Guest guest Posted January 10, 2004 Report Share Posted January 10, 2004 The other day, an ISKCON congregation member asked me how to put on tilaka. I thought the following references might also be of some inspiration for others. In his Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu, Srila Rupa Gosvami (1.2.122,citing Padma-purana) says: ye kantha-lagna-tulasi-nalinakhya-mala ye bahu-mula-parichihnata-sankha-cakrah | ye va lalata-phalake lasad urdhva-pundras te vaisnava bhuvanam asu pavitrayanti || 122 || Those whose necks are adorned with strands of tulasi beads and lotus garlands, whose shoulders are marked with the conch and disc, or upon whose foreheads is emblazoned the vertical tilaka-- those Vaisnavas quickly purify the world! Srila Prabhupada felt tilaka was very important, as seen in the following instruction, which he fairly often reiterated (letter to a disciple, 10/14/67): "I have no objection if members of the Society dress like nice American gentlemen; but in all circumstances a devotee cannot avoid tilak, flag (i.e., sikha) on head, & beads on neck. These are essential features of a Vaisnava." Moreover, as Srila Prabhupada writes (NoD, Ch6): (1) One should decorate the body with tilaka, which is the sign of the Vaisnavas. (The idea is that as soon as a person sees these marks on the body of the Vaisnava, he will immediately remember Krsna. Lord Caitanya said that a Vaisnava is he who, when seen, reminds one of Krsna. Therefore, it is essential that a Vaisnava mark his body with tilaka to remind others of Krsna.) (2) In marking such tilaka, sometimes one may write Hare Krsna on the body. . . . While commenting on the Srimad-Bhagavatam, H.H. Hrdayananda Gosvami further observes (Bhagavatam, 12.2.5): “. . . people will neglect to ornament their bodies properly in the present age. A human being should decorate his body with various religious ornaments. Vaisnavas mark their bodies with tilaka blessed with the holy name of God. But in the age of Kali, religious and even material formalities are thoughtlessly discarded.” Srimad-bhagavatam 11.3.49 and 6.5.14 are also helpful, as are Srila Prabhupada's Caitanya-caritamrta, Madhya-lila 20.202 and 24.330-332 purports. MDd Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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