MEANING OF TILIK/NAAMO

The tilak (Sanskrit tilaka, mark) is a mark worn on

the forehead and other parts of the body for spiritual
reasons. On a man, the tilak takes the form of different lines, indicating his religious affiliation. If it covers
the entire forehead in three horizontal lines, then it
denotes the wearer is an ascetic or belongs to a particular sect
The tilak is worn every day by sadhus and pious
householders, and on special occasions like weddings
and religious rituals. A tilak is also applied by a priest
during a visit to the temple as a sign of the deitys
blessing, for both men and women
They might be made of ash from a sacrificial fire,
sandalwood paste, turmeric, cow dung, clay, charcoal,
or red lead. In addition to its religious symbolism, the
tilak has a cooling effect on the forehead and this can
assist in concentration and meditation.
It is applied as a U by worshippers of lord Vishnu and
is red, yellow or saffron in color. It is made up of red
ochre powder (Sindhur) and sandalwood paste (Gandha).
Worshippers of lord Shiva apply it as three horizontal
lines and it consists of ash (Bhasma).
Thus there is a variety of pigments; red, yellow, saffron, white, grey and black, etc. These pigments are
not only applied on the forehead but in some cases
they are
applied also on the forearms and the abdomen.
Among Vaishnavites (followers of Vishnu), the many
tilak variations usually include two or more vertical

lines resembling the letter U, which symbolizes the

foot of Vishnu. There is sometimes a central line or
dot. Most Vaishanative tilaks are made of sandalwood
paste (Chandan). The worshippers of the goddess Devi
or Shakti apply Kumkum, a red tumeric powder.
Usually Tilak is worn on religious occasions, its shape
often representing particular devotion to a certain
main deity: a U or V shape stands for Vishnu, a
group of three horizontal lines for Shiva. It is not uncommon for some to meld both in an amalgam marker
signifying Hari-Hara (Vishnu-Shiva indissoluble).
Vibhuti expresses the concept that this world we live
in and the universe are driven by the functions of
creation, preservation and destruction as enacted by t
Brahma, Vishnu and Siva.
The significance of Vibhuthi is that the body is to be
transformed in to ash one day, hence the morality of
all men and women born in this world. With this realization we should overcome the ego and selfishness in
us and conduct our lives in the righteous path.
Vaishnavas call their representation of Namam on
their foreheads as Thirumann, which means the sacred
earth (dust). Namam consists of three vertical lines
joined at the base, the two outer whitelines signifying
the worship of Brahama and Shiva and the red centerline signifying Vishnu. The Namam(thirumann) signifies the fact the men and women of this world will all
be transformed.
Only the method of application differs,
but the significance is the same in both the Vaishnavas
and the Saivas and saktyas.

Compiled by Pandit Sachin Singh

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