Tilaka
The great sage Maitreya continued: Mahäräja Dhruva was very dear to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. When he heard the sweet speeches of the Lord’s chief associates in the Vaikuëöha planet, he immediately took his sacred bath, dressed himself with suitable ornaments, and performed his daily spiritual duties. Thereafter he offered his respectful obeisances to the great sages present there and accepted their blessings.
PURPORT
We should mark how dutiful Dhruva Mahäräja was in his devotional service, even at the time he left this material world. He was constantly alert in the performance of devotional duties. Every devotee should take his bath early in the morning and decorate his body with tilaka. In Kali-yuga one can hardly acquire gold or jeweled ornaments, but the twelve tilaka marks on the body are sufficient as auspicious decorations to purify the body. Since Dhruva Mahäräja was living at that time at Badarikäçrama, there were other great sages there. He did not become puffed up because the airplane sent by Lord Viñëu was waiting for him; as a humble Vaiñëava, he accepted blessings from all the sages before riding on the plane brought by the chief of the Vaikuëöha associates
>>> Ref. VedaBase => SB 4.12.28
vaktram—face; na—never; te—your; vitilakam—without being decorated; malinam—unclean; viharñam—morose; saàrambha—with anger; bhémam—dangerous; avimåñöam—without luster; apeta-rägam—without affection; paçye—I have seen; stanau—your breasts; api—also; çucä-upahatau—wet because of your tears; su-jätau—so nice; bimba-adharam—red lips; vigata—without; kuìkuma-paìka—saffron; rägam—color.
TRANSLATION
My dear wife, until this day I have never seen your face without tilaka decorations, nor have I seen you so morose and without luster or affection. Nor have I seen your two nice breasts wet with tears from your eyes. Nor have I ever before seen your lips, which are ordinarily as red as the bimba fruit, without their reddish hue.
PURPORT
Every woman looks very beautiful when decorated with tilaka and vermillion. A woman generally becomes very attractive when her lips are colored with reddish saffron or vermillion. But when one’s consciousness and intelligence are without any brilliant thoughts about Kåñëa, they become morose and lusterless, so much so that one cannot derive any benefit despite sharp intelligence.
>>> Ref. VedaBase => SB 4.26.25
go-mütreëa—with the urine of the cows; snäpayitvä—after thoroughly washing; punaù—again; go-rajasä—with the dust floating because of the movements of the cows; arbhakam—unto the child; rakñäm—protection; cakruù—executed; ca—also; çakåtä—with the cow dung; dvädaça-aìgeñu—in twelve places (dvädaça-tilaka); nämabhéù—by imprinting the holy names of the Lord.
TRANSLATION
The child was thoroughly washed with cow urine and then smeared with the dust raised by the movements of the cows. Then different names of the Lord were applied with cow dung on twelve different parts of His body, beginning with the forehead, as done in applying tilaka. In this way, the child was given protection.
>>> Ref. VedaBase => SB 10.6.20
While decorating the body with tilaka, we give protection to the body by chanting twelve names of Viñëu. Although Govinda, or Lord Viñëu, is one, He has different names and forms with which to act differently. But if one cannot remember all the names at one time, one may simply chant, “Lord Viñëu, Lord Viñëu, Lord Viñëu,” and always think of Lord Viñëu.
>>> Ref. VedaBase => , SB 10.6.27-29
tataù—thereafter; nåpa—O King (Mahäräja Parékñit); unmardana—by massaging them with oil; majja—by bathing; lepana—by smearing the body with oil and sandalwood pulp; alaìkära—by decorating with ornaments; rakñä—by chanting protective mantras; tilaka—by decorating the body with tilaka marks in twelve places; açana-ädibhiù—and by feeding them sumptuously; saàlälitaù—in this way cared for by the mothers; sva-äcaritaiù—by their characteristic behavior; praharña-yan—making the mothers very much pleased; säyam—evening; gataù—arrived; yäma-yamena—as the time of each activity passed; mädhavaù—Lord Kåñëa.
TRANSLATION
Thereafter, O Mahäräja Parékñit, as required according to the scheduled round of His pastimes, Kåñëa returned in the evening, entered the house of each of the cowherd boys, and engaged exactly like the former boys, thus enlivening their mothers with transcendental pleasure. The mothers took care of the boys by massaging them with oil, bathing them, smearing their bodies with sandalwood pulp, decorating them with ornaments, chanting protective mantras, decorating their bodies with tilaka and giving them food. In this way, the mothers served Kåñëa personally.
>>> Ref. VedaBase => SB 10.13.23
Kåñëa is actually present everywhere. The Vaiñëava, therefore, marks his body with temples of Viñëu: he first marks a tilaka temple on the abdomen, then on the chest, then between the collarbones, then on the forehead, and gradually he marks the top of the head, the brahma-randhra. The thirteen temples of tilaka marked on the body of a Vaiñëava are known as follows: On the forehead is the temple of Lord Keçava, on the belly is the temple of Lord Näräyaëa, on the chest is the temple of Lord Mädhava, and on the throat, between the two collarbones, is the temple of Lord Govinda. On the right side of the waist is the temple of Lord Viñëu, on the right arm the temple of Lord Madhusüdana, and on the right side of the collarbone the temple of Lord Trivikrama. Similarly, on the left side of the waist is the temple of Lord Vämanadeva, on the left arm the temple of Çrédhara, on the left side of the collarbone the temple of Håñékeça, on the upper back the temple called Padmanäbha, and on the lower back the temple called Dämodara. On the top of the head is the temple called Väsudeva. This is the process of meditation on the Lord’s situation in the different parts of the body
>>> Ref. VedaBase => KB 87: Prayers by the Personified Vedas
çuciù—clean; sammukham—facing (the Deity); äsénaù—thus seated; präëa-saàyamana-ädibhiù—by präëäyäma (breathing exercises) and other means; piëòam—the gross body; viçodhya—purifying; sannyäsa—by placing transcendental marks of tilaka on various places of the body; kåta-rakñaù—in this way invoking the Lord’s protection; arcayet—one should worship; harim—Lord Hari.
TRANSLATION
After cleansing oneself, purifying the body by präëäyäma, bhüta-çuddhi and other processes, and marking the body with sacred tilaka for protection, one should sit in front of the Deity and worship the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
PURPORT
Präëäyäma is the authorized Vedic process for controlling the air within the body. Similarly, bhüta-çuddhi is a process for purifying the body. The word çuciù means that one should be internally and externally clean. Çuciù means that one should perform activities only for the pleasure of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. If somehow or other one can remember the Supreme Lord constantly by chanting and hearing His holy name, one will come to the pure stage of life, as described in this Vedic mantra:
oà apavitraù pavitro vä
sarvävasthäà gato ’pi vä
yaù smaret puëòarékäkñaà
sa bahyäbhyantara-çuciù
(Garuòa Puräëa)
Çréla Bhaktisiddhänta Sarasvaté Öhäkura has pointed out that although one may mark the body with sacred tilaka, perform mudräs and chant mantras, if one is thinking within his mind of material sense gratification his worship of Lord Çré Hari is bogus. Therefore the word çuciù here indicates that one should worship the Lord in a favorable frame of mind, considering the Lord to be sacred and one’s self to be an insignificant servant of the Lord. Those who are not favorably inclined toward the Supreme Personality of Godhead do not like to worship the Deity in the temple, and they discourage people from going to the temple of the Lord by saying that since the Lord is omnipresent there is no need to do so. Such envious persons prefer the gymnastic exercises of haöha-yoga or the räja-yoga system. But statements by the Lord Himself, such as väsudevaù sarvam iti and mäà ekaà çaraëaà vraja [Bg. 7.19], indicate that in mature transcendental realization one understands that the Supreme Personality of Godhead is the source of everything and therefore the only worshipable object. Thus the devotees who worship the Deity of the Lord according to the païcarätra system are not attracted by any yoga process except bhakti-yoga
>>> Ref. VedaBase => SB 11.3.49
Prabhupäda: Yes. (Hindi) Tilaka mantra hai, bhagavän kahe, Vämanadeva, Keçava, Govinda. So a devotee is protected from all sides by Kåñëa. So you remain safe. Kåñëa says, kaunteya pratijänéhi na me bhaktaù praëaçyati [Bg. 9.31]. So bhakta hai (Hindi) So you are protected. That’s it.
>>> Ref. VedaBase => Bhagavad-gétä 2.25 -- Hyderabad, November 29, 1972
Prabhupäda: Where is your tilaka? No tilaka. Hm. Why there is no light? You can open it. Cannot open? All right. Recite
>>> Ref. VedaBase => Çrémad-Bhägavatam 1.3.22 -- Los Angeles, September 27, 1972
Yogeçvara: He says he hopes we excuse if he has some basic questions that he wanted to ask. And his first question was regarding tilaka. What is the symbolism, significance?
Prabhupäda: It is just like your cross, amongst Christian. It is temple of Viñëu. Not only here, we have got twelve place: here, here, here, here, here. Twelve place. The idea is being protected by Viñëu from all sides.
>>> Ref. VedaBase => Room Conversation -- June 5, 1974, Geneva
Prabhupäda: Caitanya Mahäprabhu, when His students used to come without tilaka, so He refused to see his face. He refused to see his face. He said it is a crematory ground.
>>> Ref. VedaBase => Room Conversation -- June 26, 1975, Los Angeles
PURPORT
We should mark how dutiful Dhruva Mahäräja was in his devotional service, even at the time he left this material world. He was constantly alert in the performance of devotional duties. Every devotee should take his bath early in the morning and decorate his body with tilaka. In Kali-yuga one can hardly acquire gold or jeweled ornaments, but the twelve tilaka marks on the body are sufficient as auspicious decorations to purify the body. Since Dhruva Mahäräja was living at that time at Badarikäçrama, there were other great sages there. He did not become puffed up because the airplane sent by Lord Viñëu was waiting for him; as a humble Vaiñëava, he accepted blessings from all the sages before riding on the plane brought by the chief of the Vaikuëöha associates
>>> Ref. VedaBase => SB 4.12.28
vaktram—face; na—never; te—your; vitilakam—without being decorated; malinam—unclean; viharñam—morose; saàrambha—with anger; bhémam—dangerous; avimåñöam—without luster; apeta-rägam—without affection; paçye—I have seen; stanau—your breasts; api—also; çucä-upahatau—wet because of your tears; su-jätau—so nice; bimba-adharam—red lips; vigata—without; kuìkuma-paìka—saffron; rägam—color.
TRANSLATION
My dear wife, until this day I have never seen your face without tilaka decorations, nor have I seen you so morose and without luster or affection. Nor have I seen your two nice breasts wet with tears from your eyes. Nor have I ever before seen your lips, which are ordinarily as red as the bimba fruit, without their reddish hue.
PURPORT
Every woman looks very beautiful when decorated with tilaka and vermillion. A woman generally becomes very attractive when her lips are colored with reddish saffron or vermillion. But when one’s consciousness and intelligence are without any brilliant thoughts about Kåñëa, they become morose and lusterless, so much so that one cannot derive any benefit despite sharp intelligence.
>>> Ref. VedaBase => SB 4.26.25
go-mütreëa—with the urine of the cows; snäpayitvä—after thoroughly washing; punaù—again; go-rajasä—with the dust floating because of the movements of the cows; arbhakam—unto the child; rakñäm—protection; cakruù—executed; ca—also; çakåtä—with the cow dung; dvädaça-aìgeñu—in twelve places (dvädaça-tilaka); nämabhéù—by imprinting the holy names of the Lord.
TRANSLATION
The child was thoroughly washed with cow urine and then smeared with the dust raised by the movements of the cows. Then different names of the Lord were applied with cow dung on twelve different parts of His body, beginning with the forehead, as done in applying tilaka. In this way, the child was given protection.
>>> Ref. VedaBase => SB 10.6.20
While decorating the body with tilaka, we give protection to the body by chanting twelve names of Viñëu. Although Govinda, or Lord Viñëu, is one, He has different names and forms with which to act differently. But if one cannot remember all the names at one time, one may simply chant, “Lord Viñëu, Lord Viñëu, Lord Viñëu,” and always think of Lord Viñëu.
>>> Ref. VedaBase => , SB 10.6.27-29
tataù—thereafter; nåpa—O King (Mahäräja Parékñit); unmardana—by massaging them with oil; majja—by bathing; lepana—by smearing the body with oil and sandalwood pulp; alaìkära—by decorating with ornaments; rakñä—by chanting protective mantras; tilaka—by decorating the body with tilaka marks in twelve places; açana-ädibhiù—and by feeding them sumptuously; saàlälitaù—in this way cared for by the mothers; sva-äcaritaiù—by their characteristic behavior; praharña-yan—making the mothers very much pleased; säyam—evening; gataù—arrived; yäma-yamena—as the time of each activity passed; mädhavaù—Lord Kåñëa.
TRANSLATION
Thereafter, O Mahäräja Parékñit, as required according to the scheduled round of His pastimes, Kåñëa returned in the evening, entered the house of each of the cowherd boys, and engaged exactly like the former boys, thus enlivening their mothers with transcendental pleasure. The mothers took care of the boys by massaging them with oil, bathing them, smearing their bodies with sandalwood pulp, decorating them with ornaments, chanting protective mantras, decorating their bodies with tilaka and giving them food. In this way, the mothers served Kåñëa personally.
>>> Ref. VedaBase => SB 10.13.23
Kåñëa is actually present everywhere. The Vaiñëava, therefore, marks his body with temples of Viñëu: he first marks a tilaka temple on the abdomen, then on the chest, then between the collarbones, then on the forehead, and gradually he marks the top of the head, the brahma-randhra. The thirteen temples of tilaka marked on the body of a Vaiñëava are known as follows: On the forehead is the temple of Lord Keçava, on the belly is the temple of Lord Näräyaëa, on the chest is the temple of Lord Mädhava, and on the throat, between the two collarbones, is the temple of Lord Govinda. On the right side of the waist is the temple of Lord Viñëu, on the right arm the temple of Lord Madhusüdana, and on the right side of the collarbone the temple of Lord Trivikrama. Similarly, on the left side of the waist is the temple of Lord Vämanadeva, on the left arm the temple of Çrédhara, on the left side of the collarbone the temple of Håñékeça, on the upper back the temple called Padmanäbha, and on the lower back the temple called Dämodara. On the top of the head is the temple called Väsudeva. This is the process of meditation on the Lord’s situation in the different parts of the body
>>> Ref. VedaBase => KB 87: Prayers by the Personified Vedas
çuciù—clean; sammukham—facing (the Deity); äsénaù—thus seated; präëa-saàyamana-ädibhiù—by präëäyäma (breathing exercises) and other means; piëòam—the gross body; viçodhya—purifying; sannyäsa—by placing transcendental marks of tilaka on various places of the body; kåta-rakñaù—in this way invoking the Lord’s protection; arcayet—one should worship; harim—Lord Hari.
TRANSLATION
After cleansing oneself, purifying the body by präëäyäma, bhüta-çuddhi and other processes, and marking the body with sacred tilaka for protection, one should sit in front of the Deity and worship the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
PURPORT
Präëäyäma is the authorized Vedic process for controlling the air within the body. Similarly, bhüta-çuddhi is a process for purifying the body. The word çuciù means that one should be internally and externally clean. Çuciù means that one should perform activities only for the pleasure of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. If somehow or other one can remember the Supreme Lord constantly by chanting and hearing His holy name, one will come to the pure stage of life, as described in this Vedic mantra:
oà apavitraù pavitro vä
sarvävasthäà gato ’pi vä
yaù smaret puëòarékäkñaà
sa bahyäbhyantara-çuciù
(Garuòa Puräëa)
Çréla Bhaktisiddhänta Sarasvaté Öhäkura has pointed out that although one may mark the body with sacred tilaka, perform mudräs and chant mantras, if one is thinking within his mind of material sense gratification his worship of Lord Çré Hari is bogus. Therefore the word çuciù here indicates that one should worship the Lord in a favorable frame of mind, considering the Lord to be sacred and one’s self to be an insignificant servant of the Lord. Those who are not favorably inclined toward the Supreme Personality of Godhead do not like to worship the Deity in the temple, and they discourage people from going to the temple of the Lord by saying that since the Lord is omnipresent there is no need to do so. Such envious persons prefer the gymnastic exercises of haöha-yoga or the räja-yoga system. But statements by the Lord Himself, such as väsudevaù sarvam iti and mäà ekaà çaraëaà vraja [Bg. 7.19], indicate that in mature transcendental realization one understands that the Supreme Personality of Godhead is the source of everything and therefore the only worshipable object. Thus the devotees who worship the Deity of the Lord according to the païcarätra system are not attracted by any yoga process except bhakti-yoga
>>> Ref. VedaBase => SB 11.3.49
Prabhupäda: Yes. (Hindi) Tilaka mantra hai, bhagavän kahe, Vämanadeva, Keçava, Govinda. So a devotee is protected from all sides by Kåñëa. So you remain safe. Kåñëa says, kaunteya pratijänéhi na me bhaktaù praëaçyati [Bg. 9.31]. So bhakta hai (Hindi) So you are protected. That’s it.
>>> Ref. VedaBase => Bhagavad-gétä 2.25 -- Hyderabad, November 29, 1972
Prabhupäda: Where is your tilaka? No tilaka. Hm. Why there is no light? You can open it. Cannot open? All right. Recite
>>> Ref. VedaBase => Çrémad-Bhägavatam 1.3.22 -- Los Angeles, September 27, 1972
Yogeçvara: He says he hopes we excuse if he has some basic questions that he wanted to ask. And his first question was regarding tilaka. What is the symbolism, significance?
Prabhupäda: It is just like your cross, amongst Christian. It is temple of Viñëu. Not only here, we have got twelve place: here, here, here, here, here. Twelve place. The idea is being protected by Viñëu from all sides.
>>> Ref. VedaBase => Room Conversation -- June 5, 1974, Geneva
Prabhupäda: Caitanya Mahäprabhu, when His students used to come without tilaka, so He refused to see his face. He refused to see his face. He said it is a crematory ground.
>>> Ref. VedaBase => Room Conversation -- June 26, 1975, Los Angeles
Comments