34. Gauṇa Bhasma

Devī bhāgavata,gives all the details about Bhasma and Dhāraṇa.This apart it tells about Gauṇa Bhasma also.The ashes prepared from ordinary fire are secondary (Gauṇa). The greatness of this secondary ashes is to be considered by no means trifling; this also destroys the darkest ignorance and reveals the highest knowledge. It is of various kinds. Amongst the secondary ashes, that prepared from Virājagni is the best; it is equivalent to that obtained from Agnihotra Yajña and it is as glorious. The ashes obtained from the marriage sacrificial fire, that obtained from the burning of the Samidh fuel, what is obtained from the conflagration of fire are known as the secondary ashes. The Brāhmaṇās, Kṣatriyās and Vais’yas should use the ashes from the Agnihotra and the Virāja Fire. For the householders, the ashes from the marriage sacrificial fire are good. For the Brahmcāris, the ashes from the Samid fuel. For the other persons, the ashes obtained from the configaration of fire are good.^[1]