a few questions. =)

[Kodi]

i've always been drawn to the hindu gods and have recently set up a shrine, bought some books and things. i've prayed to shiva for about two years now, but i have a few questions.

1) when is it okay to where the three ash lines across your forehead?
can anyone where them or do you have to do something special?
2) how do you perform your puja's?
3) which god/goddess is your patron?

i'm just wondering.
thanks for any help.
=]

[c.smith]

i've always been drawn to the hindu gods and have recently set up a shrine, bought some books and things. i've prayed to shiva for about two years now, but i have a few questions.

1) when is it okay to where the three ash lines across your forehead?
can anyone where them or do you have to do something special? .
2) how do you perform your puja's?
3) which god/goddess is your patron?
i'm just wondering.
thanks for any help.
=]

From my limited experience:

Tilak can be worn at any time and is often applied after puja. I haven't seen many Saivites wear it however. The pujari in my mandir wears the footprint of Krishna for example.

IMHO, the only requirement is to bring an offering from the heart.

Siva is the Lord of all, though some on the forum would beg to differ.

Hope this helps.

Om Namah Sivaya

[saidevo]

Namaste Kodi.

i've always been drawn to the hindu gods and have recently set up a shrine, bought some books and things. i've prayed to shiva for about two years now, but i have a few questions.

1) when is it okay to where the three ash lines across your forehead?
can anyone where them or do you have to do something special?
2) how do you perform your puja's?
3) which god/goddess is your patron?

i'm just wondering.
thanks for any help.
=]

Here is how I and my family do these things here in South India:

1. I wear the 'vibhUti' (holy ash) in three lines, dry as soon as I brush my teeth in the morning and after every time I wash my face, and usually wet (making it a paste, it dries up and shines better) after I take bath. 'vibhUti' can be worn at any time/all times.

In South India, orthodox brahmins wear the wet 'vibhUti' in three lines across their forehead, on their chests and at three places on each hand: arm, foream, wrist. Elders of other castes usually wear it on forehead, dry or wet. Religion-conscious youth wear it as a short smear, either between the brows or in the middle of the forehead. Women wear it over their 'tilak' in a short smear. Most people also take a small pinch of the 'vibhUti' when they wear it.

2. Most Hindus here perform their home pujas with the help of a guidebook. In our case it is my 'sahadharmin' (wife as partner in dharma) who does all the daily and festival pujas and I usually participate and witness it.

3. Our patron Gods are: Shiva, Ganesha, Sathya Sai Baba. Goddesses: Sarasvati, Durga, Lakshmi. We generally worship ALL Hindu Gods, depending on the time of festivity.

[sarabhanga]

Namaste,

The tripuNDra is traditionally worn by orthodox brAhmaNAs and saMnyAsinAs, but it may be worn by anyone with the appropriate mantra dIkshA.

[Eastern Mind]

i've always been drawn to the hindu gods and have recently set up a shrine, bought some books and things. i've prayed to shiva for about two years now, but i have a few questions.

1) when is it okay to where the three ash lines across your forehead?
can anyone where them or do you have to do something special?
2) how do you perform your puja's?
3) which god/goddess is your patron?

i'm just wondering.
thanks for any help.
=]

Your answers from the people here will be many and varied. Your intuition and prayers should be your guide as to whom you should heed advice from the most. Within the soul's mind will be the directives. My personal answers would be: 1) anytime at all 2) in the shrine room from a guidebook at first, later from memory 3) I am a Saivite so Siva is my patron. Having said all this, these are just my personal answers, from my particular sect's POV. (I am an adoptive to Hinduism... Canadian white Anglo-Saxon.. not that that should matter, but this does give you background as to where my subconscious mind set used to be.) Hinduism is extremely vast. If you have the opportunity to visit Hindu temples in your area, go for it. Your soul's mind should let you decide in which one you feel most at home. Keep asking the questions.

[sarabhanga]

Namaste,

There may be various opinions, but there is only one correct answer:

The application of tripuNDra requires mantra, and mantra requires dIkshA, and dIkshA requires guru.

[ScottMalaysia]

Here is a guide to performing Puja to Lord Ganesha.

http://www.hinduismtoday.com/archive...-52_puja.shtml

There is a PDF file at the bottom with instructions, mantras in Devanagari, transliteration and English translation, and photos. For Puja to other Gods, you should get a book or ask a guru or priest to help you.

[sarabhanga]

There may be various opinions, but there is only one orthodox answer:

The application of tripuNDra requires mantra, and mantra requires dIkshA, and dIkshA requires guru, and guru requires only brahma.

The traditional understanding is that anyone (or anything) can wear the tripuNDra, but only a brAhmaNa should actually apply the tripuNDra, and only the dvija varNa should ever wear it on their limbs.

In other words, anyone can wear a tripuNDra on their forehead (and it is indeed a great blessing), but it should only be applied by a brAhmaNa.

[sm78]

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

I see this mostly among the lingayat community in south india, but is also seen among others.

Of courseSandlewood and turmeric are auspicious items for both shiva and devi and sandlewood for all deities. But seems like this is more of a saiva tilak, yet not tripundra.

[Eastern Mind]

There may be various opinions, but there is only one orthodox answer:

The application of tripuNDra requires mantra, and mantra requires dIkshA, and dIkshA requires guru, and guru requires only brahma.

The traditional understanding is that anyone (or anything) can wear the tripuNDra, but only a brAhmaNa should actually apply the tripuNDra, and only the dvija varNa should ever wear it on their limbs.

In other words, anyone can wear a tripuNDra on their forehead (and it is indeed a great blessing), but it should only be applied by a brAhmaNa.

Namaste Sarabhanga: Thank you for all the clarification. I didn't know all this. Seems at one time I was acting out of ignorance. Oh well, what's gone is gone, and I was ignorant at the time. (Being a temporary pandaram, I wore tripundra on arms etc., as some devotees thought I should at least look like a priest, I guess.) And yes I considered it a blessing. It was part of my mental preparation to be sure, purification before ritual. That was before mantra diksha by a qualified Guru. Now I suppose according to tradition I could wear it. Could you explain what 'dvija varNa' means? Also, what do you know of the process of creating vibhuthi? I've noticed it comes in different packaging by different companies, is available in the puja items sections of some stores, yet some is different in scent and texture. Is there a better or preferred producer, and worse yet are there 'fake' vibhuthis on the market? (I actually don't buy it, but the archana packets from a couple of temples I get archanas done at seems to keep me supplied.) Thanks for any help. Aum Namasivaya