dvÄdaÅ›a-tilaka-mantra ei dvÄdaÅ›a nÄma
Äcamane ei nÄme sparÅ›i tat-tat-sthÄna
dvÄdaÅ›a-tilaka - for twelve marks of tilaka; mantra - the mantra; ei - these; dvÄdaÅ›a nÄma - twelve names; Äcamane - in washing with water; ei nÄme - with these names; sparÅ›i - we touch; tat-tat-sthÄna - the respective places.
“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.
While marking the body with tilaka, one should chant the following mantra, which consists oftwelve names of Lord Viṣṇu:
lalÄá¹e keÅ›avaá¹ dhyÄyen nÄrÄyaṇam athodare
vaká¹£aḥ-sthale mÄdhavaá¹ tu govindaá¹ kaṇá¹ha-kÅ«pake
viṣṇuá¹ ca daká¹£iṇe kuká¹£au bÄhau ca madhusÅ«danam
trivikramaá¹ kandhare tu vÄmanaá¹ vÄma-pÄrÅ›vake
Å›rÄ«dharaá¹ vÄma-bÄhau tu hṛṣīkeÅ›aá¹ tu kandhare
pṛṣá¹he ca padmanÄbhaá¹ ca kaá¹yÄá¹ dÄmodaraá¹ nyaset
“When one marks the forehead with tilaka, he must remember KeÅ›ava. When one marks the lower abdomen, he must remember NÄrÄyaṇa. For the chest, one should remember MÄdhava, 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 MadhusÅ«dana should be remembered when marking the right arm. Trivikrama should be remembered when marking the right shoulder, and VÄmana should be remembered when marking the left side of the belly. ÅšrÄ«dhara should be remembered while marking the left arm, and HṛṣīkeÅ›a should be remembered when marking the left shoulder. PadmanÄbha and DÄmodara should be remembered when marking the back.â€
