Upanishads · Bhasmajābāla 1.16
॥
Devanāgarī
नाभिरिति मन्त्रेण दक्षिणभुजमूले भवायेति तन्मध्ये रुद्रायेति तन्मणिबन्धे शर्वायेति तत्करपृष्ठे पशुपतय इति वामबाहुमूले उग्रायेति तन्मध्ये अग्रेवधायेति तन्मणिबन्धे दूरेवधायेति
Transliteration (IAST)
nābhiriti mantreṇa dakṣiṇabhujamūle bhavāyeti tanmadhye rudrāyeti tanmaṇibandhe śarvāyeti tatkarapṛṣṭhe paśupataya iti vāmabāhumūle ugrāyeti tanmadhye agrevadhāyeti tanmaṇibandhe dūrevadhāyeti
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
नाभिः इति मन्त्रेण दक्षिण-भुज-मूलेnābhiḥ iti mantreṇa dakṣiṇa-bhuja-mūle«navel» — with the mantra, at the base of the right arm
भवाय इति तत्-मध्येbhavāya iti tat-madhye«to Bhava» — in its middle
रुद्राय इति तत्-मणि-बन्धेrudrāya iti tat-maṇi-bandhe«to Rudra» — on its wrist
पशु-पतये इति वाम-बाहु-मूलेpaśu-pataye iti vāma-bāhu-mūle«to Paśupati» — at the base of the left arm
उग्राय इति तत्-मध्येugrāya iti tat-madhye«to Ugra» — in its middle
Translation
««Navel» — with the mantra, at the base of the right arm; «to Bhava» — in its middle; «to Rudra» — on its wrist; «to Śarva» — on the back of the hand; «to Paśupati» — at the base of the left arm; «to Ugra» — in its middle; «to the Near Slayer» — on its wrist; «to the Far Slayer»…»
Version
9252dd23a413 · published Aug 12, 2026, 5:00:00 AM UTC
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The placement continues along the arms, and the mantras here are the eight names of Rudra, known from the Śatarudrīya: Bhava, Śarva, Rudra, Paśupati, Ugra, Mahādeva, Bhīma, Īśāna. This eightfold set is ancient in Vedic practice and is discussed in the brāhmaṇas: eight names given to eight phenomena — water, fire, wind, sun, moon, food, sacrifice, and man. Worth noting are two names standing side by side: agre-vadha and dūre-vadha, «slayer near at hand» and «slayer from afar».
These names are taken from the Śatarudrīya, where Rudra is asked to strike neither near nor from afar. That is, among the names applied to the body stand fearsome names, and they are applied to the arms — that is, to what a person acts with. This correspondence, if deliberate, is fitting: what strikes is applied to that with which one strikes.
The Vaishnava side does the same with its own names. When applying its own mark it invokes twelve names — Keśava, Nārāyaṇa, Mādhava, and the rest — each to its own place on the body; and this was discussed when reading Tripurātāpinī (76). What is common to both customs is one thing, worth naming. A person marks his own body with names; and thereby says that the body is not his own, but belongs to someone. A brand is set on what belongs.