Tilak is an ornamental or religious mark on the forehead, also called Tika. According to Hindu religious texts, applying Tilak or Tika is necessary at all religious ceremonies, without which no Hindu ceremony is complete. From birth till death tilak is a part of life. It is customary to apply tilak at the beginning of the religious ceremony.
Tilaka is a mark of auspiciousness. It is put on the forehead with sandal paste, sacred ashes or Kumkuma. The devotees of Lord Shiva apply sacred ashes Bhasma on the forehead, the devotees of Lord Vishnu apply sandal paste Chandana, and the worshippers of Devi or Shakti apply Kumkuma, a red turmeric powder.
The scriptures say:
“A forehead without a Tilaka,
a woman without a husband,
a Mantra the meaning of which is not known while doing Japa,
the head that does not bend before holy personages,
a heart without mercy,
a house without a well,
a village without a temple,
a country without a river,
a society without a leader,
wealth that is not given away in charity,
a preceptor without a disciple,
a country without justice,
a king without an able minister,
a woman not obedient to her husband,
a well without water,
a flower without smell,
a soul devoid of holiness,
a field without rains,
an intellect without clearness,
a disciple who does not consider his preceptor as a form of God,
a body devoid of health,
a custom (Achara) without purity,
austerity devoid of fellow-feeling,
speech in which truth is not the basis,
a country without good people,
work without wages,
Sanyasa without renunciation,
legs which have not performed pilgrimages,
a determination unaided by Viveka or discrimination,
a knife which is blunt,
a cow which does not give milk,
a spear without a point
—all these are worthy of condemnation. They exist for name’s sake only.”
From this you can imagine the importance of Tilaka or the sacred mark. Tilaka is applied at the Ajna Chakra, the space between the two eyebrows. It has a very cooling effect. Application of sandal paste has great medicinal value, apart from the spiritual influence. Application of sandal paste will nullify the heating effect when you concentrate and meditate at the Bhrumadhya. Tilaka indicates the point at which the spiritual eye opens. Lord Siva has a third eye at the Bhrumadhya. When He opens the third eye, the three worlds are destroyed. So also, when the third eve of the Jiva is opened, the three kinds of afflictions—Adhyatmika, Adhidaivika and Adhibhautika—are burnt to ashes. The three Karmas—Sanchita, Prarabdha and Agami—and also all the sins committed in the countless previous births, are burnt.
When you apply the Tilaka, you mentally imagine: “I am the one non-dual Brahman free from all duality. May my eye of intuition open soon.” You should remember this every time you apply a Tilaka.
The SkandaPurana explains with what fingers Tilaka must be applied for best results:
“When tilak is applied with the ring finger it brings peace, with the middle finger it prolongs age, with the thumb it promotes health and with the forefinger one attains salvation.”
There are various methods of applying Tilaka. Saivas apply three horizontal lines with the sacred ashes. The Vaishnavas apply three vertical lines (Tripundra) on the forehead. When they apply Tilaka, they say: “O Lord, protect me from the evil effects of the Trigunatmika Maya which has Sattva, Rajas and Tamas as its binding cords.” Some Vaishnavas apply only one vertical line. Only the method of application differs, but the significance is the same in both the Vaishnavas and the Shaivas.
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