उपनिषद् · Bhasmajābāla 1.23
॥
देवनागरी
भस्मनो यद्यभावस्तदा नर्यभस्मदाहनजन्यमन्यद्वावश्यं मन्त्रपूतं धार्यम्
लिप्यंतरण (IAST)
bhasmano yadyabhāvastadā naryabhasmadāhanajanyamanyadvāvaśyaṃ mantrapūtaṃ dhāryam
शब्दशः अर्थ
संस्कृतIASTअर्थ
भस्मनः यदि अ-भावःbhasmanaḥ yadi a-bhāvaḥif there is no ash
तदा नरि-भस्म-दाहन-जन्यम्tadā nari-bhasma-dāhana-janyamthen, born from the burning of something else
अन्यत् वा अवश्यंanyat vā avaśyaṃor something else, without fail
मन्त्र-पूतं धार्यम्mantra-pūtaṃ dhāryampurified by mantra, must be worn
अनुवाद
«If there is no ash, then — born from the burning of something else, or something else, without fail purified by mantra — it must be worn».
संस्करण
e436998b8f77 · प्रकाशित 12 अग॰ 2026, 5:00:00 am UTC
उपलब्ध भाषाएँRUENश्लोक बदलें इन कुंजियों से
A proviso, and it is one worth noting: if the prescribed ash is not to be had — another will do. Every rite, once it has lived among people, acquires such provisos; and by them one can tell it is alive. A rule allowing no substitute is observed only while everything is at hand and is dropped the moment something is missing.
Worth noting too the condition of substitution: mantra-pūtam, «purified by mantra». That is, the substance can be substituted, but the word remains obligatory. This division, to my mind, shows precisely what in the rite is held essential. The substance is changeable; the word is not.
The Vaishnava side keeps the same practice in its own custom. The clay for the mark is taken from sacred places; but if there is none, another is allowed — as was discussed when reading Mudgala (26), where the proviso about clay from the root of tulasī was called a model of how a book removes the last obstacle. But the name has no substitute; and no proviso anywhere provides for replacing the name with anything else.
Separately worth mentioning is the word avaśyam, «without fail». It stands with the substitution: that is, substituting is not only allowed but required — the mark must be there, even if not of the proper substance. And this, to my mind, is better than a strict prohibition: it is not said, «no ash — do not wear it», but «none — take something else».