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Why Do Hindus Wear the Tuft of Hair Called Shikha

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Why Do Hindus Wear the Tuft of Hair Called Shikha

shikha.jpg



Shikha is a tuft of hair at the back of head specifically kept by Vaishnavas and Brahmanas. According to the Vedic culture, when a person undergoes the cuda-karana-samskara (hair-cutting ceremony) and upanayana (Vedic initiation), he must shave his head, leaving a tuft of hair called a sikha.


It is an established rule that anyone who recites Vedic mantras should not have hair on face and head. So, those who need to perform Vedic rituals are advised to remove their hair.


Our human body has seven energy centres, or chakras, starting from the first at the base of the spine (Mooladhara Chakra) to the seventh and last one – the Sahasrara Chakra. The kundalini is the snake like subtle energy lying coiled at the base chakra, which through yogic exercise can be made to uncoil and rise up through the chakras, finally to the top one, the Sahasrara. The master, one who has achieved the final goal, or enlightenment or perfection or union, is one wherein the kundalini would have reached the Sahasrara chakra.


A Brahmin is one who after all his interim intellectual pursuits, is in ultimate search of this final union or state of perfection. At this point he is said to be one with the Brahman. This is the brahmin’s final goal.


The shika covers that part of the skull wherein lies the final chakra – the Shasrara Chakra. He retains the hair to protect it. Then the question would arise, why shave of the rest of his head?


One of the main rituals of the brahmin’s practice is the Surya Vandana, and Sandya Vandana. It is believed that the sun is the primary source of clean energy not just to the physique, but also to the mind. He wants the uninterrupted rays of the sun to fall on his brain and soak in. (Remember, hair, like our nails, is dead matter.) He stands in the sun three times a day to pray, chant his mantras and meditate – facing the sun.


However, there are many reasons for having Shikha:


1.) When a devotee leaves his body Krishna pulls the soul from the top most chakra which is on the head under the shikha.


2.) It is said that according to the karma of a soul, the living entity at the time of death leaves the body from different places, from mouth, nose, etc… But a devotee who leaves this body from that chakra (sahasrara at the shikha) attains high planets of the Spiritual world.


3.) Also hair is needed to protect that chakra. Women do not cut their hair, because their other lower chakras are not protected well, but if they have long hair they protect them with their hair.


4.) The mayavadis follow the ascending path since they egotistically confident of achieve God and coming out of illusion by the dint of their insignificant efforts or sadhana. So they do not keep a shikha because they do not need the mercy of the Lord.


5.) Shikha is also like a spiritual antenna on the top of the head meant to show to the Lord and that we are aspiring recipients of His causeless mercy.


6.) One must have a sikha to perform any kind of yajna. Therefore in Indian tradition all the brahmanas, Vaisnava or otherwise, keep a sikha. Although there seem to be no sastric injunctions regarding the size of the sikha, Gaudiya Vaisnavas traditionally keep the sikha about the size of a calf’s hoofprint, approximately 1.5 inches (5 – 6 cm.) in diameter.


7.) Srila Prabhupada mentioned this in a conversation with some of his disciples in Hawaii (6.5.1972): “Gaudiya Vaishnava shikha is an inch and a half across — no bigger. Bigger shikha means another sampradaya…. And they have to be knotted.”


8.) The shikha may be any length, but it should be kept tightly knotted and only untied when you are washing, The Hari Bhakti Vilasa observes that members of the upper classes even tie the sikha before taking the final ablutions of a bath. This particularly applies when bathing in a body of water such as a river or a lake, in which case to not tie the shikha prior to bathing is considered low class and disrespectful to the sacred rite of bathing.


You may tie it in a simple manner for bathing, retying it more carefully after the bath. Also, when going to sleep, attending funeral rites, or observing a period of mourning, you should keep the shikha untied. Since an untied shikha is a sign of a death in the family, it is inauspicious to go about one’s daily duties with an untied shikha. It is also said that if one keeps the shikha untied, the body may become weak.


While tying your sikha after bathing, chant the Hare Krishna mantra, or, if initiated with Gayatri mantras, silently chant the Brahma-gayatri (first line of Gayatri). The shikha should not be braided (traditionally only women braid their hair), nor should it be kept long and disheveled. Naturally, if the shikha is too short to be tied, it is all right to leave it open, but it should not be disheveled.


9.) Significance of Shaving head – It is a symbol of renunciation. If you see materialists, they are extremely fond of hair. Decorating hair etc pulls us into bodily consciousness. This is not good for practicing spiritualists. So as an indication of renunciation from material consciousness devotees shave head.


10.) Significance of shikha – Another view: It is a symbol of duality of souls and supreme Lord. Impersonalists believe that there is no duality between the supreme and the living entity and they are expected to shave their heads completely. Vaishnavites believe in the philosophy that there is clear and eternal distinction between supreme god Krishna and living entities. The shikha is symbol of Krishna which is large and the remaining very little hair is the symbol of insignificant and innumerable conditioned living entity

11.) Scientific Reasons for Having a Shikha:



(A) A person who keeps Shikha attracts cosmic energy which imparts enlightment.


(B) The small portion of hair that hangs from behind our head applies little pressure on our brains that helps one to improve concentration and mind control and improve memory.


From the time of the Vedas, the shikha was a distinguishing feature of the Brahmins, Kshatriyas and Vaishyas. It signified the ‘twice-born’ or all those Upanayanam has been performed. At the time of Chudakarana, a tuft of hair was left on the head, never to be cut. This shikha covered a large part of the brain. According to Sushruta, the reason that a few tufts are left on the head is that at the crown, an artery joins a critical nerve juncture. Since an injury to this part of the head is believed to be fatal, it was considered necessary to protect the area by keeping a tuft of hair over it. The shikha was a symbol of superiority and of cleanliness.


Any religious or auspicious ceremony required the shikha to be tied in a knot. The knot was tied to the accompaniment of the Gayatri Mantra. An untied shikha was a symbol of disgrace, impurity and mourning.


Why Do Hindus Wear the Tuft of Hair Called Shikha
 
Is it relevant to the billion Hindus of the world today?
If it was that important to Hindus why did it go out of Style? Just because we do not have it, does it mean that Krishna will not know where to pull?
When a devotee leaves his body Krishna pulls the soul from the top most chakra which is on the head under the shikha.

What is the significance of this post to majority of Hindus today.
 
it is your opinion Sri Prasadji that this thread has no significance to Hindus!!!

Let me ask you a personal question?
Is it significant to Your children?
Are you trying to insult other Hindus (except the Hare Krishna cult members), who do not have this tuft of Hair.
 
Let me ask you a personal question?
Is it significant to Your children?
Are you trying to insult other Hindus (except the Hare Krishna cult members), who do not have this tuft of Hair.

I found the OP informative and useful. I am not a relative of PS nor do I feel insulted. And I do not have a tuft. LOL.
 
Let me ask you a personal question?
Is it significant to Your children?
Are you trying to insult other Hindus (except the Hare Krishna cult members), who do not have this tuft of Hair.

You have the habit of nagging members when they post such threads for info.

London Swaminathan was one of our esteemed member who worked with Indian Express , and posted many Threads for the Information of many interested members, You along with another member used to post nagging replies to his Threads and now the Forum has lost him.

Occasionally you post some nagging replies to some of my threads as if i will stop posting such threads in this Forum; I am not posting such threads FOR YOU TO READ, but i Post such threads for many members who appreciate my Posting.

Nowadays one more member posts some nagging Replies to my Threads, but i never reply to that member.

IF YOU DO NOT WANT TO READ ANY OF MY THREAD< PLEASE DO NOT READ AND PLEASE NEVER POST YOUR NAGGING REPLIES TO ME BECAUSE I WILL JUST IGNORE YOUR REPLIES AND WILL NOT REPLY TO YOU.

YOU ARE NOT WORTH REPLYING
 
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You have the habit of nagging members when they post such threads for info.

London Swaminathan was one of our esteemed member who worked with Indian Express , and posted many Threads for the Information of many interested members, You along with another member used to post nagging replies to his Threads and now the Forum has lost him.

Occasionally you post some nagging replies to some of my threads as if i will stop posting such threads in this Forum; I am not posting such threads FOR YOU TO READ, but i Post such threads for many members who appreciate my Posting.

IF YOU DO NOT WANT TO READ ANY OF MY THREAD< PLEASE DO NOT READ AND PLEASE NEVER POST YOUR NAGGING REPLIES TO ME BECAUSE I WILL JUST IGNORE YOUR REPLIES AND WILL NOT REPLY TO YOU.

YOU ARE NOT WORTH REPLYING

One more in the Ignore list! Forget about them they dont deserve reply and we dont have replies as well!

Thank you for you exellant and informative knowldegable OP. Though not your realtive and without a tuft - on reading this cosidering of having a tuft . Please advise me which is better The one seen in OP or the one you see on the head of priests in Chidambaram temple though a symbol of smartha - still I can consider that - see a shade of resemblance to Vaishnava Andal's Kondai!! - Keep cool like me - donot get insulted and angry. Expecting more such knowledgable posts!! - It is amazing always to see how the tuft on the head of my Acary dance while he preaches!!
 
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Very informative OP. But it creates some wonders!

For example


(B) The small portion of hair that hangs from behind our head applies little pressure on our brains that helps one to improve concentration and mind control and improve memory.
And......... recommended size of tuft is

approximately 1.5 inches (5 – 6 cm.) in diameter.
What will be pressure created ? :ballchain:

P.S: This Q is only for those who like to analyze and not for P J Sir! :decision:
 
Dear P J Sir,

It is your wish to reply or not, to any post! But you can't ask other members NOT to post any comments.

We are ALL guests and no one is more important than the other! So...... try to keep :cool: !!
 
hi

i read all the posts everyday....sometimes i reply....sometimes i keep MY MOUTH SHUT.....ALL THE POSTS ARE NOT FOR ALL THE

PEOPLE...we are all readers and we are all learners here.....BETTER TO AVOID CONFRONTATION,,,,UNTIL AND UNLESS VERY

SERIOUS PERSONAL ATTACK....
 
Dear P J Sir,

It is your wish to reply or not, to any post! But you can't ask other members NOT to post any comments.

We are ALL guests and no one is more important than the other! So...... try to keep :cool: !!

Raji Madam

I never asked anyone not to post any comment, but i have the choice of ignoring any comment.

You know very well that Prasadji and another member ,always posted nagging comments on Sri London Swaminathan's threads, the same tactics he is doing it with my threads.

My Threads are not for any particular member, if anyone is not interested reading my threads, they can very well ignore my threads .
 
There is a big list of injunctions, advice, recommendations to be followed by sanatana dharmists, aka hindus. Just because one does not follow some practices, sastric rules are not void. It is the sacred duty of all to learn as much as possible, to practice as much as possible and pass on the knowledge to succeeding generations. Shikha is common to all varnas, and was adopted by all. Even today, many north indians have a small but prominent kudimi. One good thing we can attribute to the hindutva groups - many adorn their foreheads with a big tilak, take part with full devotion in yagnas, archanas and religious celebrations.

Please continue your good work.

it is your opinion Sri Prasadji that this thread has no significance to Hindus!!!
 
There is a big list of injunctions, advice, recommendations to be followed by sanatana dharmists, aka hindus. Just because one does not follow some practices, sastric rules are not void. It is the sacred duty of all to learn as much as possible, to practice as much as possible and pass on the knowledge to succeeding generations. Shikha is common to all varnas, and was adopted by all. Even today, many north indians have a small but prominent kudimi. One good thing we can attribute to the hindutva groups - many adorn their foreheads with a big tilak, take part with full devotion in yagnas, archanas and religious celebrations.

Please continue your good work.

Thanks for your understanding sarang Sir
 
When you pull it and tie a knot; sufficient force to tingle and improve blood flow. Pulling the ears, chella kuttu and twisting the nose - all have similar effect. All are repackaged from the west for better acceptance, no, bear hug embrace by the neo hindus.

Very informative OP. But it creates some wonders!

For example


And......... recommended size of tuft is

What will be pressure created ? :ballchain:

P.S: This Q is only for those who like to analyze and not for P J Sir! :decision:
 
It is supposed to be kept right after Upanayanam ceremony I think.
But none of us do it.

Can it be kept later on?
Just that we need to ask the barber to leave a tuft of hair, the next time we go for a hair-cut.
 
Dear P J Sir,

It is your wish to reply or not, to any post! But you can't ask other members NOT to post any comments.

We are ALL guests and no one is more important than the other! So...... try to keep :cool: !!
Thank you.
I do read Mr. PJ's post as I might find some Gem hidden. I have congratulated him on these Gem of postings. But when a period fashion code is posted as scientific fact for God to pull the soul, I balk at it. Particularly when it was prohibited for a caste community.
the shikha was a distinguishing feature of the Brahmins, Kshatriyas and Vaishyas. It signified the ‘twice-born’ or all those Upanayanam has been performed.

I know the usual people who will jump to post rejoinder to my post. But In India caste based discrimination is illegal but even more we should be aware of how it will be received by others. When 99% of people do not have shikha and to condemn them as :
When a devotee leaves his body Krishna pulls the soul from the top most chakra which is on the head under the shikha
. Is less than being sensitive.

An outdated knowledge as Historical facts is useful, but to use that to bash others in the present day is being insensitive.
 
The bogey of discrimination still continues to haunt some. Let us hope wisdom prevails as more and more educated hindus of all sections and factions do not feel that way. All have accepted diversity in birth, upbringing, education, vocation, behaviour as normal, and only humilatary discrimination is to be avoided.

Even the recent incident of job denial to a muslim in mumbai, the case gas been booked under 137, which is breach of peace and sensitivity to religious fabric, not under denial of fundamental rights. As per the constitution, jobs cannot be denied on religious grounds only for government controlled institutions. Eve this is broken in kerala and bengal, where govt advts for public works advertise for religion specific candidates. There are thousands of such cases for private sector employment. In delhi muslim and christian posh housing societies openly advertise religion specific buyers only. One lady has tweeted her society is fully christian except her, and she is pressurized to convert or sell.

Let us wait for the outcome of krishna diamond exporters.
 
When you pull it and tie a knot; sufficient force to tingle and improve blood flow. Pulling the ears, chella kuttu and twisting the nose - all have similar effect. .......
Yes Sir! Sufficient force will improve blood flow but this is NOT given as a point. Please read:

(B) The small portion of hair that hangs from behind our head applies little pressure on our brains that helps one to improve concentration and mind control and improve memory.

BTW, young girls are said to develop receding hairline if they pull the hair tightly and make 'pony tail' everyday! :sad:

ponytail1_168udr4-168udrk.jpg


Courtesy: Google images
 
Thank you.
I do read Mr. PJ's post as I might find some Gem hidden. I have congratulated him on these Gem of postings. But when a period fashion code is posted as scientific fact for God to pull the soul, I balk at it. Particularly when it was prohibited for a caste community.


I know the usual people who will jump to post rejoinder to my post. But In India caste based discrimination is illegal but even more we should be aware of how it will be received by others. When 99% of people do not have shikha and to condemn them as :
. Is less than being sensitive.

An outdated knowledge as Historical facts is useful, but to use that to bash others in the present day is being insensitive.

I haven't read the OP yet... on to reading it next.

Nevertheless, what is stated in the OP may not be THAT inaccurate! I too remember reading faintly that the soul leaves body by different routes based on the varna of the deceased. Probably those who sacrificed their good looks having a Shikha, are special in Lord's eyes, that he pulls out the soul via the Sahasrara chakra and this is what the above mentioned statement signifies! That Shika serves as an identifier for the location of this Sahasrara chakra is informative and not insulting by any means.
 
From whatever sources I have read so far, Sikha or tuft was compulsory for the three upper Varnas while it was not disallowed for the Sudras. In the last century, before Independence, there were several low caste people in Travancore who sported a Sikha, and I have seen that. In course of time Brahmins also discarded this and, instead used to keep the front part of the head clean shaven, and in Kerala it used to be jocularly known as "ற" style since the Malayalam alphabet ற (റ)looked very similar! Even this custom has gone with the winds now!!

Some writers have opined that this Sikha is a remnant of a very ancient custom of growing long hair by males and making tufts in order to protect their heads from fatal injuries in combats, and that different gotras of tribals had different practices in regard to the number of knots, one above the other, which an adult male had to wear; it is said that the number of rishis in our pravara (abhivaadaye mantra) indicates the number of such knots which our ancient forefathers used to wear.

What seemed funny to me, in the OP was about Krishna deputising for Yama and pulling the soul, etc. What, then happens to people who are not Krishna devotees as also those who do not wear a tuft?

All said and done why is it that even orthodox brahmins do not like to sport a mostly shaven head with a tuft: are they afraid of the unmentionable tearing out the tuft instead of their soul?!


 
When a devotee leaves his body Krishna pulls the soul from the top most chakra which is on the head under the shikha
The converse is that if you do not have shikha then Krishna can not save you. That means waste majority of Humans are not going to be so saved. Of course women and sudra need not be saved. What an argument.
And what about the Widows who had to shave their head. I think this post is insensitive at multiple levels.
 
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