Greatness of Vibhuti

 

#Know your dharma

#Why do we put Vibhuti (Source – Sanskritimagazine)

 “Lalaata Shoonyam Smashaana Tulyam”, says our scriptures. It means that “an empty forehead is comparable to a cemetery”. So, Hindus pay special attention that their forehead is smeared with vibhuti and it remains all the time over their body in a day.

The Almighty Lord Shiva who sports vibhuti all the time stands as an example to his followers that however great one be considered in this mortal world, he needs to smear his forehead and the body with holy ash prepared from a special kind of wood as he does (Lord Shiva) in the Immortal adobe of Kailasa.

It is considered by vedic scholars that even great saints, seers, yogis and the like should wear vibhuti all the time over forehead and other parts of the body in form of three lines to make a Tripundra. Vibhuti smeared horizontally to make three parallel lines with forefinger, middle finger and ring finger across the forehead & other parts of the body like chest, stomach, arms, elbows, wrists etc is called as Tripundra. It is mandatory for the devotees of Lord Shiva to have Tripundra over their body all the time.

A person who smears Vibhuti purifies himself from sins and also removes the sins of persons who looks at him besmeared with Vibhuti or thiruneeru.

The great saint Thiru Gyaana Sambandar did many wonders with Vibhuti and he expounds the greatness of Vibhuti in one of his Pathigams called “Thiruneetru Pathigam” as follows, (This padigam was believed to have been recited why Gyaana Sambandar debated the Jains and won them and reconverted the King to Shaivism from Jainism).

Mandhira maavadhu neeru| Vaanavar meeladhu neeru ||
Sundhara maavadhu neeru |Thudhikkap paduvadhu neeru ||
Thandhira maavadhu neeru| Chamayaththil ullaadhu neeru ||
Senthuvar vaayumai pangan|Thiruaalavaayaan Thiruneerae ||

Meaning: Mantra is the ash; Higher than heavenly people is the ash; Beauty is the ash; Praised is the ash; Technique is the ash; In the religion is the ash; The Lord of Thiruaalavaay (Lord Sundareshwarar,Madurai) who share the body with the red lipped Parvathi – His Holy Ash.

Meaning - Vibhuti is made from a special type of wood. The Bhasma of every wood cannot be regarded as sacred. The word Bhasma (Bha – to destroy; Sma – To remember). Vibhuti signifies the remembrance of the divine and destruction of evil. It also indicates that we remember the transient nature of the physical body and remove the ego associated with the self. It is not a morose reminder of death but just a simple message that time moves on and waits for none.

Uses and mention -   Vibhuti has many medicinal usages and is used in making a few ayurvedic medicines too. It absorbs excess moisture and is used often in treating infants for common cold. Some allergies that people develop after applying Vibhuti could be because of adulteration.

Adi Shankara extols Vibhuti from the puja of Lord Muruga in Subramanya Bhujangam.

ApasmAra kushta kshayArsha prameha|
JvaronmAdha gulmAdhi rogA mahAntha||
PishAchAshcha sarve bhavatpatra bhoothim|
Vilokya kshanAth tArakAre dravanthe|| (Shloka no.25)

Meaning: Oh Conqueror of Taraka! Severe epilepsy, leprosy, consumption, lung diseases, venereal diseases, fevers, mental diseases of all types, they run away the moment they see Thy Vibhuti contained in a leaf.

A substance that is so precious and is blessed should not be treated with disrespect and thrown on the floor or in unclean places. Also storing the Vibhuti from sacred temples is considered auspicious for the family.