Summary: Tilaks are used to indicate one’s philsophy. Shiva’s tilak (Tripundra) is used to mark the 3 Vedic fires, while Vishnu’s tilak (Urdhva Pundra) is to show the God’s feet. These have deeper philosophical meanings that I will cover in this post.
Hindus consider the area between the eyebrows is a very sacred part of the body and termed the Ajna Chakra or the third eye. It is around this place Hindus wear special marks that directly indicate their philosophical leanings. There are dozens of different marks indicating different philsophical leanings. From a crowd, you can identify a random person’s ideology by just looking at his forehead. Here is a map that the British used to identify various types of Hindu sects.
Here is a broader map:
Shaivites wear the Tripundra — three horizontal strips, Vaishnavites wear the Urdwa Pundra — a U shaped marking with a central mark that is either a circle or a straight line, Shaktas wear a red dot or a line, Ganpatyas wear a range of head marking often with red sandalwood.
Why the Tripundra?
There are 3 types of holy fires to be kept at home in the Vedic tradition.
- Gārhapatya — a neutral fire that is kept in the kitchen and used to ignite all other fires.
- Ahavaniya — a positive fire that is kept in the east for homas — celebrating the good forces.
- Dakshinagni — a negative fire that is kept in the south to defend from the evil spirits
The ash from these fires are used to draw 3 lines in the forehead. This is used to remind people that everything eventually burns up and there is no room for ego. The Shiva tradition is closer to the Vedic fire rituals.
Why the Urdhva Pundra?
Unlike the Shiva tradition, the Vishnu tradition has a key emphasis on Bhakti (devotion) and submission. Here the key marking is to show Lord’s feet on one’s forehead to mark one’s submission to the supreme power.
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