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

[Shashwata Shastri]

Dear Subrahmanian Ji,

Anushashana Parva has 168 chapters. Please recheck the reference related to
Mahabharata.

Best Regards,

Shashwata Chowdhury

On Fri, Nov 4, 2016 at 9:13 PM, Sunil Bhattacharjya via Advaita-l <
advaita-l at lists.advaita-vedanta.org> wrote:

> 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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