Urdhva Pundra

Urdhva Pundra is a sacred tilak mark among Vaishnavites who consider Lord Vishnu, the Preserver among the Trinity, as their supreme god. The word urdhva pundra translates to elevated mark in English. Devotees usually wear the urdhva pundra on their foreheads as a mark of reverence to their favourite deity. However, some of them prefer to adorn the mark on their shoulders and other body parts. The tilak represent the lotus feet of the deity.

When a worshipper applies the urdhva pundra on different parts of the body, he/she must chant one of the 12 namas among the various names of Lord Vishnu. Interestingly, there is a specific name that the individual must recite for each part of the body.

For example, when a person applies the urdhva pundra on the forehead, he/she must say the name Keshava with utmost devotion, while he/she should chant the Madhava name when applying the tilak on the stomach. On the other hand, the devotee must recite the name Madhava when the urdhva pundra is applied on the forehead, whereas the Govinda nama is applied when the tilak is applied on the stomach.

There are references to the urdhva pundra in various religious Hindu texts and scriptures. For example, the Vasudeva Upanishad, a Vaishnava text, gives various interpretations of the three lines in the tilak. Here are some of them.

·       The three main Vedas – Rig Veda, Yajur Veda, and Sama Veda

·       The three syllables of the Omnipresent OM – A, U, and M

·       The three bodies in Yoga philosophy – Sthula, Sukshma, and Karana

·       The three worlds – Bhu, Bhuva, and Svar

·       The three realities of the Universe – Maya, Brahman, and Atman

·       The three states of Consciousness – Awake, Dream Sleep, and Deep Sleep

The Padma Purana and the Skanda Purana are two other religious scriptures that talk in detail about the Urdhva Purana.

The urdhva pundra has a powdery texture and is prepared from a combination of many materials of religious significance. These are mud or white earth, rice flour, turmeric powder or manjal, tulasi, kumkum or vermillion powder, and sandal powder.

 In South India, the urdhva pundra is worn by the Iyengar community. Male members of this community wear the tilak in one of two forms. These two forms are called Tiruman representing sacred clay and Sricharanam representing sacred feet.

The Tenkalai namam has a Y shape with two vertical white lines intersecting at the bridge of the nose of the wearer. There is a red line in the centre meeting the intersection point that is said to represent the lord’s consort, Goddess Lakshmi. This red line is applied using kumkum.

The Vallabha namam has a U shape with two curved white lines that intersect at the forehead. There is a yellow line in the centre that joins the intersection representing Goddess Lakshmi. This yellow line is applied using a paste of turmeric.

The style of the urdhva pundra worn by women of the Iyengar community is different from that worn by the menfolk. They wear a red line symbolising Goddess Lakshmi throughout the length of their foreheads, implying their feminism. This is accompanied by a small white curve at the bottom of the design.

There are various Vaishnava sampradayas. The style for the urdhva pundra worn by Vaishnavites of these sampradayas varies from one sampradaya to the other. Although all the styles are associated with Lord Vishnu, each style has its own significance.

Vallabha Sampradaya

This sampradaya is also called Rudra sampradaya. The urdhva pundra is worn as two vertical lines that intersect like a U at the bottom. The U is said to symbolise the lotus feet of Sri Krishna. The tilak is made from materials obtained from saffron plants.

Nimbarka Sampradaya

This urdhva pundra represents the divine union of Krishna and Radha. Starting from the bridge of the nose, the tilak proceeds to the top of the forehead as two vertical lines. This is made from the clay found on the banks of the Gopi Kunda Lake in Dwaraka. There is a black dot in between the dots that is made from the slate found in Barsana.

Madhva Sampradaya

The urdhva pundra is represented as two vertical yellow lines made from Gopichandana and intersecting at the bottom in a U shape. This represents the feet of Lord Vishnu. There is a vertical black line in the middle made from incense coal or dhoop. Only Krishna or Narayana is worshipped.

Gaudiya Vaishnava Sampradaya

This is partly similar to the urdhva pundra style adopted by the Madhva sampradaya. The two vertical yellow lines remain the same. On the bridge of the nose, at the middle of the lines, there is a tulsi highlighting the direct devotional service of the devotees. The material used for this tilak is the mud from Vrindavan.

Swaminarayan Sampradaya

The urdhva pundra is a U-shaped yellow mark symbolising Sri Krishna’s lotus feet. There is also a red chandlo or circle in the centre representing Goddess Lakshmi who is believed to be the goddess of fortune and wealth. This tilak is also called tilaka chandlo and is often applied before the morning pooja. The materials for making this tilak are sandalwood paste and kumkum.

The urdhva pundra helps the devotees develop a spiritual connection or bond with their favourite deity. The tilak reminds worshippers constantly of their devotion to Lord Vishnu and spiritual enlightenment. It also instills in them a commitment to following the path of dharma.

The tilak is acknowledgement of accepting the lord as the supreme power. It also represents a symbol of unity and identity among the Vaishnava community.

The urdhva pundra is believed to protect individuals from the various negative or adverse influences in their surroundings. It is said to have a calming effect on the mind and body alike. This, in turn, paves the way for engaging in meditation and spiritual contemplation.