CC Madhya 20.202
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
TEXT 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; ācamane—in 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 keśavaṁ dhyāyen nārāyaṇam athodare
- vakṣaḥ-sthale mādhavaṁ tu govindaṁ kaṇṭha-kūpake
- viṣṇuṁ ca dakṣiṇe kukṣau bāhau ca madhusūdanam
- trivikramaṁ kandhare tu vāmanaṁ vāma-pārśvake
- śrīdharaṁ vāma-bāhau tu hṛṣīkeśaṁ tu kandhare
- pṛṣṭhe ca padmanābhaṁ ca kaṭyāṁ dāmodaraṁ 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.”