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Why Do Hindus Wear the Tuft of Hair Called Shikha

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P.J. said:
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.
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ISCKON has a knack of being Anti Advaitins in everything they say or write.

A good informative article totally marred by prejudice.
 
Raji Ram said:
Dear Renu,

This article is ONLY for those who believe that Krishna is the ultimate God! :)
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dear RR ji,

I have read a lot of ISCKON books...I have no problems with anyone thinking Krishna is the Ultimate but ISCKONs seem to thrive more on being Anti Advaitin to propagate themselves.

So far the Advaitin text I have read are not anti Non Advaitins..somehow its the Bhakti movement of any kind that is Anti Advaitin.

I feel that if a philosophy is strong enough it should be able to stand on its own feet without being anti any other philosophy.

Just like rose need not be anti any other flower for its confident that its speaks silently in the language of fragrance.
 
Advaitham and the other two 'THAMS' are just philosophies and not religions. These philosophies can either be accepted or totally rejected depending upon the nature of society and people's outlook. Whereas Religion will stay forever, if it is more flexible and accommodative.

As regards ISCKON, if it thrives on some anti principles, wide acceptance is rather doubtful and, at the same time, vertical split may be a possibility as in the case of political parties. Educated NBs and Dalits wouldn't have any compulsion to follow ISCKON, if it is engulfed with myths and superstitions, and total rejection is also possible.
 

[FONT=Arial, Helvetica]THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE SHIKHA (TUFT OF HAIR)



Why do we see some priests and monks have a shaved head with a tuft of hair in the back? First of all, this tuft of hair is called a shikha. When long enough, it tied in a knot at the crown-point (right above the suture) on the central top of the head. This point is given distinctive importance in the science of yoga and spirituality as the point of contact with the brain-centre of intellectual and emotional sensitivity. It also indicates the body as a temple.


The Shikha symbolizes the presence of discerning intellect, farsightedness, and the deity of knowledge upon our head. It is a flag of human culture. It reminds us of the religious principles of morality, righteousness, responsibility, and dutiful awareness.
This body is the fort of the individual self upon which the flag of the shikha is hoisted as the mark of the dignified values and virtues of humanity. The foreign invaders, the crusaders against the Vedic (Indian) culture had attempted to eliminate the roots of this divine culture by first cutting the shikha and removing the sutra (sacred thread) from the bodies of the followers of the Vedic religion. Thousands of innocent heads were cut off just for protesting against this attack. It was for protecting the glory of these universal emblems of human religion that Maharana Pratap, Vir Shivaji, Guru Govind Sigh, and other great martyrs of India had dedicated their noble lives. Today, we have forgotten their sacrifices and done what even the foreign invaders of the medieval times could not do.


The commencement of wearing of the sutra and tightening of the sikha at the time of initiation (diksha) into Gayatri sadhana is referred in the shastras as dwijatva - the second birth, and the one who wears the sacred thread (sutra) and keeps the shikha is called a dwija, or twice-born as a brahmana. That means that regardless of whatever family line one has been born into, he has now attained his second birth as a brahmana.


The shikha also represents the sirsa (top) of the Gayatri Mantra. It reminds the devotee of the subtle presence of the pure divine intelligence in the human mind. Tightening the hair knot right above the suture induces marvelous psychological benefits. It helps in harmonious blood circulation in the brain in normal conditions and augments alertness. As described in the yoga-scriptures, it also lends support in increasing mental concentration and meditation. In terms of its sublime spiritual effects, the shikha works like an antenna in the outer domain of the sahasrara chakra (topmost extrasensory centre) to link the individual consciousness with the cosmic consciousness in the elevated state of Gayatri sadhana.

[/FONT]
Basic Points About Vedic Culture / Hinduism


Also please read from this link

The Meaning and Significance Behind Shikha - Sanskriti - Indian Culture
 
P.J. said:

The shikha also represents the sirsa (top) of the Gayatri Mantra. It reminds the devotee of the subtle presence of the pure divine intelligence in the human mind. Tightening the hair knot right above the suture induces marvelous psychological benefits. It helps in harmonious blood circulation in the brain in normal conditions and augments alertness. As described in the yoga-scriptures, it also lends support in increasing mental concentration and meditation. In terms of its sublime spiritual effects, the shikha works like an antenna in the outer domain of the sahasrara chakra (topmost extrasensory centre) to link the individual consciousness with the cosmic consciousness in the elevated state of Gayatri sadhana.
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But how does this translate for a female?
A female has a full head of hair hence no Shikh and there is no dearth of females that have mental alertness and intelligence that can outshine males in worldly and even in religious knowledge..so how does a female get her dose of cosmic consciousness?

Or is it that a female is already "more intelligent" than a male hence she does not need a Shikha and only the poor males are struggling to get an antenna in the form of a Shikha to tune in to the cosmic consciousness?
 
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Thank You for this informative article. Very interesting to read and understand our vedic practises. Please post more articles like this.
Thank You.
 
Anti advaitam or anti advaitins. There is a big difference. All the three principal systems argue to uphold their own and oppose the the other two, at the vedanta level. It is not called prejudice.

renuka said:
ISCKON has a knack of being Anti Advaitins in everything they say or write.

A good informative article totally marred by prejudice.
Click to expand...
 
renuka said:
But how does this translate for a female?
A female has a full head of hair hence no Shikh and there is no dearth of females that have mental alertness and intelligence that can outshine males in worldly and even in religious knowledge..so how does a female get her dose of cosmic consciousness?

Or is it that a female is already "more intelligent" than a male hence she does not need a Shikha and only the poor males are struggling to get an antenna in the form of a Shikha to tune in to the cosmic consciousness?
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Simple, females will not be saved by Krishna by pulling out their souls from under the Sikhas!! Condemned to rebirth or hell!
 
sarang said:
Anti advaitam or anti advaitins. There is a big difference. All the three principal systems argue to uphold their own and oppose the the other two, at the vedanta level. It is not called prejudice.
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Advaita did not have the other two "tams" to oppose when it (Advaita) originated. However, the other two "tams" had, perforce, to prove Advaita to be wrong.

Is this not the correct position?
 
Read this carefully. I have copy pasted this line from the OP.

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

Now please explain who is pulling whose hair.

வேலையத்த அம்பட்டன் பூனய புடிச்சு சிரைச்சானாம்.
 
Vaagmi said:
Read this carefully. I have copy pasted this line from the OP.

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

Now please explain who is pulling whose hair.

வேலையத்த அம்பட்டன் பூனய புடிச்சு சிரைச்சானாம்.
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Nagging questions need not lead to sagging moods and abusive retarts! Knowledgeble tackle such situations sensibly ! See this reaction of a knowledgeable !

Thiru Muruga Kirupanandha Variyar asked a question to a kid: “Who is the father of Lord Murugan (Karthikeya)?” The child replied, “Shivaji”. Audience burst in to laughter. [Actor Shivaji acted as Lord Shiva in the movie Thiruvilayaadal and it was a blockbuster at that time]. Variyar swamigal did not criticize the impact of the movie or the ignorance of the kid/his parnet. He calmly replied, “N.Indians call elders with ji. For example, Gandhiji, Neruji, and so on. Like that our son is calling Lord Shiva with respect as Sivaji“…You can guess what would have been the response from the audience.

I know Kripananda Vari is no Karapan Poochi!!
 
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For vaishnavas, Sriman Narayana is the first acharya, and tatva traya is from him. Ramanuja wrote bhashya for brahmasura as per the wishes of his acharya, Alavandar. He even visited kashmir and told the king (after winning a debate) that the old traditions were given in Bodhayana vritti, with commentaries by Kanaka, Guhadeva, Kapardi, Bharuchi and others. And these were found in the king's library when searched (the king was not aware of this). So Ramanuja matam was not invented by him, only commented by him based on old traditions available and to refute counter arguments that had become loud.

Shankara was not seriously worried about the other interpretations of brahma sutra, because he had two external 'enemies' - budhdhism and jainism, which were a serious threat to sanatana dharma.

This is the correct position if you go by respected literature and history, not by personal whims. This discussion is not about what is right and what is wrong.

sangom said:
Advaita did not have the other two "tams" to oppose when it (Advaita) originated. However, the other two "tams" had, perforce, to prove Advaita to be wrong.

Is this not the correct position?
Click to expand...
 
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P.J. said:
As described in the yoga-scriptures, it also lends support in increasing mental concentration and meditation. In terms of its sublime spiritual effects, the shikha works like an antenna in the outer domain of the sahasrara chakra (topmost extrasensory centre) to link the individual consciousness with the cosmic consciousness in the elevated state of Gayatri sadhana. ..........
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I have heard the 'antenna' funda in another speech!
The speaker (a well known sAsthrigaL) told that if the hair of a female is let loose, each hair acts like 'antenna' to draw evil spirits! :scared:
 
Raji Ram said:
I have heard the 'antenna' funda in another speech!
The speaker (a well known sAsthrigaL) told that if the hair of a female is let loose, each hair acts like 'antenna' to draw evil spirits! :scared:
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Dear RR ji,

I have also read that before..and it also says that women should never cut or trim their hair cos the hair ends are exposed after a cut and it attracts evil spirits cos female hair ends are more Tamas in nature compared to a male..and a male hair cut does not attract evil spirits!LOL

Then the article said that a woman should either braid her hair or tie it into a bun cos long hair let loose attracts evil spirits..Frankly speaking RR ji...I do not believe all these..hair is hair and its actually dead.
 
renuka said:
Dear RR ji,

I have also read that before..and it also says that women should never cut or trim their hair cos the hair ends are exposed after a cut and it attracts evil spirits cos female hair ends are more Tamas in nature compared to a male..and a male hair cut does not attract evil spirits!LOL

Then the article said that a woman should either braid her hair or tie it into a bun cos long hair let loose attracts evil spirits..Frankly speaking RR ji...I do not believe all these..hair is hair and its actually dead.
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was in Vaitheeswaan Koil recently. என் பேரனுக்கு மொட்டை போட This is practiced all over India as Mundan. If it is dead how does it grow ? We donot offer other organs because they donot grow again! will bleed and pain - but dead hair - offered without pain or bleeding grows with vegence!!

Eravamatin effect?

https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/45y8ns4jX_r6v8ew16tRc3ilGLVpqsGSRqVbG36sODQ?feat=email


Hair India - Al Jazeera English
 
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renuka said:
......and a male hair cut does not attract evil spirits!LOL

Then the article said that a woman should either braid her hair or tie it into a bun cos long hair let loose attracts evil spirits..Frankly speaking RR ji...I do not believe all these..hair is hair and its actually dead.
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So.... evil spirits are afraid of males! :D

BTW, hair is living, as long as it is attached to the body!

Once it falls down ... ma**rE pOchchu!! :sad:
 
Raji Ram said:
So.... evil spirits are afraid of males! :D

BTW, hair is living, as long as it is attached to the body!

Once it falls down ... ma**rE pOchchu!! :sad:
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Once a Sri lankan Political big wig Visited MK soon after DMK lost the elections - commented with concern that he has developed Vazukai and lost his hair. This is typical of MKs response Mudiye Poochu (Thalai) mudyia patthi you are concerened!
 
sangom said:
Simple, females will not be saved by Krishna by pulling out their souls from under the Sikhas!! Condemned to rebirth or hell!
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Since Krishna Avatharam was over, females are lucky, even though may have rebirth, not to be lured by peculiar games and flute recitals.
 
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