TILAKA—A MARK OF AUSPICIOUSNESS

[Ms Tercy Lonan]

TILAKA—A MARK OF AUSPICIOUSNESS
Tilaka is a mark of auspiciousness. It is put on the forehead with sandal paste, sacred ashes
or Kumkuma. The devotees of Siva apply sacred ashes (Bhasma) on the forehead, the devotees of
Vishnu apply sandal paste (Chandana), and the worshippers of Devi or Sakti apply Kumkuma, a red
turmeric powder. The scriptures say: “A forehead without a Tilaka, a woman without a husband, a
Mantra the meaning of which is not known while doing Japa, the head that does not bend before
holy personages, a heart without mercy, a house without a well, a village without a temple, a
country without a river, a society without a leader, wealth that is not given away in charity, a
preceptor without a disciple, a country without justice, a king without an able minister, a woman not
obedient to her husband, a well without water, a flower without smell, a soul devoid of holiness, a
field without rains, an intellect without clearness, a disciple who does not consider his preceptor as
a form of God, a body devoid of health, a custom (Achara) without purity, austerity devoid of
fellow-feeling, speech in which truth is not the basis, a country without good people, work without
wages, Sannyasa without renunciation, legs which have not performed pilgrimages, a
determination unaided by Viveka or discrimination, a knife which is blunt, a cow which does not
give milk, a spear without a point—all these are worthy of condemnation. They exist for name’s
sake only.” From this you can imagine the importance of Tilaka or the sacred mark.
Tilaka is applied at the Ajna Chakra, the space between the two eyebrows. It has a very
cooling effect. Application of sandal paste has great medicinal value, apart from the spiritual
influence. Application of sandal paste will nullify the heating effect when you concentrate and
meditate at the Bhrumadhya. Tilaka indicates the point at which the spiritual eye opens. Lord Siva
has a third eye at the Bhrumadhya. When He opens the third eye, the three worlds are destroyed. So
also, when the third eve of the Jiva is opened, the three kinds of afflictions—Adhyatmika,
Adhidaivika and Adhibhautika—are burnt to ashes. The three Karmas—Sanchita, Prarabdha and
Agami—and also all the sins committed in the countless previous births, are burnt. When you apply
the Tilaka, you mentally imagine: “I am the one non-dual Brahman free from all duality. May my
eye of intuition open soon.” You should remember this every time you apply a Tilaka.
There are various methods of applying Tilaka. Saivas apply three horizontal lines with the
sacred ashes. The Vaishnavas apply three vertical lines (Tripundra) on the forehead. When they
apply Tilaka, they say: “O Lord, protect me from the evil effects of the Trigunatmika Maya which
has Sattva, Rajas and Tamas as its binding cords.” Some Vaishnavas apply only one vertical line.
Only the method of application differs, but the significance is the same in both the Vaishnavas and
the Saivas.