Some tilak questions

[Arjuni]

Namasté, all,

A recent question in the Shakta thread has me thinking again about tilak. I find this aspect of Hindu practice to be beautiful and intriguing, and while I've read several threads on HDF addressing certain tilak-related issues (tilaks associated with specific Devas, for instance), I haven't found any discussions of tilak in general.

The subject is a bit confusing, though interesting. I've read, for example, that the most widely used substances are white sandalwood, kumkum, turmeric, and vibhuti, but have seen photographs of tilak-wearing folks with dots of bright pink, black, and other colours.

I've read reasons for tilak application ranging from tilak worn for protection, devotion, and mystical 'identification', to tilak worn because of custom or sect, so the explanations available seem to differ a bit.

There is also the placement of tilak that varies, most commonly at the 'third eye,' but sometimes the entire forehead, or streaking up the middle of the forehead, or on various parts of the body as well as the head.

What do all of these different aspects mean?
-What is the significance of the shape - the three lines worn by Shaivites as opposed to the dot worn by Shaktas, etc.? Why three lines instead of two, or horizontal lines instead of vertical ones, for instance?
-Is there a significance to the location - part of the forehead versus the entire forehead, for instance?
-The same question applies to the substance - I understand that groups choose particular substances that are sacred to their revered deity, such as ash for Shaivites, but do the substances themselves possess particular qualities outside of the deity associations? (I'm thinking they do, after one thread earlier asked a relevant question: why Shaivite women never seemed to wear vibhuti, only men. Ash does seem more specific to men, and kumkum more associated with women, so this seems to imply that the substances themselves have different properties.)
-Is there is a "vocabulary" of tilak - as exists with hand gestures in dance and sculpture, for example? Is there a way to interpret a tilak that one sees, to "read" and understand elabourate designs such as in the top banner photograph here (http://www.thecolorsofindia.com/tilak/significance-of-tilak.html)?
-Are there any texts that I could read to understand this subject better?

I'd love to learn and discuss, assuming that anyone's still reading this after my long rambling. :)

Indraneela
===
Oṁ Indrāya Namaḥ.
Oṁ Namaḥ Śivāya.

[sunyata07]

Namaste Indraneela,

I've been combing HDF for a similar topic on the general meaning and use of tilaks. Thanks for starting a thread. Hopefully some members can come along soon and provide us with some answers. I'd also love to know more about tilaks and how/why they differ.

Om namah Shivaya

[Eastern Mind]

Vannakkam Indra: For me, its like cricket: something I'll never understand. On any given day at the temple I attend, when the items of vibhuthi, kumkum, and sandalwood are passed out after the puja, you might see 20 different ways, maybe more. Some only take kumkum, no vibuthi. Some allow or want the priest to apply vibuthi with his thumb to their foreheads. Others don't, but then will apply it differently. Some take a pinch of kumkum while others just dip their finger in it. Some refuse sandalwood, but take kumkum. Others take sandalwood, but not kumkum. Some use ring finger, some use pointer finger, and some use middle finger. Some put extra on their neck as well. And so it goes. You'd practically have to ask each individual why, and even then many probably wouldn't know. I guess variety is the spice of life.

Aum Namasivaya

[sunyata07]

Thanks for that, EM. I didn't realise tilaks and their application could differ so drastically. Different strokes for different folks, I guess.

Om namah Shivaya

[Arjuni]

Namasté,

I recently re-read The Book of Hindu Imagery by Eva Jansen, and found this neat little graphic in the appendix, showing different shapes of tilaka and the sect(s) with which her research associates them.

Here is a scan of the image, in case anyone else is interested.


http://maghavan.files.wordpress.com/2012/10/tilaka.png

Indraneela
===
Oṁ Indrāya Namaḥ.
Oṁ Namaḥ Śivāya.

[ShriBala]

Namaskar. Let me take a stab at it, albeit a brief one.

In Tamil brahmin families, the Shaivite men/kids, after doing the samdhyavandanam, apply the vibhooti in groups of 3 horiz lines, at specific places over the body. Not sure what the overall count is, but in case of Vaishnavites, it is 12, including the one on the forehead.

This is called tripundra by Shaivites and urdhvapundra by Vaishnavites. The urdhvapundra is also called 'Tirunaamam' which includes the white mark with a red mark in the middle. The white mark would be either in a U or a Y form. The red mark is called Shrichoornam. The women don't wear this usually, but sometimes do. No reasons put forth. The orthodox women, say wives of priests, would wear a small red shrichoornam apart from the usual kunkuma bottu/bindi. Sometimes, they may skip the bottu and wear only the shrichoornam. Sometimes, they may wear a small white Y very close to the Aagna chakra, below the Shrichoornam.

You might have seen the sindhoor worn on the hair parting or the maang. More common in North India, though some women in South wear as well. Now, this comes even in colours like pink which are so because of mixing toxic sludge. Avoid.

Vibhooti in Shaivite families is NEVER worn unaccompanied by kunkuma on the forehead of a married woman. It symbolizes loss of spouse. In temples, women apply a very small vibhooti mark at Ganapati/Shiva devasthanams. But the focus for them is the kunkuma. Usually, in south, they would also apply the kunkuma to their mangalsutra as well, though in Kerala, it is the chandanam usually applied and a small dot/horiz line on women's and men's foreheads. So, regional specificities as well :D.

Vibhooti is called bhasma by Vaishnavites. Not sure why as they so often try to keep their distance from the Bhasmabhooshitaangi or lord Shiva.
Now, for the shirkers in Shaivite brahmin men, they'd just use their ring/index finger to put a small line of vibhooti or a dot of it on the forehead/throat. Sometimes, they may put chandanam as well or even kunkuma. Amongst the Vaishnavite shirkers, they'd just apply a small dot of kunkuma so that they don't get roundly scolded by their folks at home.

Significance 101: vibhooti signifies everything in this earth - including attachments - to be finally burnt to ashes and applied on the forehead - symbol of ahamkara/ego. Also, since lord Shiva Himself applies and covers with bhasma, maybe a bhakta would also apply and start thinking of making spiritual progress to unearth the latent Shiva in him. Essentially, the ashes signifies transientness of this life and possibly to push the bhakta towards transcending the mundane. Mahadeva here leads by example. The 3 lines signify maya, karma and something i can't remember just now.

The red Shrichoornam is supposed to convey the ascent of Lakshmi devi. Something like the Shakti of Kundalini. Obviously, if Lakshmi devi is there with a devotee, all aishvaryams including the spiritual are within reach. Not sure about the naamam mark in men. In women, they use it to honour Sarasvati devi, possibly since the brahmins of yore had to rely on their education for their livelihood.

Oh, one more thing: women who are renunciates whether Shaivite brahmins or not, could also wear the tripundra alongwith the sanyasi ochre garments.

A person i know who chants shri Rudram wears chandanam specifically so that it acts as a coolant and reduces the heat produced in his body because of the chanting.

Nowadays, the wearing of a bindi is a fashion statement, so people wear stick-ons which defeats the basic purpose. Kunkuma is the best bet. Chandanam - depending on availability. Haldi/turmeric is also worn -on the forehead/throat/hands/near the ears (saw this in Karnataka). It usually is a part of the alankaram of Gods.

One final thing: in Hanuman temples you get sindhoor which is applied by poojari on to men's foreheads. Women do that by themselves. I've also seen, particularly in north, the poojari usuing a small toothpick kind of stick, dipping it in kunkum/sindhoor/whatever and applying to women as well.

Will add later for Shaktas.

[ShriBala]

Just to add most of these are symbolisms/ pointers to the inner us to be watchful. As in from the outer us to inner us.

There are people who indulge in immoral behaviour wearing all these. And there are those who don't yet their moral standards are impeccable. Sanatana Dharma assumes that one would be mature enough to do the right thing and not just symbolically. If applying a tripundra means one'd indulge in good behaviour, so be it. If one can be good w/o it, that's okay as well. Of course, the orthodox people who do pancakarmas have a different take on this.

Tilak is the term generally used as something which men -Shakta/otherwise - wear and for women it is the bindi/sindhoor etc, though Hinduism doesn't prevent women from wearing a tilak :D

[ShivaFan]

Namaste

In some cases the tilakam is related to a branch of Hinduism/SD such as Saiva or Vaishnav, or Shakta or even a style for followers who focus on Ganesha. These are the common ones you see, significant in religious terms, but you see all kinds of tilak because some modify the tilakam to represent a community, or a caste, and so on. It is more the later that reflects the rather large array of styles (community, caste). The black dot should mean you are a virgin woman, a red dot is a married woman but also by men and women Shaktas wear a red dot. Everyone already knows about the “V” shape for Vaishnavas and Tri-Lines (often with red dot below the lines or in the middle) for Saivas so no need to mention that.

In the Vamana Purana, when the marriage procession went to the Himalaya to see Lord Shiva with Uma for the placing of Uma’s hand in Shiva’s, it is stated in the Purana that Shiva was encountered “with a tiger skin around his waist and Gorochan tiklak on His Forehead”.

What is gorochan?

Some say it is taken from a Cow which has died naturally and is not found with every Cow and is rare and is applied wet and waxy but dries hard, while others say it is the powder form of Cow dung. The former is considered a powerful medicine. Some say it is found in the gall bladder of a Cow which has died naturally, and is bile stones. Can anyone clarify this?

Om Nama Shivaya

[ShriBala]

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