[Advaita-l] External Evidence for bhasma dhāraṇam by vaidikas [was 'Watch "Miracle in Tirumala - Tirupati" on YouTube']

[V Subrahmanian]

On Thu, Nov 3, 2016 at 10:38 AM, Bhaskar YR <bhaskar.yr at in.abb.com> wrote:

> praNAms Sri Subbu prabhuji
>
> Hare Krishna
>
>
>
> Thanks for the explanation prabhuji.
>
>
>
> For  bhasma dhAraNa (tripundra, Urdhva pundra etc. in smArta saMpradAya),
> mudrAdhAraNa ( in mAdhva saMpradAya) tilaka/nAma dhAraNa (tengalai,
> vadagali etc. in Sri VaishNava saMpradAya) do we have any reference in our
> veda/vedAnta??  I read somewhere that ( in Hindu dharma of kAnchi
> paramAchArya ?? not sure) during the earlier times there exists only bhasma
> dhAraNa vidhi and nAma and mudrAdhAraNa are recent developments.
>

Dear Bhaskar ji,

For your above observation, there is a supporting unique evidence:

External Evidence for bhasma dhāraṇam by vaidikas:

In the popular ‘sarva darśana sangraha’ of Āchārya Sāyaṇa-Mādhava, 13/14
CE, in the section pertaining to the delineation of Chārvākas
(materialists/atheists) there is cited this famous verse as an ‘ābhāṇaka’
(popular saying):

अग्निहोत्रं त्रयोवेदास्त्रिदण्डं भस्मगुण्ठनम्।

बुद्धिपौरुषहीनानां जीविका धातृनिर्मिता॥

Agnihotram trayo vedāḥ tridaṇḍam bhasmaguṇṭhanam

Buddhipauruṣahīnānām jīvakā dhātṛnirmitā.

[The practice of agnihotram, belief in and study and recitation of the
three Vedas, the holding of the triple-staff (tridaṇḍam) and donning the
bhasma – these are created as means of sustenance/survival by the Creator
Lord for those who are dull-witted and lack enterprise.]

This verse is cited in the same connection by an even earlier author Kṛṣṇa
Misra in his Prabodha Chandrodaya drama too. Even though the verse is a
caricature of vaidikas by the materialist (some say this is a verse by
Buddhist/Jains caricaturing vaidikas), yet it proves that vaidikas did don
bhasma.  Since the verse was popular even in the 6 CE (the period of the
work according to the translator of the Prabodhav  chandrodaya. Or
definitely before 10CE according to another opinion), it goes without
saying that the vaidikas of an even earlier period, pre-Shankara,  and much
earlier than that, too were donning the bhasma as a veda vihita practice.

bhasmaguṇṭhanam is not without the accompanying tripundra:

वेदसिद्धेन मन्त्रेन त्रिपुण्ड्रं भस्मगुण्ठनम्

नैव कुर्वन्ति मोहेन मनुष्याः पापकर्मिणः  ९ Parāśara upa puranam

What is significant in the above verse is that the author does not include
the ūrdhva puṇḍra in that list of vaidika practices. Even if it said that
the bhasma reference is upalakṣaṇa for ūrdhva pundra too, even then the
author has chosen to mention bhasma since that might have been the
predominant practice.


The Uttararāmacharitam of Mahākavi Bhavabhūti (8 CE) has a description of
Lava’s physical appearance, son of Rāma:

चूडाचुम्बितकङ्कपत्रमभितस्तूणीद्वयं पृष्ठतो भस्मस्तोकपवित्रलाञ्छनमुरो धत्ते
त्वचं रौरवीम् । मौर्व्या मेखलया नियन्त्रितमधो वासश्चमाञ्जिष्ठकं पाणौ
कार्मुकमक्षसूत्रवसयं दण्डोऽपरः पैप्पलः ॥२०॥

The compound word highlighted above is explained in the commentary as:
Lava’s chest was bearing the sacred, pavitra, insignia, mark, of bhasma.
The commentary says that such is the way a Kṣatriya brahmachārin dresses
himself.

Bhasma dhāraṇam

mahabharata: 13-208-55 आयुष्कामोद्विजोदेविधारयेद्भस्
यनित्पशः।मोक्षकामीचयोविप्रोभूतिकामोथवापुनः।पुनरावृत्तिरहितं
लोकंसम्प्रतिपद्यते।

The above says: among other things  the mokṣa aspirant brāhmaṇa should don
the bhasma always.  This teaching is given out by Shiva to pārvati in the
Mahabhārata - ānuśāsanika parva.

On page 302 line 20, of the smṛti muktāphalam, a dharma śāstra work one can
see a prescription of tiryak (horizontal) bhasmadharanam from Bharadwāja:

तिर्यक्त्रिपुण्ड्रं विधिना ललाटे हृदये जले..

This is apart from countless shruti and other pramanas. The shruti name,
jābāla, is mentioned in the Kurma and Shiva purana-s.

regards

subbu


>
>
> Hari Hari Hari Bol!!!
>
> bhaskar
>
>
>
> *From:* V Subrahmanian [mailto:v.subrahmanian at gmail.com]
> *Sent:* Wednesday, November 02, 2016 10:46 PM
> *To:* Bhaskar YR <bhaskar.yr at in.abb.com>
> *Cc:* A discussion group for Advaita Vedanta <advaita-l at lists.advaita-
> vedanta.org>
> *Subject:* Re: [Advaita-l] Watch "Miracle in Tirumala - Tirupati" on
> YouTube
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> On Wed, Nov 2, 2016 at 5:58 PM, Bhaskar YR <bhaskar.yr at in.abb.com> wrote:
>
> praNAms Sri Subbu prabhuji
> Hare Krishna
>
> What is this about?? Please tell me about the miracle that took place in
> tirupati as I am not able to see this in YT.
>
>
>
> Dear Bhaskar ji,
>
>
>
> There appeared a strange cloud formation in the form of tripundra with the
> full moon (the following day was Gurupurnima) positioned on the centre of
> that cloud (three parallel lines).  Devotees who witnessed this phenomenon
> were amazed and felt it was a divine blessing on the eve of Gurupurnima.
> The TV channel that reported this added lot of masala to the event by
> repeatedly superimposing the tripundra on Lord Venkateswara's forehead. And
> played 'Govinda Govinda' chants in  the background. The narrative also
> mentioned that Shiva is stated to be the Kshetrapāla of Tirupati according
> to purana-s, thereby making the Shiva-connection even more emphatic.
>
>
>
> Someone had shared this clip on WhatsApp.
>
>
>
> regards
>
> subbu
>
>
> Hari Hari Hari Bol!!!
> bhaskar
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Advaita-l [mailto:advaita-l-bounces at lists.advaita-vedanta.org] On
> Behalf Of V Subrahmanian via Advaita-l
> Sent: Thursday, October 27, 2016 12:42 AM
> To: A discussion group for Advaita Vedanta <advaita-l at lists.advaita-
> vedanta.org>; Advaitin <advaitin at yahoogroups.com>
> Subject: [Advaita-l] Watch "Miracle in Tirumala - Tirupati" on YouTube
>
> Miracle in Tirumala - Tirupati: http://youtu.be/2Fe0qnxWgVo
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