History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v5.c74.79

v5.c74.79

There is a difference of opinion among the digests as to whether tonsure of the head is obligatory when starting on a pilgrimage. The Padmapurāṇa ¹²⁹⁶ and Skandapurāṇa appear to make it obligatory. The Tīrtha-Kalpataru does not ¹²⁹⁷ refer to tonsure at all, while a fast at a tīrtha is declared by it to be optional. The tendency of later digest-writers is generally to make every religious act more elaborate and harder. The tonsure of the head and beard was prescribed for a sacrificer when undertaking such solemn Vedic sacrifices as Cāturmāsyas and Agniṣṭoma.¹²⁹⁸ The termination of the stage of Vedic studenthood (samāvartana) was also marked by tonsure.¹²⁹⁹ Further, tonsure was prescribed when undergoing prāyaścitta for sins (vide p. 122 above). The Tīr. C. and Tīr Pr. both quote a verse of Viṣṇu¹³⁰⁰ from the Smṛtisamuccaya, viz. 'at Prayāga, on a pilgrimage, on the death of one's father or mother one should cut one's hair; but one should not cut one's hair without cause.' The Mit. on Yāj. III. 17 quotes a verse as follows: 'On the Ganges, in Bhāskarakṣetra, on the death of one's father, mother and *guru*, at the time of consecrating Vedic fires and at a *soma* sacrifice—tonsure is prescribed in these seven cases. Some read 'satsu' and therefore they take the first two words as meaning 'on the Ganges only at Prayāga.' Both Tīr C. and Tīr. Pr. quote a verse¹³⁰¹ which says that tonsure and fast are acts that must be done at all tīrthas except at Kurukṣetra, Viśālā (Ujjayinī or Badarikā), Virajā (river in Orissa) and Gayā.' In the case of a snātaka, all the hair except the top-knot is cut and in the case of women whose husbands are living only two finger-breadths of hair are cut. Vṛddha-Hārīta (IX. 386–387) lays down that in the case of women whose husbands are living tonsure of the head should not be carried out, but that holding up all their hair only three finger-breadths should be cut off. Other smṛtis like Āpastamba in verse (I. 33–34), Aṅgiras verse 163, Yama 54–55, Parāśara q. by the Mitākṣarā on Yāj. III. 263–264 lay down that tonsure is limited to the cutting of two finger-breadths of hair in the case of woman (*nārī*). Par. M.¹³⁰² II. 1. p. 291 reads ‘evaṃ nārīkumārīṇāṃ’ and holds that nārī means here ‘a woman whose husband is alive’. Although the smṛti passages occur in the section on prāyaścitta still by analogy they are to be applied to the tonsure in holy places. As regards widows, ascetics¹³⁰³ and śūdras all hair are to be cut. The Tīrthaprakāśa finds fault with Vācaspatimiśra for saying that there is no tonsure on the Ganges. When there is such a conflict of views, the final decision rests with the usage of each country or the individual’s choice. The Tīr. K. (p 10) appears to hold that honouring the pitṛs at the time of starting on a pilgrimage is specially obligatory on a man with means. The texts make a difference between *kṣaura* and *muṇḍana*. The latter means ‘shaving the hair on the head as well as the moustache and beard,’ while *kṣaura* means only shaving the head. Therefore the Nāradīya says that all sages did not prohibit kṣaura even at Gayā but only muṇḍana is forbidden there and there is no muṇḍana on the Ganges anywhere except at Prayāga The Tīrthenduśekhara (p 7) gives it as its opinion that tonsure and fast are not obligatory but are only kāmya (i. e. to be done if certain rewards are desired) and points out that śiṣṭas do not resort to these two at many tīrthas.