I have written on how to wear the Sri Vaishnava Marks as explained by Vasudeva Upanishad.
I have also written another article on Vibhuthi,the Sacred Ash and Thiruman,the Sri Vaishnava Mark.
There is a minor Upnishad which describes how one shouls wear the Vibhuthi,Sacred Ash,the Saivite Mark in the body.
ThexJabali Upanishad is a part of Sama Veda.
The sacred Ash is worn to remind one of his mortality and how we are nothing but Ashes in the end.
While the Ash,Vibhuthi is an expression of Gnana Yoga,the Path of Knowledge, by making one aware that we are Mortal and the body is subject to destruction,only the Soul is Permanent,the Thirumann,the Sri Vaishnava Mark expresses the Bhakthi Yoga,which espouses the Bhakthi Yoga,the Path of Surrender to God.
The Jabali Upanishad describes the impermanence of Human Life,talks about both Advaitha and Dwaita,the Reality as One and as Dual.
What is interesting is that it reflects the Saivite Philosophy of Siddhas and Tamils,which is considered as Alien to Vedic Thought.
It talks about Pasu ( Individual Soul),Pathi ( the RealityIswara,Shiva ) and the relationship between the two ( Paasam,Bond between the two).
Shall be writing on this.
The Jabali Upanishad is a conversation between Sage Jabaali and Pippalada.
‘How should the three lines be applied, Jabali is asked. The text states in verse 22, the three lines should occupy all of the forehead. The three lines signify the trimurti of Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva.The top line represents “Garhapathya” agni or home fire, syllable “Aa” of AUM, one’s own body (self), Rajas guna, the power to act, the Rigveda, ushakala (twilight hour) or early morning hour, and is the personification of Brahma.The second streak or the middle line denotes “Dakshinagni”, syllable “Uu” of AUM, Sattva Guṇa (virtue), atman (soul, innermost self), the power to will, Yajurveda, midday, and is the personification of Vishnu.The third streak of bhasma or ash line represents the “Ahavaniya agni”, the syllable “Ma” of AUM, the Supreme Self (Brahman), the power to know, the heavens, Tamas guna, Samaveda, evening time, and is personified by Shiva.
Smearing of the holy Bhasma or ash by a person, whether he is a brahmacharya, grihastha, vanaprastha or sannyasa frees him from sins, makes him aware of the essence of the Vedas, gets him the benefit of bathing in holy rivers, and frees him from samsara.‘
Jabali Upanishad,Translation by Sri. P.R.Ramchander.
‘Om! Let my limbs and speech, Prana, eyes, ears, vitality
And all the senses grow in strength.
All existence is the Brahman of the Upanishads.
May I never deny Brahman, nor Brahman deny me.
Let there be no denial at all:
Let there be no denial at least from me.
May the virtues that are proclaimed in the Upanishads be in me,
Who am devoted to the Atman; may they reside in me.
Om! Let there be Peace in me!
Let there be Peace in my environment!
Let there be Peace in the forces that act on me!
The Sage Pippalada approached Sage Jabali and asked him, “Oh God like sage, please teach me the secret of the absolute philosophy. What is Thathwa (principle)? Who is Jeeva (being)? What is Pasu? Who is Ishwara? And what is the method for salvation?” Thus asked sage Jabali explained to him everything as follows:
Jeeva (being) is nothing but God (the Lord of all beings – Pasupathi) himself who is acting the role of egoism. That Jeeva (being) is the Pasu. Pasupathi is he who knows everything, who does the five jobs like creation, and who is the Lord of all beings. Pasu (in common parlance) are those animals which eat grass, which do not have viveka (knowledge to differentiate), which are driven by others, which are made to work in jobs like agriculture and which undergo lot of sufferings. Similar to the owner of such animals is the God Pasupathi who rules over all beings.
To the question, “What trick is there to acquire such knowledge?”. Jabali replied, “By wearing of the holy ash”. He further told, “After taking the holy ash in hand by reciting the five Brahma mantras starting with ‘Sathyojatham’, and chanting “Agnirithi Basma (Hoy ash is fire)”, mix it with water by chanting, “Manasthoke” and then wear the holy ash in head, forehead and shoulders in sets of three lines chanting the three mantras “trayayusham”. Further wear these by chanting the three mantras starting with “Trayayusham” and the mantra “Tryambakam” is called Sambhava penance. Those with knowledge of Veda say that this has been told in all Vedas. For avoiding rebirth, the people with eternal wisdom, should adopt this.
Among the three lines, the first one is Garhapathya (the domestic fire), the letter Aa, the quality of Rajas, earth, Jeevathma (soul of beings), the power of creation, Rigveda, time of dawn and its God is Lord Brahma. The second line is Dakshinagni (Fire of the south), the letter Uu, the quality of Sathva, atmosphere, the soul inside the body, the power of desire, Yajurveda, the time of noon, and its God is Lord Vishnu. The third line is the Ahavaneeya agni (the fire of the Sun), the letter Ma, the quality of Thamas, the place of Gods, the Paramatma, the power of knowledge, Samaveda, the time of dusk and its God is Shiva. That individual, who wears holy ash, whether he is a Brahmachari or Sanyasi, gets rid of great as well as minor sins. He becomes fit to worship all gods; he becomes one who has taken bath in all holy waters and the one who has chanted all the Rudra mantras. He does not have rebirth. This Upanishad tells that, it is sworn that he will not have rebirth.
Om! Let my limbs and speech, Prana, eyes, ears, vitality
And all the senses grow in strength.
All existence is the Brahman of the Upanishads.
May I never deny Brahman, nor Brahman deny me.
Let there be no denial at all:
Let there be no denial at least from me.
May the virtues that are proclaimed in the Upanishads be in me,
Who am devoted to the Atman; may they reside in me.
Om! Let there be Peace in me!
Let there be Peace in my environment!
Let there be Peace in the forces that act on me!
Here ends the Jabali Upanishad, included in the Sama-Veda.
Reference and citation.
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