her wish. There are 25 Ekadasi Vratas mentioned in the Padma Purana. The foremost of them being Mokshada Ekadasi which is observed during Shukla Paksha of the Margashirsha maasa.

Ekadasi is all about keeping our thoughts firmly fixed on Shriman Narayana & following the procedure of Vrata diligently with devotion.

Reference:

Padma purana

The Significance of Vaikunta Chaturdashi Vrata

Shankaranarayana

Vaikuntha Chaturdashi is a day dedicated to both Lord Shiva & Maha Vishnu. The significance of this day and the vratha to be observed is described in a very detailed manner in the Kartikamasa mahatmya of the Vaishnava khanda in the Skanda puranam.

On this very day during the Sathya yuga Lord Maha Vishnu went to Kashi to have a darshana of Mahadeva. Before proceeding for the darshana he took a bath at the Manikarnika ghat & in the process took a 1000 golden Lotus flowers with him to worship Shiva.

Vishnu took a 1000 lotus flowers to perform the Sahasranama for Shiva (1 lotus for 1 name). In order to test Vishnu's devotion, Shiva secretly takes away 1 lotus before the worship. Nearing the end of the Sahasranama, Vishnu realizes he is short by 1 lotus. Vishnu wondered if the shortfall in the lotuses was due to a error in counting of the lotuses or error in reciting of the 1000 names. He concluded there has been no mistake in reciting the 1000 names. The mistake must've been the in counting the lotuses. Vishnu had resolved at the outset for a worship with a 1000 lotuses. "How shall Mahadeva be worshiped when lotuses are short by one. If I go to fetch one, I will have to break the rule of continuous sitting. Now what should be done?" Vishnu was worried with this thought.

Vishnu praised as Pundarikaksha by the Rishis i.e. the Lotus eyed one. In a stunning display of devotion, Shri Maha Vishnu proceeds to dislodge his own lotus shaped eye with his index finger & offers it to Shiva in place of the missing lotus.

Mahadeva moved by Maha Vishnu's gesture says there is no one in the 3 worlds that is as devoted to him as Vishnu is & declares him as the protector of the 3 worlds. Shiva also declares that those who worship him but not Maha Vishnu will certainly fall into Naraka.

Vishnu asks: "O Maheshvara, the duty of protecting the three worlds has been assigned to me. Daityas are very haughty. They have enormous strength. How can they be killed by me?"

To which Shiva answers : "This discus Sudarśana is capable of cutting down the great Daityas. It is given to you by me. O Lord Viṣṇu, accept this. Work a havoc among Daityas with this, O Lord." Shiva then hands the Sudarshana Chakra to Shri Maha Vishnu.

Shiva gifting the Sudarshana Chakra to Vishnu

Since then Lord Shiva came to be known as Chakradanamurthi. It is one among the 25 manifestations of Lord Shiva known as Panchavimshatalilamurti. This event is depicted in stone at the Srikanteshwara swamy temple at Nanjangudu. I have written a post on this which can be read HERE

Now regarding the details of the Vrata. Lord Shiva says : "In the year named Hemalamba, on the 14th day in the bright half of the glorious month of Karttika at the time of dawn, on the Tithi pertaining to Mahadeva (i.e. the 14th one) in the Brahma Muhurta you (Vishnu) took your bath in Manikarnika after coming here from Vaikuntha. Then the Linga of Vishveshvara was worshipped with a thousand lotuses. Hence it will become a favourite of mine. It shall be famous in all the worlds as Vaikuntha Chaturdashi"

Shiva says: Vishnu worship should be performed by persons of all castes. They shall observe fast during the day & perform Vishnu's worship in the evening. Afterwards Shiva's worship is to be performed. Otherwise Shiva's worship shall be futile.

For the purpose of the worship of Vishnu, the Chaturdashi extending to the night should be taken. The devotee shall worship Shiva at the time of dawn.

Devotees who worship Vishnu at the outset with a thousand lotuses and then Shiva afterwards are indeed living liberated souls.

Lord Shiva gives more details regarding the Vrata (this is mainly centered around Punya Teerthas in Kashi). "After taking the bath in the evening in Pancanada (Panchaganga ghat), the devotee should worship Bindumadhava (original temple destroyed by barbarian aurangzeb).

He who takes his bath in Vishnukanchi shall worship Anantasena. Thereafter he shall take his bath in Rudrakanchi and worship Pranavesha.

First the devotee should take bath in Vaniteertha & then worship Narayana. Thereafter he should take bath in Retodaka & worship Kedaresha. 

At the outset the devotee should take bath in Yamuna & worship Venimadhava. Then he should take bath in Ganga & worship Sangamesha.

This is the significance of Vaikunta Chaturdashi. This is followed by Kartika purnima. It is on Kartika purnima that Lord Shiva assumes the form of Tripurantakamurthi & slays evil asuras Tarakaksha, Vidyunmali & Kamalaksha (collectively known as Tripurasura)

Vaikunta Chaturdashi is the perfect occasion to chant the Vishnu Sahasranama followed by Shiva Sahasranama. The benefits to be had by performing them today increase by several manifolds. This is said by Lord Shiva himself.

References

Skandapuranam