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Mārgaśīrṣa-māhātmya · Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Unit 135 of 221Mārgaśīrṣa-māhātmya · Chapter 2Mārgaśīrṣa-māhātmya · Chapter 21 source entries

Mārgaśīrṣa-māhātmya · Chapter 2

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।। ब्रह्मोवाच ।। ।। त्वयोक्तो विधिसंयुक्तो मार्गशीर्षो मदापनः ।। को विधिस्तस्य देवेश सर्वं मे ब्रूहि केशव ।। १ ।। ।। ।। श्रीभगवानुवाच ।। ।। रात्रावन्ते समुत्थाय उपस्पृश्य यथाविधि ।। नमस्कृत्या गुरुं स्वीयं संस्मरेन्मामतंद्रितः ।। २।। सहस्रनामभिर्भक्त्या कीर्तयेद्वाग्यतः शुचिः ।। बहिर्ग्रामात्समुत्सृज्य मलमूत्रं यथाविधि ।। ३ ।। शौचं कृत्वा यथान्यायमाचम्य प्रयतः शुचिः ।। दंतधावनपूर्वं च स्नानं कृत्वा यथाविधि ।। ४ ।। आदाय तुलसीमूलमृदं तत्पत्रसंयुताम् ।। मूलमंत्रेणाऽभिमंत्र्य गायत्र्या वा महामते ।। ५ ।। मंत्रेणैवाऽनुलिप्तांगः स्नायादप्स्वघमर्षणम् ।। अनुद्धृतैरुद्धृतैर्वा जलैः स्नानं विधीयते ।। ६ ।। तीर्थं प्रकल्पयेद्विद्वान्मन्त्रेणाऽनेन मन्त्रवित् ।। ॐनमो नारायणायेति मूलमन्त्र उदाहृतः ।। ७ ।। दर्भपाणिस्तु विधिना आचांतः पुरतः शुचिः ।। चतुर्हस्तसमायुक्तं चतुरस्रं समंततः ।। प्रकल्प्याऽऽवाहयेद्गंगामेभिर्मंत्रैर्विचक्षणः ।। ८ ।। विष्णुपादप्रसूताऽसि वैष्णवी विष्णुदेवता ।। त्राहि नस्त्वमघादस्मादाजन्ममरणांतिकात् ।। ९ ।। तिस्रः कोट्योऽर्धकोटी च तीर्थानां वायुरब्रवीत् ।। दिवि भुव्यंतरिक्षे च तानि ते संति जाह्नवि ।। 2.5.2.१० ।। नंदिनीत्येव ते नाम देवेषु नलिनीति च ।। दक्षपुत्री च विहगा विश्वगा योगिनां मता ।। ११ ।। विद्याधरी सुप्रसन्ना तथा लोकप्रसादिनी ।। क्षेमा च जाह्नवी चैव शांता शांतिप्रदायिनी ।।१२।। एतानि पुण्यनामानि स्नानकाले सदा पठेत् ।। सदा संनिहिता तत्र गंगा त्रिपथगामिनी ।। १३ ।। सप्तवाराभिजप्तेन करसंपुटयोजितम् ।। मूर्ध्ना कृतांजलिर्भूयस्त्रिचतुः पंच सप्त वा ।। स्नानं कुर्यान्मृदा तद्वदामंत्र्याऽनुविधानतः ।। १४ ।। अश्वक्रांते रथक्रांते विष्णुक्रांते वसुन्धरे ।। मृत्तिके हर मे पापं यन्मया दुष्कृतं कृतम् ।। १५ ।। उद्धृताऽसि वराहेण कृष्णेन शतबाहुना ।। नमस्ते सर्वभूतानां प्रभवाऽरणि सुव्रते ।। १६ ।। एवं स्नात्वा ततः पश्चादाचम्य च विधानतः।। उत्थाय वाससी शुक्ले कूले वै परिधाय च ।। १७ ।। आचम्य तर्पयेद्देवान्पितॄंश्चैव ऋषींस्तथा ।। निष्पीड्य वस्त्रमाचम्य धौतवस्त्रेण वेष्टितः ।। १८ ।। विमलां मृत्तिकां रम्यामादाय द्विजसत्तम ।। मन्त्रेणैवाऽभिमंत्र्याऽथ ललाटादिषु वैष्णवः ।। धारयेदूर्ध्वपुण्ड्राणि यथासंख्यमतंद्रितः ।। १९ ।। ब्रह्मन्द्वादशपुण्ड्राणि ब्राह्मणः सततं वहेत् ।। चत्वारि भूभृतां पुत्र पुण्ड्राणि द्वे विशां स्मृते ।। एकं पुंड्रं च नारीणां शूद्राणां च विधीयते ।। 2.5.2.२० ।। ललाट उदरे चैव वक्षो वै कण्ठकूबरे ।। कुक्ष्योर्बाह्वोः कर्णयोश्च पृष्ठे त्रिके च वै शिरः ।। तिलका द्वादश प्रोक्ता ब्राह्मणस्य सदाऽनघ ।।२१।। ललाटे हृदि बाह्वोश्च क्षात्रः पुंड्राणि धारयेत्।। ललाटे हृदये वैश्यो भाले वै शूद्रयोषिताम्।।२२।। ललाटे केशवं ध्यायेन्नारायणमथोदरे।। वक्षःस्थले माधवं च गोविंदं कण्ठकूबरे।।२३।। विष्णुं च दक्षिणे कुक्षौ बाहौ च मधुसूदनम् ।। त्रिविक्रमं कर्णमूले वामनं वामपार्श्वके ।।२४।। श्रीधरं वामबाहौ च हृषीकेशं च कर्णके ।। पृष्ठे तु पद्मनाभः स्यात्त्रिके दामोदरं न्यसेत्।।२५।। तत्प्रक्षालनतोयेन वासुदेवं तु मूर्धनि।। एवं कार्यं ब्राह्मणस्य क्षत्रियस्योपधारयेत्।।२६।। ललाटे केशवं ध्यायेद्धृदये माधवं तथा ।। बाह्वोश्च उभयोर्वत्स स्मरेद्वै मधुसूदनम् ।।२७।। क्षत्रियस्य विधिः प्रोक्तो वैश्यकृत्यं निशामय ।। ललाटे केशवं ध्यायेद्धृदये माधवं तथा ।। २८ ।। योषिच्छूद्रौ स्मरेतां च केशवं भालदेशके ।। अनेन विधिना कुर्यात्पुंड्राणि मम तुष्टये ।। २९ ।। श्यामं शांतिकरं प्रोक्तं रक्तं वश्यकरं तथा ।। श्रीकरं पीतमित्याहुः श्वेतं मोक्षकरं शुभम्।।2.5.2.३०।। एकांतिनो महाभागाः सर्वलोकहिते रताः ।। सांऽतरालं प्रकुर्वंति पुण्ड्रं हरिपदाकृतिम् ।।३१।। मध्ये छिद्रेण संयुक्तमेतद्धि हरिमंदिरम् ।। ऊर्ध्वं सौम्यमृजुं सूक्ष्मं सुपार्श्वं सुमनोहरम्।। ३२ ।। निरंतरालं यः कुर्यादूर्ध्वपुंड्रं द्विजाऽधमः ।। स हि तत्र स्थितं लक्ष्म्या सह मां च व्यपोहति ।। ३३ ।। अच्छिद्रमूर्ध्वपुंड्रं तु ये कुर्वंति द्विजाधमाः ।। तैर्ललाटे शुनः पादं निक्षिप्तं वै न संशयः ।। ३४ ।। तस्माच्छिद्रान्वितं पुंड्रं महच्छिद्रं शुभान्वितम् ।। धारयेद्ब्राह्मणो नित्यं हरिसालोक्यसिद्धये ।। ३५ ।। इति श्रीस्कांदे महापुराण एकाशीतिसाहस्र्यां संहितायां द्वितीये वैष्णवखण्डे ब्रह्मविष्णुसंवादे मार्गशीर्षमाहात्म्ये त्रिपुंड्रधारणविधिकथनंनाम द्वितीयोऽध्यायः ।। २ ।।

|| brahmovāca || || tvayokto vidhisaṃyukto mārgaśīrṣo madāpanaḥ || ko vidhistasya deveśa sarvaṃ me brūhi keśava || 1 || || || śrībhagavānuvāca || || rātrāvante samutthāya upaspṛśya yathāvidhi || namaskṛtyā guruṃ svīyaṃ saṃsmarenmāmataṃdritaḥ || 2|| sahasranāmabhirbhaktyā kīrtayedvāgyataḥ śuciḥ || bahirgrāmātsamutsṛjya malamūtraṃ yathāvidhi || 3 || śaucaṃ kṛtvā yathānyāyamācamya prayataḥ śuciḥ || daṃtadhāvanapūrvaṃ ca snānaṃ kṛtvā yathāvidhi || 4 || ādāya tulasīmūlamṛdaṃ tatpatrasaṃyutām || mūlamaṃtreṇā'bhimaṃtrya gāyatryā vā mahāmate || 5 || maṃtreṇaivā'nuliptāṃgaḥ snāyādapsvaghamarṣaṇam || anuddhṛtairuddhṛtairvā jalaiḥ snānaṃ vidhīyate || 6 || tīrthaṃ prakalpayedvidvānmantreṇā'nena mantravit || oṃnamo nārāyaṇāyeti mūlamantra udāhṛtaḥ || 7 || darbhapāṇistu vidhinā ācāṃtaḥ purataḥ śuciḥ || caturhastasamāyuktaṃ caturasraṃ samaṃtataḥ || prakalpyā''vāhayedgaṃgāmebhirmaṃtrairvicakṣaṇaḥ || 8 || viṣṇupādaprasūtā'si vaiṣṇavī viṣṇudevatā || trāhi nastvamaghādasmādājanmamaraṇāṃtikāt || 9 || tisraḥ koṭyo'rdhakoṭī ca tīrthānāṃ vāyurabravīt || divi bhuvyaṃtarikṣe ca tāni te saṃti jāhnavi || 2.5.2.10 || naṃdinītyeva te nāma deveṣu nalinīti ca || dakṣaputrī ca vihagā viśvagā yogināṃ matā || 11 || vidyādharī suprasannā tathā lokaprasādinī || kṣemā ca jāhnavī caiva śāṃtā śāṃtipradāyinī ||12|| etāni puṇyanāmāni snānakāle sadā paṭhet || sadā saṃnihitā tatra gaṃgā tripathagāminī || 13 || saptavārābhijaptena karasaṃpuṭayojitam || mūrdhnā kṛtāṃjalirbhūyastricatuḥ paṃca sapta vā || snānaṃ kuryānmṛdā tadvadāmaṃtryā'nuvidhānataḥ || 14 || aśvakrāṃte rathakrāṃte viṣṇukrāṃte vasundhare || mṛttike hara me pāpaṃ yanmayā duṣkṛtaṃ kṛtam || 15 || uddhṛtā'si varāheṇa kṛṣṇena śatabāhunā || namaste sarvabhūtānāṃ prabhavā'raṇi suvrate || 16 || evaṃ snātvā tataḥ paścādācamya ca vidhānataḥ|| utthāya vāsasī śukle kūle vai paridhāya ca || 17 || ācamya tarpayeddevānpitṝṃścaiva ṛṣīṃstathā || niṣpīḍya vastramācamya dhautavastreṇa veṣṭitaḥ || 18 || vimalāṃ mṛttikāṃ ramyāmādāya dvijasattama || mantreṇaivā'bhimaṃtryā'tha lalāṭādiṣu vaiṣṇavaḥ || dhārayedūrdhvapuṇḍrāṇi yathāsaṃkhyamataṃdritaḥ || 19 || brahmandvādaśapuṇḍrāṇi brāhmaṇaḥ satataṃ vahet || catvāri bhūbhṛtāṃ putra puṇḍrāṇi dve viśāṃ smṛte || ekaṃ puṃḍraṃ ca nārīṇāṃ śūdrāṇāṃ ca vidhīyate || 2.5.2.20 || lalāṭa udare caiva vakṣo vai kaṇṭhakūbare || kukṣyorbāhvoḥ karṇayośca pṛṣṭhe trike ca vai śiraḥ || tilakā dvādaśa proktā brāhmaṇasya sadā'nagha ||21|| lalāṭe hṛdi bāhvośca kṣātraḥ puṃḍrāṇi dhārayet|| lalāṭe hṛdaye vaiśyo bhāle vai śūdrayoṣitām||22|| lalāṭe keśavaṃ dhyāyennārāyaṇamathodare|| vakṣaḥsthale mādhavaṃ ca goviṃdaṃ kaṇṭhakūbare||23|| viṣṇuṃ ca dakṣiṇe kukṣau bāhau ca madhusūdanam || trivikramaṃ karṇamūle vāmanaṃ vāmapārśvake ||24|| śrīdharaṃ vāmabāhau ca hṛṣīkeśaṃ ca karṇake || pṛṣṭhe tu padmanābhaḥ syāttrike dāmodaraṃ nyaset||25|| tatprakṣālanatoyena vāsudevaṃ tu mūrdhani|| evaṃ kāryaṃ brāhmaṇasya kṣatriyasyopadhārayet||26|| lalāṭe keśavaṃ dhyāyeddhṛdaye mādhavaṃ tathā || bāhvośca ubhayorvatsa smaredvai madhusūdanam ||27|| kṣatriyasya vidhiḥ prokto vaiśyakṛtyaṃ niśāmaya || lalāṭe keśavaṃ dhyāyeddhṛdaye mādhavaṃ tathā || 28 || yoṣicchūdrau smaretāṃ ca keśavaṃ bhāladeśake || anena vidhinā kuryātpuṃḍrāṇi mama tuṣṭaye || 29 || śyāmaṃ śāṃtikaraṃ proktaṃ raktaṃ vaśyakaraṃ tathā || śrīkaraṃ pītamityāhuḥ śvetaṃ mokṣakaraṃ śubham||2.5.2.30|| ekāṃtino mahābhāgāḥ sarvalokahite ratāḥ || sāṃ'tarālaṃ prakurvaṃti puṇḍraṃ haripadākṛtim ||31|| madhye chidreṇa saṃyuktametaddhi harimaṃdiram || ūrdhvaṃ saumyamṛjuṃ sūkṣmaṃ supārśvaṃ sumanoharam|| 32 || niraṃtarālaṃ yaḥ kuryādūrdhvapuṃḍraṃ dvijā'dhamaḥ || sa hi tatra sthitaṃ lakṣmyā saha māṃ ca vyapohati || 33 || acchidramūrdhvapuṃḍraṃ tu ye kurvaṃti dvijādhamāḥ || tairlalāṭe śunaḥ pādaṃ nikṣiptaṃ vai na saṃśayaḥ || 34 || tasmācchidrānvitaṃ puṃḍraṃ mahacchidraṃ śubhānvitam || dhārayedbrāhmaṇo nityaṃ harisālokyasiddhaye || 35 || iti śrīskāṃde mahāpurāṇa ekāśītisāhasryāṃ saṃhitāyāṃ dvitīye vaiṣṇavakhaṇḍe brahmaviṣṇusaṃvāde mārgaśīrṣamāhātmye tripuṃḍradhāraṇavidhikathanaṃnāma dvitīyo'dhyāyaḥ || 2 ||

English translation

Note: Tripuṇḍra is a mark on the forehead. Among Śaivites, it consists of three horizontal parallel lines of sacred ash on the forehead. Their procedure is given in HD II, i.673-74. As prescribed in the next chapter, vv 2-13, Vaiṣṇavas use Gopīcandana , clay from roots of Tulasī or Haricandana , for a vertical three-lined mark on the forehead—the whole procedure is described in this chapter.

Brahmā said :

1. It has been said by you that Mārgaśīrṣa (rite) duly performed in accordance with the prescribed procedure is conducive to attaining you. O Lord of Devas , what is the procedure therein? O Keśava , tell me everything.

Śrī Bhagavān said :

2. The devotee should get up towards the close of the night and duly perform the daily routine of duties such as rinsing the mouth, teeth etc. He should then bow down to his preceptor and remember me without any slackness (with concentration).

3-8. He should restrain his speech and remain pure. Then he should glorify me devoutly by reciting my Thousand Names [1] (called Viṣṇusahasranāma ). He should go out of the village to discharge faeces and urine duly. After cleansing the parts in the manner stipulated, he should perform the rite of Ācamana (sipping the water). Cleansing his teeth he should duly take his bath. Then he should take some clay from the foot of a Tulasī plant along with a few of its leaves. While plucking the leaves he should utter the Mūlamantra — oṃ namo nārāyaṇāya (i.e. Oṃ. Obeisance to Nārāyaṇa ) or the Gāyatrī Mantra (RV III.62.10), O highly intelligent one. He should apply the clay all over his body reciting the Mantra and then take bath in water. He should recite the Aghamarṣaṇa Mantra (RV X.190). It is laid down that while taking bath, the devotee may take water and pour it over his body or he may immerse himself under water.

The learned devotee conversant with the Mantras should convert the (ordinary) water into a Tīrtha by the following Mantra. “Oṃ. Obeisance to Nārāyaṇa” is cited as the Mūla Mantra . With great purity he should at the outset perform the rite of Ācamana and then take up Darbha grass in his hand. All round him the clever person should make a square with sides of four Hastas each and then invoke Gaṅgā by means of these Mantras.

9. “O Jāhnavī , you are born of the feet of Viṣṇu . You are a Vaiṣṇavī (devotee of Viṣṇu). Viṣṇu is your deity. Save us from the sins committed from birth till death.

10. Vāyu (Wind-god) has said that there are thirty-five million Tīrthas in the firmament, earth and heaven. O Jāhnavī, all these are present in you.

11. Your names among the Devas are Nandinī , Nalinī , Dakṣaputrī and Vihagā. For Yogins you are Viśvagā.

12. You are Vidyādharī , Suprasannā, Lokaprasādinī, Kṣemā , Jāhnavī, Śāntā and Śāntipradāyinī.”

13. At the time of bath he should recite all these names always. Gaṅgā that flows in three streams will always be present there.

14. The Mantras shall be repeated seven times. Joining the palms together and placing them over the head he should take three, four, five or seven plunges and bathe. Similarly after reciting the following Mantra he should take bath with clay in accordance with the injunctions.

15. “O Vasundharā , traversed by horses, traversed by chariots and measured by Viṣṇu [2] , O clay, dispel my sin; dispel the misdeeds (done by me).

16. You were lifted up by the hundred-armed Kṛṣṇa (in the form of a Boar); obeisance to you, the source of origin of all living beings, O pious one.”

17. Thus he should take bath and thereafter perform the Ācamana rite in accordance with the injunctions. He shall then come out of the water and wear white clothes on the bank.

18. After the Ācamana rite he should offer libations to Devas, Pitṛs and Sages. After squeezing out the water from the wet clothes, he should perform the Ācamana rite and put on washed garments.

19. O excellent Brāhmaṇa , he should take beautiful pure clay and charge it with the Mantras. Then the Vaiṣṇava should apply vertical sacred marks on the forehead and other parts of the body in the proper order and number carefully.

20. O Brāhmaṇa, a Brāhmaṇa should always have twelve Puṇḍras . [3] O son, Kṣatriyas should have four. It is prescribed (in Smṛtis ) that Vaiśyas should have two Puṇḍras. It is laid down that women and Śūdras should have only one Puṇḍra .

21. The following are the parts of the body where a Brāhmaṇa should have his twelve sacred marks: forehead, belly, chest, hump of the neck, arms, ears, back, right side and lower part of the spine, and head, O sinless one.

22. A Kṣatriya should have the sacred marks on his forehead, chest and the arms; a Vaiśya on his forehead and chest and a Śūdra and women should wear the sacred mark on the forehead.

23-25. He shall have Nyāsa [4] rite as follows: Keśava on the forehead, Nārāyaṇa is to be meditated on the belly, Mādhava on the chest, Govinda on the hump of the neck, Viṣṇu on the right side of the belly, Madhusūdana on the right arm, Trivikrama at the root of the ears. Vāmana on the left side, Śrīdhara on the left arm, Hṛṣīkeśa on the ear, Padmanābha on the back and Dāmodara on the lower spine.

26-29. With the water for washing, Vāsudeva should be installed on the head. This is to be done by a Brāhmaṇa.

Know what is to be done by a Kṣatriya. He should meditate on Keśava on his forehead and on Mādhava in the chest. O dear one, he should remember (for Nyāsa) Madhusūdana on boṃ the arms. The procedure for a Kṣatriya has been spoken.

Listen to the duty of a Vaiśya. He should meditate on Keśava on the forehead and on Mādhava on the chest.

Women and Śūdras should remember Keśava on the forehead.

The devotee should apply the Puṇḍra marks in accordance with this procedure for propitiating me.

30. A dark-coloured Tilaka is said to be conducive to peace; a red one is the cause of winning over others. They say that a yellow one is conducive to prosperity and glory. A white one brings about salvation and is auspicious.

31. Those fortunate persons who are exclusively attached to Viṣṇu (or the followers of Pāñcarātra sect) and are engaged in the welfare of all the worlds should make their Puṇḍra in the shape of the foot of Hari with a gap in the middle.

32. It must leave a hole (blank space) in the middle. Indeed this is the abode of Hari. Above, it is straight and gentle. It is subtle, very charming, with well-defined sides.

33. He is a base Brāhmaṇa who makes (applies) the Puṇḍra mark devoid of any gap (in the middle). For he drives me away along with Lakṣmī who reside there (in the gap of the Puṇḍra mark).

34. The base Brāhmaṇas who make the vertical Puṇḍra mark without gap within, really place (the imprint of the) the foot of a dog on their foreheads. There is no doubt about this.

35. Hence, for the achievement of Sālokya with Hari (residence in Hari’s world) a Brāhmaṇa should always have a Puṇḍra with a gap in the middle. The Puṇḍra mark with a big gap within is very auspicious.

[1]: [1] : Viṣṇusahasranāma : For the list of 1000 names of Viṣṇu and its meritoriousness see Mbh, Anuśāsana , Ch. 149.

[2]: [2] : This refers to Viṣṇu’s Vāmana incarnation when he measured (covered) the whole earth in one step. (Mbh, Sabhā , 38.29)

[3]: [3] : VV 20-22 prescribe the caste-wise numbering of Puṇḍra-marks and the parts of the body to be so marked.

[4]: [4] : Nyāsa is the mental assignment of the various parts of the body to one’s deities. VV23-29 prescribe the caste-wise Nyāsa procedure. Puṇḍra is to be marked along with the Nyāsa . It should be noted that there must be some gap in the Ūrdhva-Puṇḍra-mark for applying Tilaka therein (vide vv 30-35).

Complete chapter-aligned witnesses. Sanskrit Wikisource page 15364, revision 329314 (2022-01-02T01:07:48Z). English is G. V. Tagare’s complete translation, controlled against its chapter page at https://www.wisdomlib.org/hinduism/book/the-skanda-purana/d/doc371681.html and the archival publication witness. The witnesses are aligned at chapter level; no unsupported verse-by-verse equivalence is asserted.