Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 14
The Greatness of the Gaṅgā
Gaṅgāmāhātmya
यत्सैकतं ललाटे तु ध्रियते मनुजोत्तमैः । तत्रैव नेत्रं विज्ञेयं विध्यर्द्धाधः समुज्ज्वलत् ॥ १४ ॥
yatsaikataṃ lalāṭe tu dhriyate manujottamaiḥ | tatraiva netraṃ vijñeyaṃ vidhyarddhādhaḥ samujjvalat || 14 ||
تلك العلامةُ (التيلَكا) من طينٍ/رملٍ مقدّس التي يحملها خيارُ الناس على الجبين—ففي الموضع ذاته ينبغي أن يُعرَف موضعُ العين الإلهية، متلألئةً، موضوعةً فوق خطّ الحاجبين بنحو نصفِ مقدار.
Sanatkumara (teaching Narada in dialogue style)
Vrata: none
Primary Rasa: bhakti
Secondary Rasa: shanta
FAQs
The verse links an external sacred forehead mark with an internal spiritual reality: the seat of the ‘divine eye’ (inner vision). It teaches that dharmic symbols are not merely decorative but point to contemplative awareness and purity.
By honoring the forehead mark worn by the ‘best of men,’ the verse supports bhakti-style upāsanā where the body becomes a vessel of remembrance; the mark functions as a constant cue for devotion and inward attention toward the Divine.
It reflects śikṣā/ācāra (discipline of correct practice and bodily observances) rather than grammar or astrology: where and how a sacred mark is placed is treated as a meaningful, rule-governed ritual detail supporting meditation.