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Tilaka

January 01, 1970

"Tilak" redirects here. For the Indian anti-colonial leader, see Bal Gangadhar Tilak.

In Hinduism, the tilaka (Sanskrit: तिलक), colloquially known as a tika, is a mark worn usually on the forehead, at the point of the ajna chakra (third eye or spiritual eye) and sometimes other parts of the body such as the neck, hand, chest, or the arm.[1] The tilaka may be worn daily for decorative purposes, as a symbol for sectarian affiliation, for rites of passage or for special spiritual and religious occasions, depending on regional customs.[2][3] It is also used as an expression of honour or to welcome someone upon arrival.[4]

A Nepali woman with a tilaka on her forehead

Tilakas come in an assortment of styles or shapes and are adorned using various material such as "ash from sacrificial fire or cow dung, sandalwood paste, turmeric, clay, charcoal or red lead."[5][6][7]

Variations and meaning edit

Different Hindu denominations use different materials and shapes to make the tilaka.[6]

Vaishnavite tilakas edit

Traditionally, a staunch Vaishnavite would mark twelve parts of the body with tilakas and other symbols, but the most prominent tilaka is displayed on the forehead. The Vaishnava tilaka, also known as urdhva pundra, consists of a two or three vertical lines starting from just below the hairline to almost the end of one's nose tip, and intercepted in the middle by an elongated U. The style of the urdhva pundra varies in each Vaishnavite sect throughout India and can be made with sandalwood paste or various other materials.[3][7]

 
Examples of Tilaks or sect-marking in British India, summarised by 19th-century scholar Russell

According to Dr. Vijay Prakash Sharma, the known styles include:[8] Vijayshree – white tilaka urdhva pundra with a white line in the middle,[8] founded by Swami Balanand of Jaipur; Bendi tilaka – white tilaka urdhva pundra with a white round mark in the middle,[9] founded by Swami Ramprasad Acharya of Badasthan Ayodhya; and Chaturbhuji tilaka – white tilaka urdhva pundra with the upper portion turned 90 degrees in the opposite direction, no shri in the middle, founded by Narayandas of Bihar, ascetics of Svarg Dvar of Ayodhya follow it.

Additional styles include: Vallabha Sampradaya Tilaka, Sri Tilaka of Rewasa Gaddi, Ramacharandas Tilaka, Srijiwarama tilaka, Sri Janakraja Kishori Sharan Rasik Aliji tilaka, Sri Rupkalajee tilaka, Rupsarasji tilaka, Ramasakheeji tilaka, Kamanendu Mani tilaka, Karunasindhuji tilaka, Swaminarayana Tilaka, Nimbarka tilaka, and Madhva tilaka.[10]

The Vasudeva Upanishad, a Vaishnava tradition text, explains the significance of three vertical lines in urdhva pundra tilaka to be a reminder of Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva; the Vedic scriptures – Rigveda, Yajurveda and Samaveda; three worlds Bhu, Bhuva, Svar; the three syllables of Om – a, u, m; three states of consciousness – awake, dream sleep, deep sleep; three realities – Maya, Brahman and Atman; the three bodies – sthula, sukshma, and karana.[11][12]

 
Sadhu in Nepal wearing tilaka

Shaivite tilakas edit

The Tripundra or Rudra-tilaka is the other major tilaka variant, often worn by the followers of Shiva.[13][14] It consists of three horizontal bands across the forehead with a single vertical band or circle in the middle. This is traditionally done with sacred ash from sacrificial fires, also known as vibhuti. The use of vibhuti is symbolic of detachment to the world or renunciation.[15] This variant is the more ancient of the two and shares many common aspects with similar markings worn across the world.[3]

Chapter 2 of the Kalagni Rudra Upanishad, a Shaiva traditional text, explains the three lines of a Tilaka as a reminder of various triads: three sacred fires, three syllables in Om, three gunas, three worlds, three types of atman (self), three powers in oneself, first three Vedas, three times of extraction of the Vedic drink Soma.[16][17]

  • The first line is equated to Garhapatya (the sacred fire in a household kitchen), the A syllable of Om, the Rajas guna, the earth, the external self, Kriyā – the power of action, the Rigveda, the morning extraction of Soma, and Maheshvara.[16][17]
  • The second streak of ash is a reminder of Dakshinagni (the holy fire lighted in the South for ancestors), the sound U of Om, Sattva guna, the atmosphere, the inner self, Iccha – the power of will, the Yajurveda, midday Soma extraction, and Sadashiva.[16][17]
  • The third streak is the Ahavaniya (the fire used for Homa), the M syllable in Om, the Tamas guna, Svarga – heaven, the Paramatman – the highest self (the ultimate reality of Brahman), Jnana – the power of knowledge, the Samaveda, Soma extraction at dusk, and Shiva.[16][17]

These lines, represent Shiva's threefold power of will (icchāśakti), knowledge (jñānaśakti), and action (kriyāśakti).[18] The Tripuṇḍra described in this and other Shaiva texts also symbolises Shiva's trident (trishula) and the divine triad of Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva.[18]

 
A devotee of Ayyappan wearing tilaka.

Other Hindu denominations edit

Shaktas, worshippers of the various forms of the Goddess (Devi), wear a red dot on the forehead in the middle of three horizontal lines or a semicircular line.[1][19]

Followers of Ganapatya use red sandal paste (rakta candana).[20]

Other traditions edit

Jains wear the tilaka to mark the forehead of Jaina images with sandalwood paste, during puja ceremonies.[21] It may also be used, for the same reason, to mark idols at the start of a puja (worship), to mark a rock or tree before it is cut or removed from its original place for artisan work, or to mark a new piece of property.[4][22]

Relationship to bindi edit

Although bindi is related to tilaka there are a few notable differences. Bindi is a dot worn mainly by married Hindu women on the forehead and generally red in color, symbolizing good fortune. Today, it can be found in an assortment of colors, shapes, materials and mainly worn for decorative purposes.[23][24]

See also edit

  • Ash Wednesday – a forehead marking tradition in Christianity
  • Bindi – a cosmetic item of decoration for women in South Asia
  • Fascinator – a cosmetic item worn near the forehead, an alternative to a hat
  • Third eye
  • Urdhva Pundra
  • Vibhuti – Sacred ash made of burnt wood, burnt cow dung, or from the cremation of bodies.

References edit

  1. ^ a b Mittal, Sushil; Thursby, Gene (2006-04-18). Religions of South Asia: An Introduction. Routledge. p. 73. ISBN 978-1-134-59322-4.
  2. ^ Kanti Ghosh, Sumit (2023-05-18). "Body, Dress, and Symbolic Capital: Multifaceted Presentation of PUGREE in Colonial Governance of British India". Textile: 1–32. doi:10.1080/14759756.2023.2208502. ISSN 1475-9756. S2CID 258804155.
  3. ^ a b c Lochtefeld, James G. (2002). The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Hinduism: N-Z. Rosen. p. 709. ISBN 978-0-8239-3180-4.
  4. ^ a b Axel Michaels (2015), Homo Ritualis: Hindu Ritual and Its Significance for Ritual Theory, Oxford University Press, ISBN 978-0190262631, pp. 100-112, 327
  5. ^ "Tilak | Hindu symbolism". Britannica. Retrieved 2023-07-04.
  6. ^ a b Makhan Jha, Anthropology of ancient Hindu kingdoms: a study in civilizational perspective, p. 126
  7. ^ a b Chatterjee, Gautam (2001). Sacred Hindu Symbols. Abhinav Publications. p. 59. ISBN 978-81-7017-397-7.
  8. ^ a b Vijay Prakash Sharma, p. 72.
  9. ^ Vijay Prakash Sharma, p. 73.
  10. ^ Vijay Prakash Sharma, p. 75.
  11. ^ Sunder Hattangadi (2000), Vasudeva Upanishad 2016-02-08 at the Wayback Machine, Sama Veda, SanskritDocuments Archives
  12. ^ D Dennis Hudson (2008), The Body of God, Oxford University Press, ISBN 978-0195369229, pp. 90-95
  13. ^ Deussen 1997, pp. 789–790.
  14. ^ Klostermaier 1984, pp. 131, 371.
  15. ^ Narayanan, Vasudha (29 May 2018). "Tilak and Other Forehead Marks". Brill’s Encyclopedia of Hinduism Online. Retrieved November 24, 2023.
  16. ^ a b c d Deussen 1997, p. 790.
  17. ^ a b c d Nene 1999.
  18. ^ a b Antonio Rigopoulos (2013), Brill's Encyclopedia of Hinduism, Volume 5, Brill Academic, ISBN 978-9004178960, pp. 182-183
  19. ^ Commissioner, India Census (1902). Census of India, 1901. Printed at the Government central Press. p. 83.
  20. ^ Grimes, John A. (1995). Ganapati: Song of the Self. Albany: State University of New York Press. p. 202, note 40. ISBN 0-7914-2440-5.
  21. ^ Robert Williams (1998), Jaina Yoga: A Survey of the Mediaeval Śrāvakācāras, Motilal Banarsidass, ISBN 978-8120807754, pp. 221-222
  22. ^ E. Washburn Hopkins (1910). "Mythological Aspects of Trees and Mountains in the Great Epic". Journal of the American Oriental Society. 30 (4): 347–374. doi:10.2307/3087578. JSTOR 3087578.
  23. ^ DeMello, Margo (2012-02-14). Faces around the World: A Cultural Encyclopedia of the Human Face: A Cultural Encyclopedia of the Human Face. ABC-CLIO. pp. 24–25. ISBN 978-1-59884-618-8.
  24. ^ Kenny, Erin; Nichols, Elizabeth Gackstetter (2017-06-22). Beauty around the World: A Cultural Encyclopedia. ABC-CLIO. pp. 22–23. ISBN 978-1-61069-945-7.

Bibliography edit

  • Deussen, Paul (1997). Sixty Upanishads of the Veda. Motilal Banarsidass. ISBN 978-81-208-1467-7.
  • Entwistle, A. W. (1981). Vaishnava tilakas: Sectarian marks worn by worshippers of Vishnu (IAVRI bulletin). International Association of the Vrindaban Research Institute.
  • Klostermaier, Klaus K. (1984). Mythologies and Philosophies of Salvation in the Theistic Traditions of India. Wilfrid Laurier Univ. Press. ISBN 978-0-88920-158-3.
  • Nene, Roopa (1999). "कालाग्निरुद्रोपनिषत् (Kalagnirudra Upanishad)" (PDF) (in Sanskrit). Retrieved 28 January 2016.
  • Vijay Prakash Sharma. The sadhus and Indian civilisation.[full citation needed]

Further reading edit

  • Mittal, Sushil; Thursby, Gene R. (2006). Religions of South Asia: An Introduction. Taylor & Francis, United Kingdom. ISBN 0-415-22390-3. pp. 73.

External links edit

 
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Tilak.
 
Wikiquote has quotations related to Tilaka.
  • How to put on Tilak, Hare Krishna Temple
  • Tilaka : Hindu marks on the forehead, Priyabala Shah

January 01, 1970
tilaka, tilak, redirects, here, indian, anti, colonial, leader, gangadhar, tilak, hinduism, tilaka, sanskrit, लक, colloquially, known, tika, mark, worn, usually, forehead, point, ajna, chakra, third, spiritual, sometimes, other, parts, body, such, neck, hand, . Tilak redirects here For the Indian anti colonial leader see Bal Gangadhar Tilak In Hinduism the tilaka Sanskrit त लक colloquially known as a tika is a mark worn usually on the forehead at the point of the ajna chakra third eye or spiritual eye and sometimes other parts of the body such as the neck hand chest or the arm 1 The tilaka may be worn daily for decorative purposes as a symbol for sectarian affiliation for rites of passage or for special spiritual and religious occasions depending on regional customs 2 3 It is also used as an expression of honour or to welcome someone upon arrival 4 A Nepali woman with a tilaka on her forehead Tilakas come in an assortment of styles or shapes and are adorned using various material such as ash from sacrificial fire or cow dung sandalwood paste turmeric clay charcoal or red lead 5 6 7 Contents 1 Variations and meaning 1 1 Vaishnavite tilakas 1 2 Shaivite tilakas 1 3 Other Hindu denominations 2 Other traditions 3 Relationship to bindi 4 See also 5 References 5 1 Bibliography 6 Further reading 7 External linksVariations and meaning editDifferent Hindu denominations use different materials and shapes to make the tilaka 6 Vaishnavite tilakas editTraditionally a staunch Vaishnavite would mark twelve parts of the body with tilakas and other symbols but the most prominent tilaka is displayed on the forehead The Vaishnava tilaka also known as urdhva pundra consists of a two or three vertical lines starting from just below the hairline to almost the end of one s nose tip and intercepted in the middle by an elongated U The style of the urdhva pundra varies in each Vaishnavite sect throughout India and can be made with sandalwood paste or various other materials 3 7 nbsp Examples of Tilaks or sect marking in British India summarised by 19th century scholar RussellAccording to Dr Vijay Prakash Sharma the known styles include 8 Vijayshree white tilaka urdhva pundra with a white line in the middle 8 founded by Swami Balanand of Jaipur Bendi tilaka white tilaka urdhva pundra with a white round mark in the middle 9 founded by Swami Ramprasad Acharya of Badasthan Ayodhya and Chaturbhuji tilaka white tilaka urdhva pundra with the upper portion turned 90 degrees in the opposite direction no shri in the middle founded by Narayandas of Bihar ascetics of Svarg Dvar of Ayodhya follow it Additional styles include Vallabha Sampradaya Tilaka Sri Tilaka of Rewasa Gaddi Ramacharandas Tilaka Srijiwarama tilaka Sri Janakraja Kishori Sharan Rasik Aliji tilaka Sri Rupkalajee tilaka Rupsarasji tilaka Ramasakheeji tilaka Kamanendu Mani tilaka Karunasindhuji tilaka Swaminarayana Tilaka Nimbarka tilaka and Madhva tilaka 10 The Vasudeva Upanishad a Vaishnava tradition text explains the significance of three vertical lines in urdhva pundra tilaka to be a reminder of Brahma Vishnu Shiva the Vedic scriptures Rigveda Yajurveda and Samaveda three worlds Bhu Bhuva Svar the three syllables of Om a u m three states of consciousness awake dream sleep deep sleep three realities Maya Brahman and Atman the three bodies sthula sukshma and karana 11 12 nbsp Sadhu in Nepal wearing tilaka Shaivite tilakas edit The Tripundra or Rudra tilaka is the other major tilaka variant often worn by the followers of Shiva 13 14 It consists of three horizontal bands across the forehead with a single vertical band or circle in the middle This is traditionally done with sacred ash from sacrificial fires also known as vibhuti The use of vibhuti is symbolic of detachment to the world or renunciation 15 This variant is the more ancient of the two and shares many common aspects with similar markings worn across the world 3 Chapter 2 of the Kalagni Rudra Upanishad a Shaiva traditional text explains the three lines of a Tilaka as a reminder of various triads three sacred fires three syllables in Om three gunas three worlds three types of atman self three powers in oneself first three Vedas three times of extraction of the Vedic drink Soma 16 17 The first line is equated to Garhapatya the sacred fire in a household kitchen the A syllable of Om the Rajas guna the earth the external self Kriya the power of action the Rigveda the morning extraction of Soma and Maheshvara 16 17 The second streak of ash is a reminder of Dakshinagni the holy fire lighted in the South for ancestors the sound U of Om Sattva guna the atmosphere the inner self Iccha the power of will the Yajurveda midday Soma extraction and Sadashiva 16 17 The third streak is the Ahavaniya the fire used for Homa the M syllable in Om the Tamas guna Svarga heaven the Paramatman the highest self the ultimate reality of Brahman Jnana the power of knowledge the Samaveda Soma extraction at dusk and Shiva 16 17 These lines represent Shiva s threefold power of will icchasakti knowledge jnanasakti and action kriyasakti 18 The Tripuṇḍra described in this and other Shaiva texts also symbolises Shiva s trident trishula and the divine triad of Brahma Vishnu and Shiva 18 nbsp A devotee of Ayyappan wearing tilaka Other Hindu denominations edit Shaktas worshippers of the various forms of the Goddess Devi wear a red dot on the forehead in the middle of three horizontal lines or a semicircular line 1 19 Followers of Ganapatya use red sandal paste rakta candana 20 Other traditions editJains wear the tilaka to mark the forehead of Jaina images with sandalwood paste during puja ceremonies 21 It may also be used for the same reason to mark idols at the start of a puja worship to mark a rock or tree before it is cut or removed from its original place for artisan work or to mark a new piece of property 4 22 Relationship to bindi editAlthough bindi is related to tilaka there are a few notable differences Bindi is a dot worn mainly by married Hindu women on the forehead and generally red in color symbolizing good fortune Today it can be found in an assortment of colors shapes materials and mainly worn for decorative purposes 23 24 See also editAsh Wednesday a forehead marking tradition in Christianity Bindi a cosmetic item of decoration for women in South Asia Fascinator a cosmetic item worn near the forehead an alternative to a hat Third eye Urdhva Pundra Vibhuti Sacred ash made of burnt wood burnt cow dung or from the cremation of bodies References edit a b Mittal Sushil Thursby Gene 2006 04 18 Religions of South Asia An Introduction Routledge p 73 ISBN 978 1 134 59322 4 Kanti Ghosh Sumit 2023 05 18 Body Dress and Symbolic Capital Multifaceted Presentation of PUGREE in Colonial Governance of British India Textile 1 32 doi 10 1080 14759756 2023 2208502 ISSN 1475 9756 S2CID 258804155 a b c Lochtefeld James G 2002 The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Hinduism N Z Rosen p 709 ISBN 978 0 8239 3180 4 a b Axel Michaels 2015 Homo Ritualis Hindu Ritual and Its Significance for Ritual Theory Oxford University Press ISBN 978 0190262631 pp 100 112 327 Tilak Hindu symbolism Britannica Retrieved 2023 07 04 a b Makhan Jha Anthropology of ancient Hindu kingdoms a study in civilizational perspective p 126 a b Chatterjee Gautam 2001 Sacred Hindu Symbols Abhinav Publications p 59 ISBN 978 81 7017 397 7 a b Vijay Prakash Sharma p 72 Vijay Prakash Sharma p 73 Vijay Prakash Sharma p 75 Sunder Hattangadi 2000 Vasudeva Upanishad Archived 2016 02 08 at the Wayback Machine Sama Veda SanskritDocuments Archives D Dennis Hudson 2008 The Body of God Oxford University Press ISBN 978 0195369229 pp 90 95 Deussen 1997 pp 789 790 Klostermaier 1984 pp 131 371 Narayanan Vasudha 29 May 2018 Tilak and Other Forehead Marks Brill s Encyclopedia of Hinduism Online Retrieved November 24 2023 a b c d Deussen 1997 p 790 a b c d Nene 1999 a b Antonio Rigopoulos 2013 Brill s Encyclopedia of Hinduism Volume 5 Brill Academic ISBN 978 9004178960 pp 182 183 Commissioner India Census 1902 Census of India 1901 Printed at the Government central Press p 83 Grimes John A 1995 Ganapati Song of the Self Albany State University of New York Press p 202 note 40 ISBN 0 7914 2440 5 Robert Williams 1998 Jaina Yoga A Survey of the Mediaeval Sravakacaras Motilal Banarsidass ISBN 978 8120807754 pp 221 222 E Washburn Hopkins 1910 Mythological Aspects of Trees and Mountains in the Great Epic Journal of the American Oriental Society 30 4 347 374 doi 10 2307 3087578 JSTOR 3087578 DeMello Margo 2012 02 14 Faces around the World A Cultural Encyclopedia of the Human Face A Cultural Encyclopedia of the Human Face ABC CLIO pp 24 25 ISBN 978 1 59884 618 8 Kenny Erin Nichols Elizabeth Gackstetter 2017 06 22 Beauty around the World A Cultural Encyclopedia ABC CLIO pp 22 23 ISBN 978 1 61069 945 7 Bibliography edit Deussen Paul 1997 Sixty Upanishads of the Veda Motilal Banarsidass ISBN 978 81 208 1467 7 Entwistle A W 1981 Vaishnava tilakas Sectarian marks worn by worshippers of Vishnu IAVRI bulletin International Association of the Vrindaban Research Institute Klostermaier Klaus K 1984 Mythologies and Philosophies of Salvation in the Theistic Traditions of India Wilfrid Laurier Univ Press ISBN 978 0 88920 158 3 Nene Roopa 1999 क ल ग न र द र पन षत Kalagnirudra Upanishad PDF in Sanskrit Retrieved 28 January 2016 Vijay Prakash Sharma The sadhus and Indian civilisation full citation needed Further reading editMittal Sushil Thursby Gene R 2006 Religions of South Asia An Introduction Taylor amp Francis United Kingdom ISBN 0 415 22390 3 pp 73 External links edit nbsp Wikimedia Commons has media related to Tilak nbsp Wikiquote has quotations related to Tilaka How to put on Tilak Hare Krishna Temple Tilaka Hindu marks on the forehead Priyabala Shah Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Tilaka amp oldid 1212778862, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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