Verse 1
अथ कालाग्निरुद्रोपनिषदः संवर्तकोऽग्निर्ऋषिरनुष्टुप्छन्दः श्रीकालाग्निरुद्रो देवता श्री कालाग्निरुद्रप्रीत्यर्थे विनियोगः ।। ||१||
atha kālāgnirudropaniṣadaḥ saṁvartako'gniṛṣiḥ anuṣṭupchandaḥ śrīkālāgnirudro devatā śrī kālāgnirudraprītyarthe viniyogaḥ ||1||
Now, for this Kālāgnirudropaniṣad: The seer is Saṁvartaka Agni, the meter is Anuṣṭup, the deity is Śrī Kālāgnirudra. Its application (or purpose) is for the gratification of Śrī Kālāgnirudra.
Verse 2
अथ कालाग्निरुद् भगवन्तं सनत्कुमारः पप्रच्छ अधीहि भगवंस्त्रिपुण्ड्रधिं सतत्त्वं कि द्रव्यं कियस्थानं कति प्रमाणं का रेखाः के मंत्राः का शक्तिः किं दैवतं कः कर्ता कि फलमिति च।। ||२||
atha kālāgnirud bhagavantaṁ sanatkumāraḥ papraccha adhīhi bhagavaṁstripuṇḍradhiṁ satattvaṁ ki dravyaṁ kiyasthānaṁ kati pramāṇaṁ kā rekhāḥ ke mantrāḥ kā śaktiḥ kiṁ daivataṁ kaḥ kartā ki phalamiti ca ||2||
Then Sanatkumara asked Kalagnirud, the Lord: "O Lord, teach (me) the doctrine of Tripundra along with its true nature. What is its material? What is its place? What is its measure? What are its lines? What are its mantras? What is its power? What is its deity? Who is its doer? And what is its fruit?"
Verse 3
तं होवाच भगवान्कालाग्निरुद्रः यद्रव्यं तदाग्नेयं भस्म सद्योजातादिपञ्चब्रह्ममन्त्रैः परिगृह्याग्निरिति भस्म वायुरिति भस्म जलमिति भस्म स्थलमिति भस्म व्योमेति भस्मेत्यनेना-भिमन्त्र्य मानस्तोक इति समुद्धृत्य मा नो महान्तमिति जलेन संसृज्य त्रियायुषमिति शिरोललाट-वक्ष:स्कन्धेषु त्रियायुषैस्त्र्यम्बकैस्त्रिशक्तिभिस्तिर्यक्तिस्त्रो रेखा: प्रकुर्वीत व्रतमेतच्छाम्भवं सर्वेषु वेदेषु वेदवादिभिरुक्तं भवति तस्मात्तत्समाचरेन्मुमुक्षुर्न पुनर्भवाय ।। ||३||
taṃ hovāca bhagavānkālāgnirudraḥ yadravyaṃ tadāgneyaṃ bhasma sadyojātādipañcabrahmamantraiḥ parigṛhyāgniriti bhasma vāyuriti bhasma jalamiti bhasma sthalamiti bhasma vyometi bhasmetyanenā-bhimantrya māna-stoka iti samuddhṛtya mā no mahāntamiti jalena saṃsṛjya triyāyuṣamiti śirolalāṭa-vakṣaḥskandheṣu triyāyuṣaistryambakaistriśaktibhistiryak tistro rekhāḥ prakurvīta vratametacchāmbhavaṃ sarveṣu vedeṣu vedavādibhiruktaṃ bhavati tasmāttatsamācarenmumukṣurna punarbhavāya || ||3||
The venerable Kālāgnirudra said to him: "Whatever substance is there, that is fire-born ash. Having gathered it with the five Brahmam-mantras beginning with Sadyojāta, and having consecrated it with 'Fire is ash, Air is ash, Water is ash, Earth is ash, Space is ash' by this (process), having taken (some) with 'Mā nastoka' (mantra), having mixed it with water with 'Mā no mahāntam' (mantra), one should make three horizontal lines on the head, forehead, chest, and shoulders, reciting 'Triyāyuṣam', and empowered by Triyāyuṣa (longevity), Tryambaka (the three-eyed Shiva), and Triśakti (the three divine powers). This Śāmbhava vow is declared in all the Vedas by those who expound the Vedas. Therefore, one desirous of liberation should perform it for non-rebirth."
Verse 4
अथ सनत्कुमारः पप्रच्छ प्रमाणमस्य त्रिपुण्ड्रधारणस्य ॥ ||४||
atha sanatkumāraḥ papraccha pramāṇam asya tripuṇḍradhāraṇasya ||4||
Then Sanatkumara asked about the authority (or scriptural basis) for wearing this Tripuṇḍra (the three-line mark).
Verse 5
त्रिधा रेखा भवत्याललाटादाचक्षुषोरामूर्धोराभ्रुवोर्मध्यतश्च ॥ ||५||
tridhā rekhā bhavatyālalāṭādācakṣuṣorāmūrdhorābhrūvormadhyataś ca || 5 ||
Three lines are to be made from the forehead, extending up to the eyes, across the prominent part of the head, and between the two eyebrows.
Verse 6
यास्य प्रथमा रेखा सा गार्हपत्यश्चाकारो रजो भूर्लोकः स्वात्मा क्रियाशक्तिर्ऋग्वेदः प्रातःसवनं महेश्वरो देवतेति ॥ ||६||
yāsya prathamā rekhā sā gārhapatyaścākāro rajo bhūrlokaḥ svātmā kriyāśaktirṛgvedaḥ prātaḥsavanaṃ maheśvaro devatetī ||
Its first line is the Gārhapatya fire, and the letter 'A' (Akara), Rajas (the quality of activity), the Bhūr-loka (earthly realm), the individual self, the power of action, the Rigveda, the morning libation; Maheśvara is its deity, so it is said.
Verse 7
यास्य द्वितीया रेखा सा दक्षिणाग्निरुकारः सत्त्वमन्तरिक्षमन्तरात्मा चेच्छाशक्तिर्यजुर्वेदो माध्यंदिनं सवनं सदाशिवो देवतेति ॥ ||७||
yāsya dvitīyā rekhā sā dakṣiṇāgnirukāraḥ sattvamantarikṣamantarātmā cechchhāśaktiryajurvedo mādhyandinaṃ savanaṃ sadāśivo devateti ||7||
Its second line is Dakṣiṇāgni (the southern fire), the U-sound (ukāra), Sattva (the quality of goodness), the mid-region (Antarikṣa), and the inner self (Antarātmā). And it is the power of will (Icchāśakti), the Yajurveda, the mid-day oblation, and Sadāśiva is its deity.
Verse 8
यास्य तृतीया रेखा साहवनीयो मकारस्तमो द्यौर्लोकः परमात्मा ज्ञानशक्तिः सामवेद स्तृतीयसवनं महादेवो देवतेति ॥ ||८||
yāsya tṛtīyā rekhā sāhavanīyo makārastamo dyauhlokaḥ paramātmā jñānaśaktiḥ sāmavedastṛtīyasavanaṁ mahādevo devateti ||8||
Its third line (of Om) is the Āhavanīya fire, the syllable 'Ma', the quality of Tamas, the celestial world (Dyaus-loka), the Supreme Self, the power of knowledge, the Sāmaveda, the third libation, and Mahādeva is its deity.
Verse 9
एवं त्रिपुण्ड्रविधि भस्मना करोति यो विद्वान्ब्रह्मचारी गृही वानप्रस्थो यतिर्वा स महापातकोपपातकेभ्यः पूतो भवति स सर्वेषु तीर्थेषु स्नातो भवति स सर्वान्वेदानधीतो भवति स सर्वान्देवाञ्ज्ञातो भवति स सततं सकलरुद्रमन्त्रजापी भवति स सकलभोगान्भुड्न्क्ते देहं त्यक्त्वा शिवसायुज्यमेति न स पुनरावर्तते न स पुनरावर्तत इत्याह भगवान्कालाग्निरुद्रः।। ||९||
evaṃ tripuṇḍravidhi bhasmanā karoti yo vidvān brahmacārī gṛhī vānaprastho yatir vā | sa mahāpātakopapātakebhyaḥ pūto bhavati | sa sarveṣu tīrtheṣu snāto bhavati | sa sarvān vedān adhīto bhavati | sa sarvān devāñjñāto bhavati | sa satataṃ sakalarudramantrajāpī bhavati | sa sakalabhogān bhuṅkte | dehaṃ tyaktvā śivasāyujyam eti | na sa punar āvartate | na sa punar āvartata ity āha bhagavān Kālāgnirudraḥ ||9||
Thus, whoever, whether a wise person, a celibate student (brahmacārī), a householder (gṛhī), a forest dweller (vānaprastha), or an ascetic (yati), performs this ritual of (applying) the tripuṇḍra with sacred ashes – he becomes purified from major and minor sins. He becomes as if he has bathed in all holy places. He becomes as if he has studied all the Vedas. He becomes as if he has known all the gods. He constantly chants all Rudra mantras. He enjoys all worldly pleasures, and after leaving the body, he attains union with Shiva. He does not return (to rebirth); he does not return (to rebirth), thus says the venerable Kālāgnirudra.
Verse 10
यस्त्वेतद्वाधीते सोऽप्येवमेव भवतीत्यों सत्यमित्युपनिषत् ॥ ||१०||
yastvetadvādhīte so'pyevameva bhavatītyom satyamityupaniṣat.
Whoever studies this [doctrine/text], he too verily becomes thus. Om, this is the Truth. Thus (concludes) the Upanishad.