Tapta-mudra-dhaarane

‘Tapta’ means heated/hot, and tapta-mudra refers to the silver seals of Shanka and Chakra heated in the holy fire of Sudarshana homa. The Chakra mudra (also referred to as ‘Pavitra’) not only represents Vishnu’s Sudarshana Chakra, but represents Vishnu himself. With its brilliance of a ten million suns, it illuminates the cosmos, and destroys ignorance, disease and sins.

Mudra-dhaarane is one of the prescribed rituals of daily life. The scriptures say that one must adorn one’s body with the five symbols* of Vishnu (Vishnu-laanchana), every day, with gopichandana. The various options are: applying all five symbols, applying only two symbols in two places, and applying two symbols in five places. Bahu (two upper arms), sthana (chest, above the two nipples) and udara (stomach) are the five parts of the body.

*Shanka, Chakra, Gada, Padma, Naarayana

Tapta-mudra-dhaarane, purifies the person who receives it, by virtue of the power of the Sudarshana homa (the source of the heat of the seals), the spiritual strength of the one (swamiji) who stamps them, and most importantly, the sincerity and devotion with which they are received.

Tapta-mudra-dhaarane is performed on Aashada Ekadashi. Aashada Ekadashi is also called Prathama Ekadashi as it is the first Ekadashi of Aashada maasa and also of the four month period called ‘Chaturmaasa’.

Aashada Ekadashi is also called Shayani Ekadashi as it signifies a period of relative physical inactivity. So, Vishnu goes into cosmic slumber for four months, sanyaasis stay put in the same place for four months, and people generally abstain from celebrations, directing their energies towards prayer, meditation, introspection, while following prescribed dietary strictures. Tapta-mudra-dhaarane performed on the first day of this period, strengthens the resolve* to spend the next four months in enhanced spiritual pursuit.

*Tapta-mudra-dhaarane is ‘baahya deekshe’, that is, the physical (external) declaration of the resolve, which has to be accompanied by firm mental resolve. Otherwise, the marks remain mere designs that singe the skin.

Unlike the gopichandana mudras which are mildly visible for a short period of time, the marks made by Tapta-mudra-dhaarane visible for a long period of time, are like the leather patch with the name of the brand sown onto the back of the jeans. The branding of the body!

The branding serves as a constant reminder that the body does not belong to us but belongs to Vishnu. A person who bears the marks of Shanka and Chakra is dear to Vishnu.

“Just as water can be retained in a clay pot only if it has been fired in a kiln, so also, a person’s good deeds remain bound to him/her, only when fortified by Tapta-mudra-dhaarane,” say the scriptures.

The burning sensation caused by Tapta-mudra-dhaarane is representative of the severe penances that were performed in the midst of four fires in the distant past. The willingness to momentarily bear the burning sensation is representative of ‘sthithapragnyathe’ or equanimity. The heat (churuku) increases a person’s alertness (makes one ‘churuku’).

In current times, as with the mindless sloganeering and posturing adopted to promote Hindu nationalism; Tapta-mudra-dhaarane, has become more of a declaration of one’s identity and show of solidarity with the community, so much so that it is now considered unique to the Maadhwa sect. However, Tapta-mudra-dhaarane was never meant to be restricted to any particular community or varna.