This chapter tells you Why do we wear marks on the forehead, not touch papers, books and people with the feet, apply the holy ash, offer food to the Lord before eating it.

5. Why do we wear marks on the forehead ?

Most religious Indians, especially married women wear a tilak or pottu on the forehead. It is applied daily after a bath and on special occasions before or after ritualistic worship or a visit to the temple. In many communities, it is enjoined upon married women to sport a kumkum mark on their foreheads at all times. The orthodox put it on with due rituals. The tilak is applied on saints and image of the Lord as a form of worship and in many parts of north India as a respectful form of welcome, to honor guests or when bidding farewell to a son or husband about to embark on a journey. The tilak varies in color and form.

This custom was not prevalent in the Vedic period it gained popularity in the Pauranic period. Some believe that it originated in South India.

• Why do we wear marks (tilak, pottu and the like) on the forehead ?
The tilak or pottu invokes a feeling of sanctity the wearer and others. It is recognized as a religious mark. Its form and color vary according to one caste, religious sect or the form the Lord worshipped.

In earlier times, the four castes (based on varna or colour) – Braahmana, Kshatriya, Vaishya and Sudra – applied marks differently.

The Brahmin applied white chandan mark signifying purity, as his profession was a priestly or academic nature. The kshatriya applied a red kumkum mark signifying valour as be belonged to the warrior. The Vaishya wore a yellow kesar or turmeric mark signifying prosperity as he was a businessman or trader devoted to creation of wealth. The Sudra applied a black bhasma, kasturi or charcoal mark signifying service as he supported the work of the other three divisions. Also Vishnu worshippers apply a chandan tilak of the shape of “U”, Shiva worshippers a tripundra (of the shape of “=”) of bhasma, Devi worshippers a red dot of kumkum and so on.

The chandan, kumkum or bhasma which is offered to the Lord is taken back as prasad and applied on our foreheads. The tilak covers 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 or pottu 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. This custom is unique to Indians and helps to easily identify us anywhere.

6. Why do we not touch papers, books and people with the feet ?

In Indian homes, we are taught from a very young age, never to touch papers, books and people with our feet. If the feet accidentally touch papers, books musical instruments or any other educational equipment, children are told to reverentially touch what was stamped with their hands and then touch their eyes as a mark of apology.

• Why do we not touch papers and people with the feet ?
To Indians, knowledge is sacred and divine. So it must be given respect at all times. Nowadays we separate subject – academic or spiritual – was considered divine and taught by the guru in the gurukula.

The custom of not stepping on educational tools is a frequent reminder of the high position accorded to knowledge in Indian culture. From an early age, this wisdom fosters in us a deep reverence for books and education. This is also the reason why we worship books, vehicles and instruments once a year on Saraswathi Pooja or Ayudha Pooja day, dedicated to the Goddess of Learning. In fact, each day before starting our studies, we pray :
Saraswati namasthuhhyam
Varade kaama roopini
Vidyaarambham karishyaami
Sidhirhhavatu me sadaa

O Goddess Saraswati, the giver of
Boons and fulfiller of wishes,
I prostrate to you before
Starting my studies.
May You always fulfill me.

Children are also strongly discouraged from touching people with their feet. Even if this happens accidentally, we touch the person and bring the fingers to our eyes as a mark of apology. Even when elders touch a younger person inadvertently with their feet, they immediately apologize.

• To touch another with the feet is considered an act of misdemeanor. Why is this so ?
Man is regarded as the most beautiful, living, breathing temple of the Lord! Therefore touching another with the feet is akin to disrespecting the divinity within or her. This calls for an immediate apology, which is offered with reverence and humility.

Thus, many of our customs are designed to be simple but powerful reminders or pointers of profound philosophical truths. This is one of the factors that has kept Indian culture alive across centuries.

7. Why do we apply the holy ash ?

The ash of any burnt object is not regarded as holy ash. Bhasma (the holy ash) is the ash from the homa (sacrificial fire) where special wood along with ghee and other herbs is offered as worship of the lord. Or the deity is worshipped by pouring ash as abhisheka and is then distributed as bhasma.

Bhasma is generally applied on the forehead Some apply it on certain parts of the body like the upper arms, chest etc. Some ascetics rub it all over the body. Many consume a pinch of it each time they receive it.

• Why do we do use bhasma ?
The word bhasma means, “That by which our sins are destroyed and the Lord is remembered” Bha implies bhartsanam (“to destroy’) and sma implies smaranam (“to remember”.) The application of bhasma therefore signifies destruction of the evil and remembrance of the divine. Bhasma is called vibbuti (which means “glory”) as it gives glory to one who applies it and raksha (which means a source of protection) as it protects the wearer from ill health and evil, by purifying him or her.

Homa (offering of oblations into the fire with sacred chants) signifies the offering or surrender of the ego and egocentric desire into the flame of knowledge or a noble and selfless cause. The consequent ash signifies the purity of the mind, which results from such actions. Also the fire of knowledge burns the oblation and wood signifying ignorance and inertia respectively. The ash we apply indicates that we should burn false identification with the body and become free of the limitations of birth and death. The application of ash reminds us that the body is perishable and shall one day be reduced to ashes. We should therefore not get too attached to it. Death can come at any moment and this awareness must increase our drive to make the best use of times. This is not to be misconstrued as a morose reminder of death but as a powerful pointer towards the fact that time and tide wait for none.

Bhasma is specially associated with Lord Shiva who applies it all over His body. Shiva devotees apply bhasma as a tripundra (the form of “=”). When applied with a red spot in the centre, the mark symbolizes Shiv – Shakti (the unity of energy and matter that creates the entire seen and unseen universe).

Ash is what remains when all the wood is burnt away and it does not decay. Similarly, the Lord is the imperishable Truth that remains when the entire creation of innumerable names and forms is dissolved.

Bhasma has medicinal value and is used in many ayurvedic medicines. It absorbs excess moisture from the body and prevents colds and headaches. The Upanishads say that the famous Mrityunjaya mantra should be chanted whilst applying ash on the forehead.

Tryambakam yajaamabe
Sugandhim pushtivardhanam
Urvaa rukamiva bhandhanaan
Mrytyor muksheeyamaa amrutaat

“We worship the three-eyed lord Shiva who nourishes and spreads fragrance in our lives. May He free us from the shackles of sorrow, change and death-effortlessly, like the fall of a ripe brinjal from its stem.”

8. Why do we offer food to the Lord before eating it?

In western tradition food is partaken after a thanksgiving prayer – grace. Indians make an offering of it to the lord and later partake of it as prasaada a holy gift from the lord In temples and in many homes, the cooked food is first offered to the lord each day. The offered food is mixed with the rest of the food and then served as prasaada. In our daily ritualistic worship (pooja) too we offer naivedyam (food) to the Lord. Why do we do so ?

• Why do we offer neivedya ?
The Lord is omnipotent and omniscient. Man is a part, while the Lord is the totality. All that we do is by His strength and knowledge alone. Hence what we receive in life as a result of our actions is really His alone. We acknowledge this through the act of offering food to him. This is exemplified by the Hindi words tera tujko arpan from the arati "J“I Jagadisha Hare” – I offer what is Yours to you. Thereafter it is akin to his gift to us, graced by His divine touch.

Knowing this, our entire attitude to food and the act of eating changes. The food offered will naturally be pure and the best. We share what we get with others before consuming it. We do not demand, complain or criticize the quality of the food we get. We do not waste or reject it. We eat it with cheerful acceptance (prasaada buddhi). When we become established in this attitude, it goes beyond the purview of food and pervades our entire. Lives. We are then able to cheerfully accept all we get in life as His prasaada.

Before we partake of our daily meals we first sprinkle water around the plate as an act of purification. Five morsels of food are placed on the side of the plate acknowledging the debt owed buy us to the

- divine forces (devta runa) for their benign grace and protection;
- our ancestors (pitru runa) for giving us their lineage and a family culture;
- the sages (rishi runa) as our religion and culture have been “realized”, maintained and handed down to us by them;
- our fellow beings (manushya runa) who constitute society without the support of which we could not live as we do and
- other living beings (bhuta runa) for serving us selflessly.

Thereafter the Lord, the life force, who is also within us as the five life-giving physiological functions, is offered the food. This is done with the chant – praanaaya swaahaa, apaanaaya swaahaa, vyaanaaya swaahaa, udaanaaya swaahaa, samaanaaya swahaa, brahmane swaahaa (referring to the five physiological functions – respiratory (praana), excretory (apaana), circulatory (vyaana), digestive (samaana) and reversal (udaana) systems. After offering the food thus, it is eaten as prasaada - blessed food.

To remember this concept, many chant the following verse of the Geeta.
Brahmaarpanam Brahmahavihi
Brahmaagnau Brahmanaahutam
Brahmaivatenagantavyam
Brahmakarma samaadhina

Brahman is the oblation; the clarified butter; the obtain; the fire…… Brahman ( the Supreme) shall be reached by him who sees the Supreme in all actions.

Aham vaishvaanarobhutvaa
Praaninaam dehamaashritaha
Praanaapaanasamaayuktaha
Pachaamyannam chaturvidham

“Residing in all living beings as the digestive fire, I digest the four types of food eaten by them (as an offering to Me)”.