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| Cultural and Scientific reason for having Shikha / Tuft of hair at the back of head Pic:Google.com |
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.)
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.
5.)
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.
6.)
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.”
7.) 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.
8.)
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.
9.)
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
10.)
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.
