CC Madhya 20.202

Madhya-līlā, Chapter 20, Text 202

দ্বাদশ-তিলক-মন্ত্র এই দ্বাদশ নাম ।
আচমনে এই নামে স্পর্শি তত্তৎস্থান ॥ ২০২ ॥

dvādaśa-tilaka-mantra ei dvādaśa nāma
ācamane ei nāme sparśi tat-tat-sthāna

Word by word

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.”