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

[Sunil Bhattacharjya]

Namaste,

 In the very beginning of Pashupata Sutra we find that the Pashupata Shaivas have to apply Bhashma in  the entire body three times a day. This is obviously the main snana or the part of the main snana. Then there is the Anu-snana, and taking Nirmaalya. The Anushana and Nirmalya are for identification (probably of the sect to which the person belongs). The  Anusnana probably refers to the application of the Bhashma in different specific parts of the body. 

Regards,
Sunil KB



On Fri, 11/4/16, V Subrahmanian via Advaita-l <advaita-l at lists.advaita-vedanta.org> wrote:

 Subject: [Advaita-l] External Evidence for bhasma dhāraṇam by vaidikas [was 'Watch "Miracle in Tirumala - Tirupati" on YouTube']
 To: "Bhaskar YR" <bhaskar.yr at in.abb.com>, "A discussion group for Advaita Vedanta" <advaita-l at lists.advaita-vedanta.org>
 Date: Friday, November 4, 2016, 10:57 AM
 
 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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