Upanishads · Bhasmajābāla 1.10
॥
Devanāgarī
तद्भस्म गायत्र्या सम्प्रोक्ष्य तद्धैमे राजते ताम्रे मृण्मये वा पात्रे निधाय रुद्रमन्त्रैः पुनरभ्युक्ष्य शुद्धदेशे संस्थापयेत्
Transliteration (IAST)
tadbhasma gāyatryā samprokṣya taddhaime rājate tāmre mṛṇmaye vā pātre nidhāya rudramantraiḥ punarabhyukṣya śuddhadeśe saṃsthāpayet
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
तत्-भस्म गायत्र्या सम्प्रोक्ष्यtat-bhasma gāyatryā samprokṣyathat ash, having sprinkled it with gāyatrī
हैमे राजते ताम्रेhaime rājate tāmrein a golden, silver, copper
मृण्मये वा पात्रेmṛṇmaye vā pātreor clay vessel
निधाय रुद्र-मन्त्रैः पुनः अभ्युक्ष्यnidhāya rudra-mantraiḥ punaḥ abhyukṣyahaving placed it, having sprinkled it again with the mantras of Rudra
शुद्ध-देशे संस्थापयेत्śuddha-deśe saṃsthāpayetlet him set it in a clean place
Translation
«That ash, having sprinkled it with gāyatrī, having placed it in a golden, silver, copper, or clay vessel, having sprinkled it again with the mantras of Rudra — let him set it in a clean place».
Version
6598fd116876 · published Aug 12, 2026, 5:00:00 AM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
The vessels are listed: gold, silver, copper, or clay. This list is worth noting, for it says more about the character of the rite than many an argument. Gold is named first, clay last; but clay is named — that is, the rite is performable by the poor too. And this is not always so in ritual books: some prescriptions require things a simple person does not have and never will.
The proviso «or clay» is, then, a proviso about accessibility; and every time such books have an «or», it is worth seeing to whom it opens the door. The Vaishnava side attends to accessibility constantly and makes it a rule. The Gītā says: «a leaf, a flower, a fruit, water, offered with devotion — I accept» (9.26); and this list, discussed when reading Bhāvanā (p36), is deliberately made up of things everyone has.
The difference between the two ways shows in a small thing. Here clay is named last, as a concession; there the leaf and the water are named sufficient, and gold is not spoken of at all. Separately worth mentioning is the word śuddha-deśe, «in a clean place». The requirement of a clean place will recur throughout this book; and that it is reasonable even outside ritual was discussed when reading Yoga-kuṇḍalinī (1.22).