Shloka 112
भस्म-प्रकार-त्रिपुण्ड्र-धारण-विधिः
Types of Bhasma and the Method of Wearing Tripuṇḍra
अथ वा मस्तकं बाहूहृदयं नाभिरेव च । पंचस्थानान्यमून्याहुर्धारणे भस्मविज्जनाः
atha vā mastakaṃ bāhūhṛdayaṃ nābhireva ca | paṃcasthānānyamūnyāhurdhāraṇe bhasmavijjanāḥ
O kaya naman, ang ulo, ang dalawang bisig, ang puso, at ang pusod—ipinahayag ng mga tunay na nakaaalam sa banal na abo (bhasma) na ito ang limang dako sa katawan para isuot ito, bilang tanda ng pagtalaga sa landas ni Śiva.
Suta Goswami (narrating Shiva’s worship-ordinances to the sages of Naimisharanya)
Tattva Level: pasha
Shiva Form: Mahādeva
Jyotirlinga: Viśvanātha
Sthala Purana: Kāśī’s Viśveśvara tradition emphasizes external Śaiva insignia (bhasma/tripuṇḍra) as daily ācāra supporting inner remembrance; the verse lists bodily loci for bhasma-dhāraṇa as a portable ‘kṣetra’ of consecration.
Significance: Encourages constant Śiva-smṛti through bodily consecration; supports sādhaka’s readiness for darśana, japa, and liṅga-sevā in the jyotirliṅga kṣetra.
FAQs
It teaches that bhasma is not merely decorative: it is a consecrating Shaiva discipline, marking the body as offered to Pati (Shiva) and reminding the devotee of detachment, purity, and the burning of impurities.
Bhasma-dhāraṇa is part of Saguna Shiva worship and Linga-upāsanā: the devotee bears Shiva’s sacred sign on the body while performing pūjā, mantra-japa, and daily observances, aligning outer practice with inner devotion.
Apply sacred ash (vibhūti/bhasma) to the prescribed five places—head, arms, heart, and navel—as a regular vow, ideally alongside Shiva-mantra (such as the Pañcākṣarī) and remembrance of Shiva.