Vibhuti (Sacred ash)

[renuka]

Share:

Facebook X (Twitter) LinkedIn WhatsApp Email Share Link

understanding of the whole varna-jati-kula concept needs a total overhaul.

Every jati is superior in their eyes; does not follow that others are inferior. Perhaps a modern definition and explanation can be got from the mouth of john galt of ayn rand's atlas shrugged.

Dear Sarang ji,

You are right...in the 1st half of your stanza..my understanding does need overhaul..in fact it needs realignment,balancing,tuning,tinkering to make me understand the vehicle of Jati cos so far I have only heard of Varna and NOT Jati.

Second half ..I disagree..cos superiority complex is a sign of insecurity.

Just too add Superior denotes duality.

Superior itself denotes a comparison.

Just like Good,Better and Best.

 

[renuka]

Dear Sarang ji,

BTW I can not understand how and why does it matter to you if one brother did not wear his Tilak?
What were you trying to imply?

 

[renuka]

Dear Sarang ji,

Lakshmi Sahgal the great brave lady.
We only see her greatness and not the absence or presence of any sign on her forehead.

So I do not see any reason why one Arcot twin need to be said that he tripped and did not follow tradition.

 

[amala]

Try to use the Tamil word for tripped??

Thadumaatram? Inccidentally I would be grateful if someone can tell me, is vibhuti only a Tamizh Shaivite/Smartha thing? I ask this because to be honest I have hardly seen other South Indians like Keralites Andhrites and definitely not Northern/ Eastern Indians wearing vibhuti. I have however seen and continue to see Tamizhs both Indians and especially Sri Lankans never leaving home without said vibhuti

 

[manoharkumar]

Dear Amalaji,
please refer to my post no 24 on this. Have mentioned the same as in your post54. I do not know abt Srilankan Tamils, as i have not met any one from there, but waht you say is 100% correct. None other than Tamils(except few sadhus in NI) use Vibhudi in their forehead or elsewhere.

Cheers.

 

[amala]

How did vibhuti become synonymous with Tamizh religious culture and why? Why don't other SI and even northernes who are shaivite use it (apart from the aghoras and other sadhus). Also can someone tell me what do Andhrites wear (is it the naamam like red line I always see on PB Srinivas' forehead?). I think Keralites wear chandan.

 

[Raji Ram]

முருகன் தமிழர்களின் தெய்வம்.

முருகனின் பிரசாதம் விபூதி!

THATHTHAGIRI MURUGAN,

VIBHOOTHI ALANKARAM, NEAR NAMAKKAL, TAMILNADU, INDIA.

 

[N.R.Ranganathan]

Some orthodox brahmins prepare vibuthi from cowdung, from a particular type of cow ( kaarampasu ) mixing some other
ingradients like komium etc on the night of sivaratri , chanting Rudram and Chamakam. This is considered to be pure.

But we buy it from the shops.

It is quite true that the vibuthi given by great saints have spiritual ( and medicinal ) value also. Remember ths song
Mantiramaavathu neeru by Sambandar.

 

[N.R.Ranganathan]

Dear Raji madam,

I think the worship of Lord Ganapathi is considered to be a special one in Dattagiri, particularly on
chaturthi days.

Lord Dattatreya temple also is situated here. Avadhuta Gita is a famous treatise on vedanta.

 

[Raji Ram]

........ I think the worship of Lord Ganapathi is considered to be a special one in Dattagiri, particularly on
chaturthi days....... .

Dear Sir,

When I searched for Vibhuthi alankAram of Lord Murugan, I got the above picture from Google images.

Regards .......

 

[tbs]

hi
vibhuti generally a saivaite tradition...generally for siva parivar in south...there is proverb....in tamil... சிவன் கோவில்

பிரசாதம் விபூதி...இது ஞானம் கொடுக்கும்...பெருமாள் கோவில் பிரசாதம் பொங்கல்..பசியே அடக்கும்...அது மட்டும்

அல்லாமல்....சிவன் சொத்து குல நாசம்....ஆகையால் திருநீறு மட்டும் தான் பிரசாதம்.....திருநீற்றை விபூதி என்று

சொல்வார்கள்....விபூதி என்றால்

எங்கும் நிறைந்து நிற்பவை....உடல் முழுவதும் திருநீறு அணிந்து சிவநாமம் போற்ற வேண்டும்....ஈசனடி போற்றி....


even though i belong to iyer smartha sect....we generally follow vaishnava traditions...we never use much vibhuti

in our day to day life...we simply put a small dry vibhuti in the evenings,,,but we worship lord siva too...we are kind of

moderate smarthas...

 

[Uma Raja Ramakrishnan]

Just reminded of the song on thiruneeru, viz. mandhiramavadhu neeru.

 

[nannilam_balasubramanian]

Just reminded of the song on thiruneeru, viz. mandhiramavadhu neeru.

Nice. Timely input.

Balasubramanian

 

[nannilam_balasubramanian]

As Mr tbs has put it, some saints apply Vibhuthi over the entire body.
There is a story to this effect in Periya Puranam about Meyporul
Nayanar and the importance of Vibhuthi. In fact this represents
Lord Shiva and such people who apply Vibhuthi over the body
are known as Adiyargal. There is quote to say that it eases the
sins committed in previous births. In fact while applying Vibhuthi one has
to chant the mantra Om Nama Sivaya. Vibhuthi has to be applied using only middle
three fingers without the thumb and the little finger. Further one should take
the Vibhuthi in the left hand and apply it using the right hand. Vibhuthi
applied on the middle of the forehead will eliminate lethargy and laziness.
Above all there is a Chapter in the Bhagavad Gita which discusses
about Vibhuthi Yoga, giving importance to the word Vibhuthi.

Balasubramanian
Ambattur

 

[BostonSankara]

Can only speak for myself and what I have observed. . .

99.9% of the time I apply vibhuti it is dry. The only reason I apply it damp is before a religious function or puja and that is because it will last longer (more is applied) ESPECIALLY when homam is involved. When applying tripundra with dry vibhuti the three individual lines can be difficult to see. While vibhuti is power I only wear it for god not myself. The only other reason I apply it damp is most likely for cosmetic reasons, I guess. Not to look good myself but to look good for the Devas as they view their oblations. I also want it to look exemplary for the community. Many Indian men wear street clothes to the temple even for large ceremonies, meanwhile Indian women maintain their cultural dress. Many Indian women (both young and old) have expressed to me that they believe that this is a silent rebellion against their own culture. Such things are not for me to judge. However, I wear veshti and vibhuti to set a precedent. We come to the temple for the devas not to look "cool". I have found that the more often I am seen in veshti with tripundra the more men of Indian decent come dressed appropriately.

People running around town with tilak on their forehead committing sins is sad to hear about but probably far less common than people committing crime wearing crosses around their necks.

PS: If you are a person running around town looking ready to perform abhishekam I do ask that you please be careful driving in a veshti. I tried to parallel park a car in one yesterday at the temple and thought for sure I was going to lose the veshti exiting the vehicle!

 

[prasad1]

Can only speak for myself and what I have observed. . .

99.9% of the time I apply vibhuti it is dry. The only reason I apply it damp is before a religious function or puja and that is because it will last longer (more is applied) ESPECIALLY when homam is involved. When applying tripundra with dry vibhuti the three individual lines can be difficult to see. While vibhuti is power I only wear it for god not myself. The only other reason I apply it damp is most likely for cosmetic reasons, I guess. Not to look good myself but to look good for the Devas as they view their oblations. I also want it to look exemplary for the community. Many Indian men wear street clothes to the temple even for large ceremonies, meanwhile Indian women maintain their cultural dress. Many Indian women (both young and old) have expressed to me that they believe that this is a silent rebellion against their own culture. Such things are not for me to judge. However, I wear veshti and vibhuti to set a precedent. We come to the temple for the devas not to look "cool". I have found that the more often I am seen in veshti with tripundra the more men of Indian decent come dressed appropriately.

People running around town with tilak on their forehead committing sins is sad to hear about but probably far less common than people committing crime wearing crosses around their necks.

PS: If you are a person running around town looking ready to perform abhishekam I do ask that you please be careful driving in a veshti. I tried to parallel park a car in one yesterday at the temple and thought for sure I was going to lose the veshti exiting the vehicle!

Yes, I agree.
On the occasion I am going to the temple, I try to be in Indian cloths. But sometimes when I visit temple during some other social or business trip I go in street cloths. I never go in my t-shirt, or shorts.
I do not think i dress for God, it is the respect for the Temple or religion. Just as I dress properly to go to court, funeral, or Party.

 

[amala]

Can only speak for myself and what I have observed. . .

I also want it to look exemplary for the community. Many Indian men wear street clothes to the temple even for large ceremonies, meanwhile Indian women maintain their cultural dress. Many Indian women (both young and old) have expressed to me that they believe that this is a silent rebellion against their own culture. Such things are not for me to judge. However, I wear veshti and vibhuti to set a precedent. We come to the temple for the devas not to look "cool". I have found that the more often I am seen in veshti with tripundra the more men of Indian decent come dressed appropriately.

This is very very commendable indeed! But its so true that us ladies wear ethnic clothes to the temple but most men are in trousers/jeans etc. The other thing is that even if the men do wear Indian clothes its always some sherwani/kurta pyjamas types. Very rare to see them in proper dhotis or veshtis, says the girl who wears mostly salwar kameez and hardly saris

 

[amala]

I personally think Vibhuti looks better and stand out more on darker skin tones because it is grey. It can make fair people look sallow.

 

[prasad1]

This is very very very commendable indeed! But its so true that us ladies wear ethnic clothes to the temple but most men are in trousers/jeans etc. The other thing is that even if the men do wear Indian clothes its always some sherwani/kurta pyjamas types. Very rare to see them in proper dhotis or veshtis, says the girl who wears mostly salwar kameez and hardly saris

I never wore Veshties, I do not even own one. I do wear Kurta pyjama.

 

[amala]

PrasadJi, seriously??! No veshtis? Methinks its high time you got one, just to try. I'm sure RomanJi will be more than happy to help with the intricacies of tying one

 

[renuka]

Dear Shankara,

Nice concept.."dressing for the devas".I have never thought of that.
Most of the while I have been dressing up for myself.

I like wearing Sarees when I go to temples and I make sure my head is covered becos I have a tendency to keep looking around at every direction and not concentrate on the prayer so when my head is covered up well the the peripheral vision is blocked by the cloth on the head so I will only look forward! LOL

 

[Raji Ram]

In a few famous temples in Kerala, persons with pants, jeans, pyjamas or salwars are not allowed inside. They have 'mundu'

(what we call as vEshti) for rent, right at the entrance of the temple. This mundu should be worn over their dress, to cover up

their legs. It will be fun to watch some girls to were mundu over their lovely salwar sets!

 

[prasad1]

In a few famous temples in Kerala, persons with pants, jeans, pyjamas or salwars are not allowed inside. They have 'mundu'

(what we call as vEshti) for rent, right at the entrance of the temple. This mundu should be worn over their dress, to cover up

their legs. It will be fun to watch some girls to were mundu over their lovely salwar sets!

In trivandram they rent both for men as well as women this mundu.

 

[nannilam_balasubramanian]

Dear Shankara,

Nice concept.."dressing for the devas".I have never thought of that.
Most of the while I have been dressing up for myself.

I like wearing Sarees when I go to temples and I make sure my head is covered becos I have a tendency to keep looking around at every direction and not concentrate on the prayer so when my head is covered up well the the peripheral vision is blocked by the cloth on the head so I will only look forward! LOL

As regards dress code, men and women of South India always love to dress up
in their traditional costumes, attires and ornaments not only during festivals and
on other occasions of house functions and weddings, etc. Women of all cultures and faiths in
Tamil Nadu wear the traditional dress of sari. Of late some started wearing salwar kammez
dupatta. Draping of saree by south Indian women adds extra beauty to them. In fact,
the word saree is derived from the Sanskrit word ‘sati’. Besides, the traditional
ornaments like both ordinary and golden bangles are worn by all South Indian woman.
Bangles are worn by Indian women in all parts of the country. They are generally
worn in pairs by women on each arm. Of late, Indian women prefer wearing gold.
Of late plastic bangles are also sold in the market to replace the glass ones. Bangles
made of glass are generally preferred at traditional occasions like marriages, seemantham
and during certain festivals only. Bangles wearing is considered must for a married woman
and auspicious. Ear-rings, bangles, bindi, sindoor, vibhuthi, flowers and jewellery, etc.
gives a woman to enhance her beauty.

In Kerala, gents are not allowed to wear lungi while entering the temple and also with
shirts.

Balasubramanian
Ambattur

 

[Raji Ram]

Those who wear 'lungi' are not allowed inside the temples in Tamil Nadu also!