If you ever get the chance, try to prune a tree (not much, ok?) and then, over the course of time, notice the spot you have pruned. After a few weeks, what you will find is that the spot you have pruned is entertaining more leaves than the other parts of the tree. Why does this happen? The simple answer is that the tree standing tall takes notice of the odd and diverts all its energy in the same direction.
Something similar happens for humans when they shave their head also called Mundan. Of course, leaves don’t spawn out of their body but let’s say that if the person goes bald, a flow of energy spearheads to the direction of their head. This is simply one of the many reasons why yogis in India shave their hair. Going bald not only helps them focus but also improves their Saadhana. They can better tread their energy into their consciousness, allowing them to reach closer to Nirvana and make the best of their spiritual sessions.
Moreover, like there is a good time for everything in life, there are certain situations and times when one considers shaving their head. For example, the Yogis we have been talking about find Shivarathri as the best opportunity to shave their hair. Shivarathri is one day before Amavasya or the new moon. During this time period, there is a constant upsurge of energy in the human system and having one’s head shaved at this time could accelerate the process a little more.
Then you must have also seen some Yogis who chose to grow hair rather than cutting them. What’s that all about? In Vedic science, there are certain circumstances when a person reaches a state where energies begin to burst out of their body and activates two Chakras that are above the physical body. Vedic science tells us that there are 114 chakras in existence. Two out of these are outside the physical body (the ones we are talking about). Of the remaining 112, only 108 can actually be harnessed through various ways like mediations and more. The remaining four, meanwhile, flowers as a consequence of one’s hard work.
To capture the activated energies, Yogis either cover their hair or grow them long. If they can’t grow their hair, they would cover their head with a scarf or cloth just to ensure the energies do not leave their side.
Most of you must have heard about Mundan, also called tonsure. While the youth continue to get conservative about their hair but then there is a time in everyone’s lives when they have to go bald, i.e. as a kid. Many people are aware of the fact that a newborn’s head needs to be shaved as a part of a ritual, however, they, most of the time, don’t know the reason behind shaving kids’ heads.
Interestingly, the act of shaving the head of an infant is not just limited to Hinduism. Muslim households in the country also abide by the ritual. The only difference between the two religions is that in Muslim families, tonsure needs to be done between 1-40 days of the birth of the baby, however, in Hindu families, it could be done anytime between day 1 to 4 months.
If you ever wondered why small children are made to shave their head, then here is the simple answer. As per our expert astrologers, post a person’s death, their soul gets a human body after experiencing as many as 84 lakh yonis. And all these yonis leave some kind of influence on the human form. So shaving off hair from a child’s head is a gesture of purification from the previous yonis and freedom from the past.
Another time when humans, especially men, shave their head is when someone in the family dies. This, since forever, has been a ritual people abide by, and, once again, there is a reason behind it.
When a member of the family passes away, it is said that the environment in the home becomes Raja-Tama (Darkness, Destruction. They are two of the three Gunas) predominant. It is believed that post the death of so and so person, their linga-dēha continues to wander around the house and the family members for some time. The speedy waves of Raja-Tama predominant emitting from the linga-deha of the deceased are attracted by the black colour of the hair of the family members. This is because one of the main functions of the hair is to absorb the Raja-Tama predominant waves from the environment. And such absorption can result in serious headaches in humans and feeling of uneasiness, etc.
Hence men, especially those who participate in the last rites of the deceased, choose to get bald at the place of cremation. If not cut hair, they at least consider taking bath before entering the main area of the house to wash off the Raja-Tama predominant waves.
Well, there is an explanation for the same. In Hindu tradition, a woman is the symbol of unmanifest Shakti, i.e. Divine Energy of Adishaktī. The rank bestows her unparalleled respect, and thus cutting a woman’s hair is deemed an anti-Dharmik act. A woman with a Sattva (the third Guna) predominant disposition usually has long hair. The energy of Sattva-Raja waves is transmitted by the tips of the hair. This energy protects a woman from negative energy attacks. This is the sole reason why women don’t have to cut their hair after the death of a person in a family.
Besides these scientific and religious reasons behind cutting hair, people also choose to shave their heads because of many more lifestyle reasons. These reasons could be:
Like most of the things in Hinduism, there are certain days assigned when cutting one’s hair is considered auspicious and days when cutting hair is not good. Here is the list:
If you have a Mundan planned for your baby in 2021, then this list of mundan shubh muhurats in 2021.
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