Shloka 12
भस्म-प्रकार-त्रिपुण्ड्र-धारण-विधिः
Types of Bhasma and the Method of Wearing Tripuṇḍra
ब्राह्मणैः क्षत्रियैर्वैश्यैः शूद्रै रपि च संस्करैः । अपभ्रंशैर्धृतं भस्मत्रिपुंड्रोद्धूलनात्मना
brāhmaṇaiḥ kṣatriyairvaiśyaiḥ śūdrai rapi ca saṃskaraiḥ | apabhraṃśairdhṛtaṃ bhasmatripuṃḍroddhūlanātmanā
This observance is maintained by brāhmaṇas, kṣatriyas, vaiśyas, and śūdras alike, and also by those of mixed social conditions; even by those regarded as ‘apabhraṃśa’ (outside refined norms). It is upheld as an embodied devotional practice, by smearing sacred ash and bearing the Tripuṇḍra (three horizontal ash-lines).
Not specified in the provided excerpt (context needed for precise attribution within the chapter’s narrative frame).
Tattva Level: pashu
Shiva Form: Paśupatinātha
Sthala Purana: Not a site-specific episode; the verse universalizes bhasma-tripuṇḍra as a pan-social Śaiva observance extending beyond varṇa boundaries, emphasizing accessibility of Śiva’s path.
Significance: Frames Śaiva identity (bhasma/tripuṇḍra) as open to all social groups; pilgrimage here is ‘embodied pilgrimage’—carrying the tīrtha-sign on one’s body daily.
FAQs
Bhasma (sacred ash) and the tripuṇḍra function as embodied signs of Śaiva devotion: ash evokes impermanence and renunciation, while the tripuṇḍra marks the devotee’s belonging to Śiva and commitment to a Śaiva mode of life and worship.
By explicitly listing the four varṇas and adding mixed and marginal categories, the verse emphasizes that the devotional observance—here, ash-smearing and tripuṇḍra—can be upheld broadly, suggesting a Purāṇic ideal of devotional accessibility that can transcend strict social boundaries.