Madhya-līlāChapter 20: Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu Instructs Sanātana Gosvāmī in the Science of the Absolute Truth

Bhaktivedanta VedaBase: Śrī Caitanya Caritāmṛta Madhya 20.202

dvādaśa-tilaka-mantra ei dvādaśa nāma

ācamane ei nāme sparśi tat-tat-sthāna

SYNONYMS

dvādaśa-tilaka — for twelve marks of tilaka; mantra — the mantra; ei — these; dvādaśa nāma — twelve names; ācamanein washing with water; ei nāme — with these names; sparśi — we touch; tat-tat-sthāna — the respective places.

TRANSLATION

"When putting the twelve tilaka marks on the twelve places of the body, one has to chant the mantra consisting of these twelve Viṣṇu names. After daily worship, when one anoints the different parts of the body with water, these names should be chanted as one touches each part of the body.

PURPORT

While marking the body with tilaka, one should chant the following mantra, which consists oftwelve names of Lord Viṣṇu:

lalāṭe keśavaḿ dhyāyen nārāyaṇam athodare

vakṣaḥ-sthale mādhavaḿ tu govindaḿ kaṇṭha-kūpake

viṣṇuḿ ca dakṣiṇe kukṣau bāhau ca madhusūdanam

trivikramaḿ kandhare tu vāmanaḿ vāma-pārśvake

śrīdharaḿ vāma-bāhau tu hṛṣīkeśaḿ tu kandhare

pṛṣṭhe ca padmanābhaḿ ca kaṭyāḿ dāmodaraḿ nyaset

"When one marks the forehead with tilaka, he must remember Keśava. When one marks the lower abdomen, he must remember Nārāyaṇa. For the chest, one should remember Mādhava, and when marking the hollow of the neck one should remember Govinda. Lord Viṣṇu should be remembered while marking the right side of the belly, and Madhusūdana should be remembered when marking the right arm. Trivikrama should be remembered when marking the right shoulder, and Vāmana should be remembered when marking the left side of the belly. Śrīdhara should be remembered while marking the left arm, and Hṛṣīkeśa should be remembered when marking the left shoulder. Padmanābha and Dāmodara should be remembered when marking the back."

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