a few questions. =)

[sarabhanga]

Namaste EM,

dvija is “twice-born”, generally indicating any Arya (brAhmaNa, kshatriya, or vaishya), but especially a brAhmaNa, who is reborn through upanayanam. And this brings us to the crux of this matter:

It is the upanayana saMskAra that confers eligibility to be a tripuNDrin.

I suspect that “fake” vibhUti is sometimes produced for selfish profit, and it would always be best to make your own, but (once again) this requires dIkshA, and the exact method has always been held as a closely guarded secret. From the various brands available for sale, however, my own choice would be the “kAshI vibhUti bhasma” made by Bhavani Shankar & Sons.

[sarabhanga]

Is there a special name or occasion to the tilak in which one smears one's forehead with "sandlewood paste"?

Namaste Singhi,

The cAndanatripuNDra is especially applied at dawn, and the bhAsmanatripuNDra is especially applied at dusk. And each one is applied as a reflection of the other ~ i.e. the lines of bhasma are marked directly onto the skin, while the cAndana tripuNDra is erased from a background of applied candana.

[Kodi]

thank you all so much.
i have just recently bought the bhagavad gita and the ramayana
and it has taught me a lot.
i have always be strongly drawn to lord shiva.

i have another question.
is there puja that is only for lord ganesh or does it have
to involve another god?

thank you so much.

[Eastern Mind]

The intent of any puja, whether to one God, or to many, would still be to focus on one God at a time. If you go to a temple, (South Indian style) there is only one enshrined in each shrine. The entire rounds of pujas may very well be to more than one God, but at each one the priest calls upon the presence of the particular God he is at. So sure you can do a puja to just Ganesha. My advice would be to try to get to a temple, if there is one nearby you. Aum Namasivaya

[Znanna]

Namaste,

I'm of no orthodoxy, just FYI ...

But, IMO, the bottom line is respecting Godz - me, I prefer the nice way

If one would invite the attention and beneficience of Godz, humility is always an appropriate sacrifice, to my ways of doing.

When in doubt, "Master" or "Mistress" works in lieu of an alternative form of address!



ZN