Tilak is the symbol of the Intelligence, it is not just showcasing the religion, cast or any Sampraday but it is the worship of the intelligence. Any devotees can reach towards the supreme lord with intelligence only, so after the worship of Lord we always touch the forehead which is the center of intelligence. We consider every creation as appearance of the supreme divine, so before doing any Puja – Ritual we remember that body is entirely divine and applies Tikal. The human body is considered to be a temple of God. So we should consider our body as the Rath, soul is the owner and intelligence is driver of the Rath.
As per the scriptures, middle finger should be used to apply Tilak. Since middle finger is associated with the heart, the vibrations flowing through the heart. When applying tilak to Lord, vibrations emanating from the third eye present there are carried by it to the heart, thereby generating devotion and spiritual emotion in the mind throughout the day. Some time place of Tilak of forehead is called the third eye point. It is the aim of yogis to open this third eye by constant meditation. The opening of the third eye means the unification of the conscious of mind and point where all elements merge into one universal entity.
There are many types of Tilak, out of them two are main, one or more vertical lines drawn on the forehead is called Urdhwapundra and three lines drawn horizontally on the forehead with bhasma - Holy ash is called Tripundra. Tilak is put on the forehead with sandal paste - Chandan, sacred ashes - Bhasma or kumkum - red turmeric. The devotees of Siva apply sacred ashes, the devotees of Vishnu apply sandal paste and the worshippers of Ma Devi Shakti apply red turmeric powder.
For purity of intelligence we must do the swadhyay every day. We tilt our head on leg of Lord, it means we accept the supreme power of lord and ask for good thought in our mind. Anything can be achieved if human intelligence is clean and must have confident on intelligence. Even Lord Shree Krishna told Arjun after completion of Bhagwad Geeta that don’t act only based on my words even, but think of it by your own thoughts, be confident and then decide whether to fight or not. Our culture do not stands on the inertia or superstition, but it stands on the intellectual. Our culture, thoughts are certified by Vadas and other holy scriptures. Lord Sun and Moon are like the Tilak in day and night respectively. Sun is symbol of intelligence and knowledge and Moon is symbol of emotion so our culture suggests the combination of intelligence and emotion.
Our body has seven key chakras, energy centres. These chakras are a source of tremendous power. The spot where Tilak applied is body’s most important chakra rests — the Ajna chakra. The Ajna chakra is particularly sacred, as it is the point of confluence of the three main nadis — ida, pingala and shusumna. Therefore, it is also respectfully called Triveni sangam. As the centre of all cosmic energy, this pivotal spot is known as guru sthan, site. Our consciousness resides here; it is also the dwelling place of our mind. Our entire body is controlled from here.
During yoga meditation, the mind is centered at this dhyan chakra. The Dhyan chakra represents our subconscious mind and all our teeming thoughts. Focusing our attention on the Ajna chakra has a restful effect on the mind. Due to all these reasons, great sanctity is attached to this spot on the forehead and the tilak, bindi or tika is applied here. Also, a tilak of chandan, sandalwood paste, has an immediate calming effect.
There is lot of scientific reason and health related benefits in applying Tilak on forehead. Devotees must put on tilak using middle finger, by gently pressing, this allow electromagnetic waves to pass through and stimulates neural network. There is a treatment named Shirodhara mentioned in Ayurved to cure mental stress and fatigue, which is constant dripping of warm oil on forehead, right between eyebrows. This helps in taking out excess heat and relaxes the system. Same benefits can be achieved by applying Tilak on daily basis. It permanently cure headaches and helps in instant relief from stress.
When sinus is swollen, trigeminal nerve is stimulated by pressing this area, which increases blood pressure in the nasal passage, reduces the swelling and relieves blockage. Tilak helps in boosting the immunity and several nerves and muscles are relaxed during applying Tilak. Supratrochlear nerve supplies sensory innervations to the bridge of the nose, medial part of the upper eyelid and medial forehead. This is stimulated when a mild pressure is applied on the center of forehead. It reduces under-eye darkness, enhance eye sight and skin becomes flawless.
In short, forehead without Tilak is like a heart without mercy, a village without a temple, a society without a leader, a country without justice, a well without water, a flower without smell, work without wages etc, all these showcase the importance of Tilak.
