The Sun of Auspicious Moments with the Beloved of the Sun Commentary

Bhuktah means one who has just eaten; Abhyaktah means one who has applied oil to their body; Upavasi is well-known as one who is fasting. Ishvarajano refers to a servant of the king or a powerful person. Yuvatih refers to a woman of auspicious status who is in her youth. Pragavayaskah refers to the first stage of life, specifically according to the text's logic up to fifty years of age. Yogi refers to a royal yogi, as famously described in the Gita and other texts. Yatra refers to one about to set out on a journey or towards battle. Yuddhonmukhah means those facing war or ready for combat. Kritadinavidhih refers to those who have already completed their daily morning prayers and rituals ahnikas. Regarding the phrase "one whose father is alive" original: "ko-jivan-pitrikah", for such a person, shaving mundana is prohibited, except when it is an absolute necessity avashyakarya, as will be explained in the second half of the verse.

Shaving is prohibited when the Sun, Mars, or Saturn are in the rising sign, or when the Moon is in the eighth house. One should avoid the constellations of Mars and the Moon, the nights, the twilight hours, and the "empty" lunar days rikta tithis. ९. Shaving is also forbidden for those who have just eaten or applied oil, those fasting, royal servants, young women, those in the first half of life, kings, yogis, those about to travel or fight, and those who have finished their daily rituals. For a man whose father is alive, shaving is forbidden. Furthermore, after the hair-parting ritual Simanta, a husband must not shave, cut his nails, travel to distant lands, cut trees, or carry a corpse, unless it is an unavoidable duty. १०

Now, following the discussion of solar prohibitions, the text addresses the restrictions for the husband of a pregnant woman. Regarding the phrase "After the Simanta ritual" original: "Simantordhvam": After the Simantonnayana a traditional pregnancy ritual where the husband parts the wife's hair has been performed, the husband must not engage in shaving naravaka-lavana (cutting of hair/nails) except for mandatory duties. "Shaving" here specifically refers to the cutting of human hair. Other terms are easy to understand. The phrase "unless it is an unavoidable duty" means that there is no fault in performing these acts if they are required by necessity. For example, if one's father passes away, shaving is required; or if there is a national crisis, traveling to another country is permitted. For one who maintains the sacred fire Agnyadhana, the tradition of shaving every month original: "masi masi" is accepted.

According to some views, the shaving ritual for those who maintain the daily fire Agnihotris occurs every fortnight. Now, for others, the text describes the constellations nakshatras for shaving. It is said that for the first tonsure Chaula, the solar timing is preferred. The term Sauram refers to the solar influence. The text now explains the specific solar occasions: being in the region of the Sun possibly a specific sacred geography, being at the Ganges, or during the installation of the sacred fire Agnyadhana. In these cases, even if it might normally cause the "death of the father" an astrological warning, the command of a Brahmin or a King makes shaving desirable at all times. This means the usual rules for solar constellations do not apply in these cases. This is supported by the Ratnamala, which states that under the order of a king or a priest—

As Sage Brihaspati says: "For men employed in royal service or those serving the king, there is no need to examine the astrological timing for the cutting of beard, hair, or nails." In the Jyotir-nibandha, it is noted that a royal yogi, a woman, or a son whose father is living should not perform shaving at holy pilgrimage sites. In another law book Smriti, it is said: "Bathing in the Indus, shaving, carrying a corpse, and traveling to foreign lands should not be done by a householder grihapati while the father lives?." However, "Solar" (emergency or specific) rituals must be performed even if there is a general prohibition. Performing the funeral rites for parents is never a fault. At the Ganges, in the region of the Sun, or on the anniversary of a parent's death, or during the Soma sacrifice...