Shiva Purana — Vidyesvara Samhita, 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
Ang pagsasagawang ito’y pinananatili ng mga brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, at śūdra, gayundin ng mga may halong kalagayang panlipunan; maging yaong tinatawag na “apabhraṃśa” (labas sa pino at wasto) ay nagsasagawa rin. Ito’y itinatag bilang debosyon sa katawan: pagpapahid ng banal na abo at pagdadala ng Tripuṇḍra (tatlong pahalang na guhit).
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.