Shloka 12

भस्म-प्रकार-त्रिपुण्ड्र-धारण-विधिः

Types of Bhasma and the Method of Wearing Tripuṇḍra

Devanagari script

ब्राह्मणैः क्षत्रियैर्वैश्यैः शूद्रै रपि च संस्करैः । अपभ्रंशैर्धृतं भस्मत्रिपुंड्रोद्धूलनात्मना

Transliteration

brāhmaṇaiḥ kṣatriyairvaiśyaiḥ śūdrai rapi ca saṃskaraiḥ | apabhraṃśairdhṛtaṃ bhasmatripuṃḍroddhūlanātmanā

Translation

此行持为婆罗门、刹帝利、吠舍与首陀罗所共同奉守，亦为诸种混合身分者所行；甚至被视为“apabhraṃśa”（不合雅范者）亦能奉持。其形相为身行之修：涂抹圣灰，并佩持三道横灰线（Tripuṇḍra）。

Word by Word

• brāhmaṇaiḥ: by Brahmins
• brāhmaṇaiḥ: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brāhmaṇa (ब्राह्मण)
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Plural

• kṣatriyaiḥ: by Kshatriyas
• kṣatriyaiḥ: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kṣatriya (क्षत्रिय)
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Plural

• vaiśyaiḥ: by Vaishyas
• vaiśyaiḥ: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vaiśya (वैश्य)
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Plural

• śūdraiḥ: by Shudras
• śūdraiḥ: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śūdra (शूद्र)
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Plural

• api: also
• api: null
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अपि)
• Form: Particle

• saṃskāraiḥ: by sacraments
• saṃskāraiḥ: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: saṃskāra (संस्कार)
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Plural

• apabhraṃśaiḥ: by corrupt forms
• apabhraṃśaiḥ: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: apabhraṃśa (अपभ्रंश)
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Plural

• dhṛtam: worn/held
• dhṛtam: Visheshana (Attribute/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dhṛ (धृ)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (Past Passive Participle)

• bhasma-tripuṇḍra-uddhūlana-ātmanā: by the nature of smearing ash and triple mark
• bhasma-tripuṇḍra-uddhūlana-ātmanā: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhasma-tripuṇḍra-uddhūlana-ātman (भस्मत्रिपुण्ड्रोद्धूलनात्मन्)
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Singular

Speaker

Not specified in the provided excerpt (context needed for precise attribution within the chapter’s narrative frame).

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pashu

Shiva Form: Paśupatinātha

Jyotirlinga Context

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

What is the theological significance of bhasma and the tripuṇḍra in this verse?

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.

How does the verse frame access to Śaiva practice across social categories?

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.