UrdhvapunDra

Urdhva punDra

Dilip :-

I have tried to gather some information on the significance UrdhvapunDra/dvAdasha nAmas that mAdhvas apply with my very limited understanding and knowledge.

Reference: "Kr^shNanemba sodeya kaDalu- AchArya madhvara kr^shNamr^tamahArNava" by Sri Bannanje Govindacharya

madhvAchArya in krishnAmr^ta mahArNava extols the practice of applying UrdhvapunDra using gOpichandana.

punDra in the colloquial sense means a symbol on the body that indicates the sampradAya that one follows. But in Sanskrit punDra means one that 'eliminates indiscipline (as in punDatana in kannada) and brings about a sense of discipline and a binding to a sampradAya' (punDam rAhayati iti punDram). The punDra which is drawn vertical is the UrdhvapunDra and the one drawn horizontal is the tiryakpunDra.

Though the tiryakpunDra is a Shaivaite symbol the UrdhvapunDra is not only a vaishnavaite symbol but represents the entire vaidikadharma. An ancient scholar named rAghava bhatta in his commentary on 'shAradatilaka' says that UrdhvapunDra is a symbol used to obtain vEdAdhikAra and the tiryakpunDra is a symbol of a school of thought. (vEdAdhikAra sidhyarthamUrdhvapunDra dhAraNam| tatah svamatachinnah dhAraNam) Hence traditionally smArtAs apply the tiryakpunDra on top of the UrdhvapunDra during upanayana

The UrdhvapunDras represents the adhyAtmika sAdhane of an individual. The symbols displayed on the body represent the flow of energy inside (As quoted by Sri Vishnu thIrtha: "brahmanAdi kramENa tu"). It's a symbol (and a physical act as well) of the ascent of kunDalIni energy from the mUlAdhAra to the sahasrAra. The 12 punDras applied have the following significance:

1. Three on the stomach: Rise of kunDalini shakti through 3 nAdis, iDA, pingaLa and sushumna.
2. Lotus shaped one on the Chest: The expansion of the hridya kamala
3. Four on the neck: Rise of kunDalini shakti from anAhata to vishuddhi chakra.
4. Two on the arms: To direct the constant flow of prANa shakti that flows from our hands.
5. One on the forehead: Rise of kunDalini shakti from Ajna chakra to sahasrAra
6. One on the lower back: To kindle the kunDalini at its source in mUlAdhAra.

The tiryakpunDra which stands against the flow of kunDalini energy hampers its movement. Hence its not advisable to apply tiryakpunDra.
These UrdhvapunDras can be applied even by water ("kEvalEna jalEna vA") but gOpIchandana is shrEshta, the reason being that it's the auspicious clay on which Krishna walked and that which was applied by the gopikAs of vr^ndAvan (used instead of chandana). Apart from the quotations of ShrimadAchArya, purANas like garuDa and padma and stalwarts like Vijayindra Tirtha quote the importance of applying gOpIchandana. Infact it's even said that gOpichandana originated from the body of Vishnu and was brought to dwaraka by brahma and other gods.

Few quotes from krishNamr^ta mahArNava:

gOpIchandanalipthAngo yam yam pashyathi chakshusha
tham tham shuddham vijAnIyath nAthra kAryA vichAranA (221)
(Rough translation: Everything that a person who has applied gOpIchandana looks at becomes pure. There is no doubt about it).
If the sight of such a person can purify things, imagine the puNya one earns by applying it!

UrdhvapunDramr^ujum saumyam lalATe yasya drishyate
sa chanDAlopi shuddhAtmA poojya eva na samshayah (216)
(A person who has the UrdhvapunDra which is straight on his forehead is always pure and is worthy of respect even if he belongs to an unfit clan. There is no doubt about this.)

ashuchirvA api anAchArO manasA papam Acharet
shuchirEva bhavEt nityam UrdhvapunDrankito narah (217)
(A person, even though is dirty, wrong in his deeds and performs sins in thought, is considered clean if he has the UrdhvapunDras)

The above statement quoted by SrimadAchArya in kr^ishNAmr^uta mahArNava indicates the importance of UrdhvapunDra and does NOT give the authority to be dirty or perform wrong deeds. It only says that a sinner can be considered shuchi (clean) for bhagavadkAryAs after the application of UrdhvapunDra since no sAdhane is fruitful without UrdhvapunDras.

UrdhvapunDra vihInasya smashAnasadrusham mukham
avalOkya mukham tEshAm Adityam avalOkayet (218)
(A face without UrdhvapunDra is just like a cemetery. One has to look at the sun after seeing such a face)

yajnO dAnam tapO hOmah svAdyAyah pitr^utarpanam
vyartham bhavati tatsarvam UrdhvapunDram vinA kr^itam (219)
(yajna, dAna, tapas, hOma, vEdAdhyayana and pitr^utarpaNa done without the UrdhvapunDras is absolutely useless)

kr^shNamr^tamahArNava is a work of ShrI madhvAchArya. It is a collection of pramANa vAkya-s from different purANa-s.

||shrIH kRuShNArpaNamstu||

Samir

the mantra recited while applying gopi chandana:

gopichandana papaghna vishnu deha samudbhava
chakrankita namastestu dharanaat muktido bhava

As sri Vadirajaru says in his "Narayana nene manave"
....

Dwaravatiya gopichandanadinda
sri ramanana vara naamava nenedu
eradaaru urdhwapundragala dharisendu
veera vaishnava guruva...........

This suggests that while applying the 12 namas, keshavaadi 12 namasmarane maada beku ......

Kesavan :-

Significance of UrdhwaPunda on fore head

GopiChanda- is Krishnas Pada Duli (dust of his holi feet). We apply his dust on our body as per particular fashion. Acharya has given importance of Gopi Chanda in Krishanmurtha Maharnava citing various Puranik paramana. Which establishes one for all that vaishanas has to wear Gopi Chanada.

Now, two lines on forehead signifies, two meaning

(1) Its Lords pada on ones Forehead. It is done so that horizontal pressure in not allowed (Dilip has mentioned that already).

(2) We madhwas also apply Angara and Akshathe used in Devur Puja on forehead between these two lines. It is applied in such a fashion to look like a Gaadha (Bhimas weapon). You may observe this is applied in such a fashion that looks Gaadha being Upside down, this is because, Aganya Chakra needs to be covered. Hence Akshate is applied to cover the Aganya Chakra hence Gaadhe looks upside down.

Now as logicians may ask -why apply only one pada on forehead? And not two as shown is your picture (I guess this is what Sri vaishnav’s do).

The answer for the logicians is – this is how Sri Krishna applied himself the nama on his forehead to decorate himself (mind it he applied Sri Gandha).

Also Logicians may ask- why Aganga akshate in this pattern needs to be applied.

The answer for the logicians is- this is what Achraya did. During his avatara as Bhima sena, and Hanuman; Madhwa carried Gaadhe to teach leasons to all asuras and vishnu haters. Being a sanyasi in his third incarnation, symbolic Gaadhe is used on forehead (as weapons was barred being a Sanyasi).

Regarding Picture- you can see, any Raghavendra Swamy’s picture (available abundantly) to what in looks like on forehead.