Tilakam or Urdhva Pundram - Sampradaya Differences & Reasons

[Guest guest]

Hare Krishna.

 

Please accept my humble obeisances.

 

I found an article that briefly explains the

differences in urdhva pundra shapes amongst the

various Vaishnava Sampradayas. Since this has some

relevance to the earlier postings in this regard, I am

placing excerpts of it below.

 

dasan

r. jai simman

jakarta

 

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Tilakam or Urdhva Pundram

– Sampradaya Differences & Reasons

(H.G. Jahnava Nitai das)

 

In the Sri Vaishnava sampradaya the tilak is made out

of the white mud found in anthills. The scriptures

tell us that the mud from the base of a Tulasi plant

and the white mud from within the ant hill are both

pure and best for making tilak. The Sri Vaishnavas

will draw two lines representing the feet of Sri

Narayana, and in the middle they will put a red line

to represent Lakshmi Devi. The red line was originally

made from a red stone found within the ant hill. The

ants would usually make their ant hill on top of these

red stones. When you rub the stone in water, a red

color paint is formed. The category of Thayar is

generally represented with the color red in all lines,

both Vedic and Tantrik. Because the Sri Vaishnava

sampradaya begins with Sri Lakshmi Devi, and because

they approach Narayana only through Lakshmi, their

tilak reflects this process of surrender. The tilaks

of each sampradaya actually depict the siddhanta of

the sampradaya.

 

In the Vallabha sampradaya the tilak worn is generally

a single vertical red line. This line represents Sri

Yamuna Devi. The form of Krishna worshipped in the

Vallabha line is Sri Nathji or Govardhana. The consort

of the Govardhana hill is the river Yamuna. Their

process of surrender goes through Sri Yamuna Devi.

 

In the Madhva sampradaya the tilak is made out of

Gopichandana mud from Dwaraka. Two vertical lines are

made out of Gopichandana to represent the feet of Lord

Krishna. This gopichandana tilak is nearly identical

to that used in the Gaudiya sampradaya. In between a

vertical black line is made from the daily coal of the

yajna-kunda. In their sampradaya, the process of

worship involved nitya-homa, or daily fire sacrifices

to the Lord. The remnant coal of the puja was taken

each day to mark the forehead. Underneath the black

line, a yellow or red dot was put to indicate Lakshmi.

Those who did not perform daily fire sacrifice would

only put the simple gopichandana tilak.

 

In the Gaudiya sampradaya the tilak is usually made

out of the Gopichandana mud. Some lineages prefer to

use the mud from Vrindavana. The main tilak is

basically identical to the Madhva tilak. The slight

difference arises due to the emphasis on

nama-sankirtana, or the chanting of the Lord's names.

In Sri Chaitanya's line, nama-sankirtana is the yajna

to be performed in kali yuga, and not the daily fire

sacrifice performed in the Madhva sampradaya. As such,

the black line made from the ash of the fire sacrifice

is not applied in the Gaudiya sampradaya. The second

difference arises due to Sri Chaitanya's process of

approaching the Lord. In the Gaudiya line one does not

approach Srimati Radharani directly, but always

indirectly through the servant. To indicate this, the

red dot representing Radha is replaced with a tulasi

leaf offered at the base of the Lord's feet. Only with

the mercy of Tulasi Devi can we develop pure devotion

to Sri Sri Radha and Krishna.

 

In the scriptures there are very general descriptions

of the procedure for applying tilak. For example it is

mentioned that the tilak should be urdhva-pundra, or

vertical lines; the body should be marked in twelve

locations, etc. But these instructions are very

general and leave a lot of the details to the

acharyas. Even in a simple point, such as the location

of the tilak, one person may interpret the 'shoulder'

to start from the arm, where as another may interpret

it to start higher up near the neck. This is actually

the case in the two branches of the Sri Vaishna

sampradaya.

 

The actual design of the tilak will manifest either

through divine revelation or through scientific study.

An example of divine revelation is the Gaudiya lineage

of Sri Shyamananda. Radharani revealed a portion of

her broken bangle to Sri Shyamananda, which he used in

applying tilak to his forehead. As a result, his

followers apply a unique design of tilak from other

branches of the Gaudiya sampradaya.

 

In other cases, an acharya may scientifically analyze

the sampradaya siddhanta and compare its compatibility

with the tilak they wear. The external purpose of the

tilak is to differentiate the followers of a

sampradaya from other classes of philosophers, just as

one branch of the armed forces wears a uniform to

differentiate itself from the other branches. In such

a case, the tilak may change when there occurs a shift

or branching of the sampradaya due to philosophical

views. The newly formed branch may re-analyse the

tilak in connection with its siddhanta and make

changes that fully reflect their process of surrender.

Such is the case among the two branches of the Sri

Vaishnava sampradaya. Due to a difference of opinion

in regards to the process of surrender, two distinct

tilaks emerged.

 

In any case, the ultimate purpose of tilak is to

sanctify oneself and mark the body as the temple of

the Lord. The scriptures do not specify in detail the

manner that this should be done, and as such it is the

acharyas who crystalize the procedures while adhering

to the general prescriptions given in the scriptures.

 

http://www.hindu-religion.net/showflat/cat/hinduism/935/40/collapsed/9/o/1

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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