History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v2.c29.23

v2.c29.23

Manu and Yāj. dilate on the duties of widows, but they are entirely silent about tonsure. Nor does any other ancient smṛti refer to it. On the contrary Vṛddha-Hārīta (XI. 206 quoted above p. 584) asks the widow not to deck her hair, among other things which she is not to do. This makes it clear that the widows kept their hair. The word 'keśarañjanam' is to be dissolved as 'keśānāṁ rañjanam' and not as 'keśāśca rañjanam ca' (as Vṛddha-Hārīta XI. 103 makes it clear by employing 'keśānāṁ rañjanārthaṁ vā). It can be shown that at least kṣatriya widows never tonsured their head. In the Mahābhārata whenever the widows of the fallen warriors are described they are always referred to as ‘having dishevelled hair’ and there is not a single reference to tonsure¹³⁷⁶ of widows. In the Harṣacarita, Harṣa¹³⁷⁷ in his soliloquy on the death of his father Prabhākaravardhana says ‘may the Glory of super-eminent man-hood tie up her hair in the way in which widows tie up their hair’. In the Pehoa *praśasti* of king Mahendrapāla of Kanoj (E. I. vol. 1. p. 246 verse 16) the widows of his enemies are spoken of as shedding tears on their cheeks and having long (not braided) and profuse¹³⁷⁸ tresses.