Why do men shave their heads when a relative dies? Is there a secret related to hair?

 

According to the Garuda Purana, the soul of the deceased, even after death, is not ready to leave the body and tries to communicate with their relatives. To help the soul easily leave this world, certain rituals are performed in Hinduism upon the death of a relative, one of which is shaving the head (Mundan). What is the connection between shaving the head and the liberation of the soul, and why is this ritual specifically for men? Let's find out...

The Garuda Purana sheds light on various customs and rituals related to death in Hinduism and explains their significance. According to the Garuda Purana, when a relative passes away, it is essential to perform the sixteen rituals, including the final ritual, known as Mundan, for the liberation of the soul. After death, for thirteen days, family members perform various rituals for the peace and liberation of the soul, one of which is the 'Chudakarma Samskara' or 'Mundan Samskara.'

The Spiritual Significance of Mundan

The spiritual belief associated with this ritual is that shaving the head is a way to express love and respect for the deceased because hair is considered a symbol of pride and ego. When you undergo Mundan, you demonstrate dedication and sacrifice towards someone. That's why on many occasions, even deities are offered hair. Shaving the head signifies that the grieving family wants to leave their sorrow behind. In reality, the hair on the head and face is believed to carry negative energy, representing pain, sorrow, and anguish. By removing them physically, you prepare for a new life. As new hair grows, your grief and negativity diminish, and hope starts entering your life.

The Religious Significance of Mundan

From a religious perspective, the Garuda Purana mentions that when a child is born, impurity (sutak) is observed, and when there is a death in the family, sin (patak) is incurred. During the period of sin, the whole family is considered impure, and it is believed that after shaving the head, the sin is absolved, along with other impurities in men.

It is also believed that when male members of the family take the deceased's mortal remains to the cremation ground and cremate them, some microbes from the dead body stick to their bodies. These microbes are removed through the Mundan ritual because by doing so, they completely detach from the hair. That's why on this day, nail-cutting, hair removal, and bathing hold special significance. If we believe in the Garuda Purana, then according to it, the soul of the deceased does not want to leave the body and in this greed, it comes back requesting Yamaraj (the god of death) and tries to communicate with its relatives. Hair is considered the primary source of negative energy absorption, and that's why the soul takes the support of the relatives' hair to communicate. Therefore, relatives shave their heads so that the soul can be free from their attachment.

Why did widowed women also shave their heads before? Well, shaving women's heads is considered prohibited in Hinduism. The first reason for not shaving their heads is that they don't go to the cremation ground, and during the funeral rites of the deceased, they have minimal contact. The second reason is that Hinduism considers women as symbols of divine energy. It is said that the waves emanating from the hair protect women from negative energy attacks. However, on many occasions, they also voluntarily sacrifice their hair, and previously, widows also shaved their heads because it was believed that if they keep hair and make a bun, then their bun would tie them to their deceased husband's soul and his past lives.