ನೀರಿಗೆ ನೈದಿಲೆ ಶೃಙ್ಗಾರ
ಸಮುದ್ರಕೆ ತೆರೆಯೆ ಶೃಙ್ಗಾರ
ನಾರಿಗೆ ಗುಣವೆ ಶೃಙ್ಗಾರ
ಗಗನಕೆ ಚಂದ್ರಮ ಶೃಙ್ಗಾರ
ನಮ್ಮ ಕೂಡಲ ಸಂಗನ ಶರಣರ
ನೊಸಲಿಗೆ ವಿಭೂತಿಯೆ ಶೃಙ್ಗಾರ
basavaNNanavara vachana
nIrige naiDile shR^i~NgAra
samuDrake tereye shR^i~NgAra
naarige guNave shR^i~NgAra
gaganake chandrama shR^i~NgAra
namma kUDala sa.ngana sharaNara
nosalige vibhUtiye shR^i~NgAra
Meaning:
For the water (pond) water-lily is the charm;
For the ocean tides are the charm;
For the woman character is the charm;
For the sky moon is the charm;
For foreheads of the refugees (devotees) of the
Lord of kUDala sangama, the holy ash is the charm.
Notes:
1. Imagine the loss in the beauty of the pond,
if it doesn't have a flower !
How monotonous and boring would be the
large ocean without the roaring waves !
How would the family be if the lady
who administers it is characterless ?
Compare the resplendent sky with a full moon
with the one without it.
So beautiful is the holy ash for the face of
the devotees. It adds to the shine of the face
and it adds to the shine of the mind.
2. Holy Ash is a symbol very closely
associated as well as important with shivalinga.
While the followers of the vedic rites hail it as
Agneya snAna, the saints of all philosophies of shaivism
wear it in all reverence as the symbol of Lord shiva.
It is not just another mark. It stands for the cleansing
of ourselves in the journey towards the Perfect Being
called shiva. The rituals are said to be giving their
full fruit only when performed wearing Holy Ash.
Naturally it gets the term as used by basavaNNa in
this vachana "vibhUti"- the Exceptional wealth.
Some of the information about Holy Ash could be found
at /information-to-know/significance-of-holy-ash-the-mark-on-the-forehead-of-hindus
3. nosalige - for the forehead.