Hair: 10 definitions
Introduction:
Hair means something in Hinduism, Sanskrit, Christianity, the history of ancient India. If you want to know the exact meaning, history, etymology or English translation of this term then check out the descriptions on this page. Add your comment or reference to a book if you want to contribute to this summary article.
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In Hinduism
Purana and Itihasa (epic history)
Hair (and other body parts) were traditionally coloured by professional artists, as part of the “sixty four kinds of Art”, according to the Kamasutra of Vatsyayana.—Cf. the Sanskrit Daśanavasanāṅgarāga.—Indian tradition, basically includes sixty four Art forms are acknowledged. The history of Indian Art covers approximately five thousand years which presents a rich and almost continuous record. The references of sixty four kinds of Kala (कला, kalā) are found in the Bhagavatapurana, Shaiva-Tantras, Kamasutra of Vatsyayana etc.
The Purana (पुराण, purāṇas) refers to Sanskrit literature preserving ancient India’s vast cultural history, including historical legends, religious ceremonies, various arts and sciences. The eighteen mahapuranas total over 400,000 shlokas (metrical couplets) and date to at least several centuries BCE.
Yoga (school of philosophy)
Hair is denoted by the Sanskrit term Keśa, according to the Amanaska Yoga treatise dealing with meditation, absorption, yogic powers and liberation.—Accordingly, as Īśvara says to Vāmadeva: “[...] Putting on ochre garments, carrying a skull, plucking out clumps of hair (keśa-āvalī), maintaining non-vedic religious observances, ashes, ascetic clothing and matted locks, behaving as if mad, [the ascetic practice of] nakedness, [studying] the Vedas, Tantras and so on and the meeting [of learned people] for [reciting] poetry in the assembly: All [this] is exertion for the sake of filling one's stomach and is not the cause of the highest good. [...]”.
Yoga is originally considered a branch of Hindu philosophy (astika), but both ancient and modern Yoga combine the physical, mental and spiritual. Yoga teaches various physical techniques also known as āsanas (postures), used for various purposes (eg., meditation, contemplation, relaxation).
Shaktism (Shakta philosophy)
The Hair is sometimes associated with Bimbavimala—one of the Sixteen Siddhas according to the Manthānabhairavatantra, a vast sprawling work that belongs to a corpus of Tantric texts concerned with the worship of the goddess Kubjikā.—These sixteen spiritual teachers represent the disciples of the Nine Nāthas who propagated the Western Transmission noted in the Kubjikā Tantras.—Various texts record the locations of the sixteen Siddhas within the body (called ‘doors’). For example, the Kulakaulinīmata mentions the Heart, whereas the Ṭīkā mentions the Nostril and the Kumārikākhaṇḍa mentions the Hair as the location of Bimbavimala.
Shakta (शाक्त, śākta) or Shaktism (śāktism) represents a tradition of Hinduism where the Goddess (Devi) is revered and worshipped. Shakta literature includes a range of scriptures, including various Agamas and Tantras, although its roots may be traced back to the Vedas.
India history and geography
Hair was given special care, as part of the tasks performed to beautify the Sleeping chamber (of young ladies) in Ancient India, as depicted in the Kathās (narrative poems) such as Uddyotanasūri in his 8th-century Kuvalayamālā (a Prakrit Campū, similar to Kāvya poetry).—The Kuvalayamala (779 A.D.) is full of cultural material which gains in value because of the firm date of its composition. [...] Page 83.3-9: Here is the description of the house or the sleeping chambers of young ladies which were beautified for the reception of their husbands. The select items in this list are as follows: [e.g., dressing the hair and pouring the jugs;] [...]
The history of India traces the identification of countries, villages, towns and other regions of India, as well as mythology, zoology, royal dynasties, rulers, tribes, local festivities and traditions and regional languages. Ancient India enjoyed religious freedom and encourages the path of Dharma, a concept common to Buddhism, Hinduism, and Jainism.
See also (Relevant definitions)
Partial matches (+0): The, The, Hair, Te.
Starts with (+12): Goat’s hair, Hair bentgrass, Hair cap moss, Hair moss, Hair-like sedge, Haira, Hairamba, Hairami, Hairan, Hairanagata, Hairanagollu, Hairani, Hairanu, Hairanvati, Hairanya, Hairanyabaheya, Hairanyagarbha, Hairanyaka, Hairanyanabha, Hairanyasamhita.
Full-text (+7681): Kesa, Roman, Pulaka, Jada, Loma, Veni, Simanta, Pulakita, Keshanta, Palita, Viloma, Shirasija, Cuda, Romanca, Kuntala, Murdhaja, Rankava, Cikura, Tanuruha, Kakaca.
Relevant text
Search found 606 books and stories containing Hair, Hairs, The hair; (plurals include: Hairs, Hairses, The hairs). You can also click to the full overview containing English textual excerpts. Below are direct links for the most relevant articles:
The Malaysian Journal of Medical Sciences
Analyzing hair samples to verify rare animal species claims. < [Volume 16 (issue 3), Jul-Sep 2009]
Comparison of Digestion Methods for Trace Elements in Hair and Nails < [v.22(6): 1–73 2015 Nov]
NAC Protects Spiral Ganglion Cells from Noise-Induced Changes in Rats < [v.25(5): 1–161 2018 Sep]
World Journal of Pharmaceutical Research
Hair protein damage control using essential oils: Chemical analysis. < [2014: Volume 3, May issue 3]
Understanding Kesha: Ayurvedic Insights on Hair Health and Balance < [2022: Volume 11, December special issue 17]
Maintaince of the healthy hair through ayurveda < [2022: Volume 11, May issue 5]
Sankhayana-grihya-sutra (by Hermann Oldenberg)
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (MDPI)
Estimation of the Frequency and Time of Human Exposure to Arsenic by Single... < [Volume 19, Issue 18 (2022)]
Method for Malaria Diagnosis Based on Extractions of Samples Using... < [Volume 17, Issue 15 (2020)]
Assessment of Industrial Antimony Exposure and Immunologic Function for... < [Volume 14, Issue 7 (2017)]
Pallava period (Social and Cultural History) (by S. Krishnamurthy)
Coiffure of Men < [Chapter 4 - Material Culture of the People]
Coiffure of Women < [Chapter 4 - Material Culture of the People]
Coiffure of Children < [Chapter 4 - Material Culture of the People]
Satapatha-brahmana (by Julius Eggeling)
Kanda XII, adhyaya 9, brahmana 1 < [Twelfth Kanda]
Kanda X, adhyaya 4, brahmana 4 < [Tenth Kanda]
Kanda IX, adhyaya 3, brahmana 4 < [Ninth Kanda]