DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.636#0386
374 Modern Shaving.
Turn out to be a person of a good disposition and a favourite of fortune,
he shall beget many sons, and have ample dwelling-places, enjoy plea-
sures, and possess gems of various descriptions.
Now are to be described the planetary periods according to the birth-
star of the child. He was born under the star of Aslesha, and hence
2 years 4 months and 18 days of the lunar period were passed, and
1 year 4 months and 12 days of the same remained, at the date of
the child's birth. The result of this shall be the gain of clothes by
the boy. The age of the boy will be 1 year 4 months 12 days at the
expiration of the period of the Moon; 9 years 4 months 12 days at
the expiration of the period of Mars, which is 8 years ; 26 years 4 months
12 days at the expiration of the period of Mercury, which is 17 years;
36 years 4 months 12 days at the expiration of the period of Saturn,
which is 10 years; 55 years 4 months 12 days at the expiration of
the period of Jupiter, which is 19 years ; 67 years 4 months 12 days at
the expiration of the period of the Earth's shadow, which is 12 years;
88 years 4 months 12 days at the expiration of the period of Venus,
which is 21 years.
With regard to the right of tonsure or shaving described at
P- 359> it is to be observed that in modern times rich people
are shaved every day, ordinary people once a week, poor people
once a fortnight. No one, as a general rule, shaves himself,
or even cuts his own nails. Both these necessary acts are
performed by a caste of barbers (napita), and ought not to be
carried on in a room, for the simple reason that fragments
of hair and nail-parings are supposed to cause pollution.
The operation is usually conducted under a shed or tree, or
in an open verandah or street. Numbers of barbers may be
seen plying their occupation every morning outside the houses
of a native town.
In former days, as we have seen, a Brahman had to part
with all his hair except a tuft at the top (sikha) of his head,
this top-knot and the sacred thread being the two chief
badges of Brahmanhood. Only when he became a SannyasI
(see p. $62) was he allowed to dispense with these two badges.
In the present day few persons, except Brahmans of the
strictest orthodoxy, allow themselves to be reduced to a
single lock on the top of their heads; but every respectable
Hindu who has reached puberty gets rid of the hair on his
Turn out to be a person of a good disposition and a favourite of fortune,
he shall beget many sons, and have ample dwelling-places, enjoy plea-
sures, and possess gems of various descriptions.
Now are to be described the planetary periods according to the birth-
star of the child. He was born under the star of Aslesha, and hence
2 years 4 months and 18 days of the lunar period were passed, and
1 year 4 months and 12 days of the same remained, at the date of
the child's birth. The result of this shall be the gain of clothes by
the boy. The age of the boy will be 1 year 4 months 12 days at the
expiration of the period of the Moon; 9 years 4 months 12 days at
the expiration of the period of Mars, which is 8 years ; 26 years 4 months
12 days at the expiration of the period of Mercury, which is 17 years;
36 years 4 months 12 days at the expiration of the period of Saturn,
which is 10 years; 55 years 4 months 12 days at the expiration of
the period of Jupiter, which is 19 years ; 67 years 4 months 12 days at
the expiration of the period of the Earth's shadow, which is 12 years;
88 years 4 months 12 days at the expiration of the period of Venus,
which is 21 years.
With regard to the right of tonsure or shaving described at
P- 359> it is to be observed that in modern times rich people
are shaved every day, ordinary people once a week, poor people
once a fortnight. No one, as a general rule, shaves himself,
or even cuts his own nails. Both these necessary acts are
performed by a caste of barbers (napita), and ought not to be
carried on in a room, for the simple reason that fragments
of hair and nail-parings are supposed to cause pollution.
The operation is usually conducted under a shed or tree, or
in an open verandah or street. Numbers of barbers may be
seen plying their occupation every morning outside the houses
of a native town.
In former days, as we have seen, a Brahman had to part
with all his hair except a tuft at the top (sikha) of his head,
this top-knot and the sacred thread being the two chief
badges of Brahmanhood. Only when he became a SannyasI
(see p. $62) was he allowed to dispense with these two badges.
In the present day few persons, except Brahmans of the
strictest orthodoxy, allow themselves to be reduced to a
single lock on the top of their heads; but every respectable
Hindu who has reached puberty gets rid of the hair on his