Why do we wear marks (tilak) on the forehead?
Tilaka refers to the markings which Vaisnava devotees apply to their bodies, to remind themselves and others that we are all eternal servants of Lord Krsna. The U-shaped mark represents the heel of Lord Visnu, and the oval part represents the Tulasi leaf. Tilaka is applied to twelve parts of the body, and the twelve names of the Lord are recited with each application. To apply tilaka, start with a little Ganges or Yamuna water (if you don't have any, get some water, and stirring it with your right middle finger, chant:
ganga cha yamune chaiva
godavari sarasvati
narmade sindho kaveri
jale 'smin sannidhim kuru
"O Ganges, O Yamuna, O Godavari, O Saravati, O Narmada, O Sindhu, O Kaveri, please become present in this water."
Put the water in your left hand, and rub the hard tilak into the water, creating a wet paste out of the clay. Begin by putting your ring finger of the right hand into the clay, and starting between the eyebrows, bring the finger straight up to the hairline, making two straight lines. It should look like a long, narrow U-shape. Then use some more tilak to make the Tulasi leaf on your nose, it should extend about 3/4 of the way down your nose. As you apply the tilak to your body, chant the following mantras:
Forehead om keshavaya namaha
Belly om narayanaya namaha
Chest om madhavaya namaha
Neck om govindaya namaha
Right belly om vishnave namaha
Right arm om madhusudhanaya namaha
Right shoulder om trivikramaya namaha
Left belly om vamanaya namaha
Left arm om shridharaya namaha
Left shoulder om hrishikeshaya namaha
Upperback om padmanabhaya namaha
Lower back om damodaraya namaha
Take the remaining tilak, and wipe it on the back of the head, in the area of the sikha, and chant om vasudevaya namaha.
Lord Shiva says to Parvati that in the middle of the tilak marking there is a space, and in that space reside Lakshmi and Narayana. Therefore the body that is decorated with tilaka should be considered a temple of Lord Vishnu.
The tilak cover the spot between the eyebrows, which is the seat of memory and thinking. It is known as the Aajna Chakra in the language of Yoga. The tilak is applied with the prayer "May I remember the Lord. May this pious feeling pervade all my activities. May I be righteous in my deeds." Even when we temporarily forget this prayerful attitude the mark on another reminds us of our resolve. The tilak is thus a blessing of the Lord and a protection against wrong tendencies and forces. The entire body emanates energy in the form of electromagnetic waves, the forehead and the subtle spot between the eyebrows especially so. That is why worry generates heat and causes a headache. The tilak cools the forehead, protects us and prevents energy loss. Sometimes the entire forehead is covered with chandan or bhasma.
Using plastic reusable "stick bindis" is not very beneficial, even though it serves the purpose of decoration.
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