Question: The tilaka that Vaiṣṇavas wear represents Kṛṣṇa or Viṣṇu’s lotus feet. Why does the Lord Himself wear it?
Answer: This is Bhagavan’s nara-līlā. He plays as a human being, like Śrī Caitanya, who acted as a devotee. He puts it on so that you can follow His example.
Question: But what about His forms of Narāyaṇa, Narasiṁha, etc.? They too wear tilaka although They are not manifesting nara-līlā.
Answer: Maybe they don’t wear tilaka; it is the devotees who put tilaka on the Deity form. How will Narasiṁhadeva put on tilaka? He has claws! And He has hair on His head. Now you may say, what about Narāyaṇa? Well, He can put tilaka for the pleasure of His devotees. Or He just likes to decorate Himself. Or His devotees decorate Him like that, and He accepts it. But why is it such a botheration to you when He is not troubled by it? If He is happy to permanently put sage Bhṛgu’s footprint on His chest, He can also put tilaka on His forehead. To us, it represents His footprint; for Him, it may represent something else. One particular thing doesn’t need to have the same connotation for everybody. Maybe for Him, it represents the footprint of His consort.
