 The
Tilak, a spot on the forehead, is not merely
a beauty enhancing mark, or sign of religiousness.
Hindu cultural traditions have given a significant
place to Wisdom in life. The life's journey
is guided by Wisdom, which will lead us
through evolution of life towards salvation.
If a man loses everything in his life but
has his Wisdom, he can recreate everything
he has lost.
In the Vedas, there are mantras which pray:
"May my Wisdom be enlightened and purified".
The worship that has been revered in the
Vedas is symbolised in the Tilak, the forehead
mark. The seat of Wisdom is the head and
since the forehead is its front part, we
worship Wisdom by placing the Tilak on the
forehead.
A Tilak is the 'third eye' in a human being.
It is not a physical eye but a divine eye
which when opened by Divine Knowledge shows
the way to self-realisation. When we place
a Tilak on our foreheads we are indicating
that we wish to acquire this knowledge to
pave our way to Moksha.
Lord Shiva destroyed 'Kamadeva' with his
third eye. So may we also destroy all our
desires and evil elements by striving for
knowledge.
The Tilak is also the symbol of good fortune
and lasting bonds of wedlock for a married
woman. A married woman considers her husband
as her deity and merges her life with his.
For her sincerity and loyalty to her husband
are her life's pledge and thus, just as
the river merges in the ocean and loses
its identity voluntarily, so does a married
woman try to adjust and harmonise herself
with the nature, thoughts and wishes of
her husband. This reflects her complete
faith and trust in the wisdom of her husband.
During many of our religious rites and ceremonies,
the priest places a Tilak of sandalwood
or red turmeric powder. This signifies the
presence of the Almighty during the ceremony.
Thus God is the witness during all religious
ceremonies and showers benevolence on you
so that we may enjoy peace, prosperity and
happiness and keep away from violent and
chaotic activities.
Men folk of certain religious sects also
place the Tilak on their foreheads, which
suggests their acceptance of certain thoughts
and ideas as a way of life.
When a person is travelling abroad, the
Tilak is placed on his forehead, rice grains
are applied on the Tilak, flowers are presented
and then Jaggery and yoghurt are given to
him as a good omen for his journey. A silent
prayer of keeping the mind steadfast while
in the foreign land is indicated in this
tradition.
A sister placing the Tilak on her brother's
forehead signifies her faith and trust in
him. Thus the Tilak represents worship of
Wisdom and it becomes our duty to maintain
its importance in our daily lives.
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