Gorocana
Gorocana · go-rocana, “the bright yellow substance from a cow”
Grammar: noun, also gorocanā; go (the cow) and rocana (bright, shining, from the root ruc, to shine): “the bright substance of the cow”. The short form is rocana.
Meaning: a bright yellow substance taken from the cow, held to be auspicious, used for the tilaka and as an anointing in pūjā.
In the scriptures: the Vāmana Purāṇa uses it in the pūjā of Bhagavān Śiva and as his adornment:
- At the end of the first pāraṇa of the Kālāshṭamī vrata, after bathing Trilocana, one worships the Svāmī, touching him with a mixture of gorocana and jaggery, and makes the self-offering (ātma-nivedana): “Īśvara! Be gracious to this poor one; destroy all my sorrows” (Vāmana Purāṇa, Chapter 17).
- For Bhagavān Śiva’s wedding, Aditi, Surabhi, Surasā and other married women adorn Hara. He wears a tilaka of gorocana on his face, with a crown of great bones, a lion skin and serpent earrings (Vāmana Purāṇa, Chapter 27).
- Vāsudeva teaches the devas an abhisheka for Bhagavān Śiva: 150 pots of milk, 64 of curd, 32 of ghee, 16 of pañcagavya, 8 of honey, and then pure water in twice as many pots as all of these. After the bath one applies rocana paste on the Svāmī’s body 108 times and adorns him with kuṅkuma and candana. When Śrī Hari shows them the Īśvara-liṅga lying on his own heart-lotus, the devas do abhisheka to it and anoint it with gorocana (Vāmana Purāṇa, Chapter 36).
- When Bhagavān Śiva sets out to slay Andhaka, Devī Pārvatī embraces him and honours him with sandal, gorocana, añjana and other auspicious substances, and bows at his feet (Vāmana Purāṇa, Chapter 42).
Related terms: Tilaka · Abhisheka · Candana · Kuṅkuma · Pañcagavya · Pūjā
Sources
- Vāmana Purāṇa, Chapters 17, 27, 36, 42