Talk:Vibhuti

What is this ash made from?
It is not clear from the article what was burned to create this ash. Is the sacred ash from cremated human remains? Or some specific source (like palms leaves for Ash Wednesday)? Or can they be any type of ash made sacred through ritual? --Knulclunk 17:41, 22 January 2007 (UTC)

see veerashaiva subheading-Ashtavarana. Lingayats prepare it through a prescribed method as laid down in ritual scriptures like shaiva agama's. Dried cow dung is burned and processed through a series of rituals only then it accepted as holy ash. Lokesh 2000 05:13, 24 January 2007 (UTC)


 * Thanks! Should there be a metion of it in this article? or at least a link to another page describing the process? --Knulclunk 12:27, 24 January 2007 (UTC)

vibhuti (Sanskrit:विभूतिः; ; also spelled vibhuti or vibhooti) is a Sanskrit word that has several meanings, but when used to refer to ash, it means the ashes that are left after the burning of a sacred fire. In routine daily worship the fuel source typically would be cow dung with a little ghee to accelerate burning. It is possible that in the course of a fire ceremony some other substance might be added, depending on the deity being honored or other factors, so the exact composition could vary. But the common definition would be "ashes of cow-dung" as defined in Apte's The Practical Sanskrit Dictionary p. 866. Monier-Williams Sanskrit Dictionary p. 979 defines them as "ashes of cow-dung etc." and the additional "etc." is significant because it clarifies that other materials may have been burned to make the ash. They are defined as "Holy ash, prepared by burning cow dung along with other precious substances, milk, ghee, honey, etc. It symbolizes purity and is one of the main sacraments given at pūjā in all Śaivite temples and shrines" on page 692 of Satguru Sivaya Subramuniyaswami, Loving Ganesa. The statement in the current article that "Placed on the forehead of devotees, it covers the mark of the spiritual third eye (mystic insight as the primary path to Self-realization)." sounds like it may need some clarification, as the pattern used for placing the ash on the forehead is determined by the sectarian affiliation. For Śaivites the ash is applied in three horizontal lines, with variations in placement that make fine distinctions between sects. These lines may cover the entire forehead, or they may be smaller. I have been to pujas where I have received vibhūtiḥ in various patterns that I did not recognize. So the comment in the article does not convey the complexity of the marking systems used. Buddhipriya 03:20, 4 February 2007 (UTC)

Aishwaryam as fame
I see this definition for Aishwaryam as fame and google also gives wealth. In the Samkhya tradition, Aishwarya is one of the sattvic bhavas of a practitioner (along with Viraga or Vairagya, Dharma and Jñana. This defines it as Power or Dominion, related to the word Iśvara (lord).  Would this not be a better definition? Looking to my Hindi contributors... Iṣṭa Devata (talk) 15:22, 25 May 2014 (UTC) Anybody?Iṣṭa Devata (talk) 01:07, 1 January 2015 (UTC)

Merge proposal with Tripundra
Wrt to merge proposal by User:Chronikhiles
 * Oppose Tripundra is a tilaka (mark) created using vibhuti (sacred ash) in a Shaiva setting. Vibhuti from a yajna or even agarbatti is treated as a blessing in a non-sectarian setting. Redtigerxyz  Talk 10:12, 13 August 2022 (UTC)


 * I have never come across ash explicitly referred to as vibhuti used in a non-Shaiva ritual. If you could offer a link for the same, I would like to look into it. Chronikhiles (talk) 10:24, 13 August 2022 (UTC)

Disambiguation
Hey guys,

There is some ambiguity to the meaning of Vibhuti. Is the primary topic of this article referring to Vibhuti (ash) and not other dictionary definitions of the same term? If someone has experience with disambiguating topics or has any other opinions please let me know. Chilicave (talk) 01:33, 21 July 2023 (UTC)