Two days ago i was discussing bout hair online with my frnd, so just thot to post bout tht topic here too...
:)
Regarding unshorn hairs...just see every spiritual person in history, may it be some prophet, some avtaar or some spiritually develpoed person, he had unshorn hairs, mean never cut his hair...For ex. All 10 Guru sahibaans, Jesus Christ, Prophet Mohammad etc... infact Rabinder Nath Tagore.....in his autobiography he clearly mentioned tht when he realsied bout God, the first thing he did was he threw hi shaving kit in sea foreva...!! Its not coz these ppl love to make up or want themselves to look like baaba n all....but they had a spiritual n scientific reasons behind tht....
If some one would say, "Well, if the human body is the fabrication of a benevolent and wise artificer, and if we are unjustified to clip the hair and beard, are not the nails on the tips of the fingers and toes by the wish of the same Manufacturer? If they are, why should we feel no hesitation in paring them?" To such a one, one shud reply:
"Inquisitive inquire, why do you raise a question on 'cutting the nails,' rather than on combing the hair; for, verily, the nail-cutter and the comb perform exactly the same kind of functions. The former removing the 'dead nail' and the latter the 'dead hair,' And on no account I solicit you to keep such things. While in the act of combing, by negligence or through any fault of the instrument, if a single live hair is plucked off, what immense pain is felt; and similarly, how exceedingly miserable becomes the condition of a person whose 'live nail' is injured or separated in any way! Again the Creator has already fixed a limit beyond which one may cute nail; for farther than that extremity the nail is dead and decaying. But there is no such hint concerning hair. And either the head should be shaved entirely, like chin and cheeks, or else every part kept natural. And he who adopts the former customs the same must shave the whole body, including eyebrows, eyelashes, hair of axilla and the pubes. For the Deity has made no note of distinction, above or from which place one may cute or remove the hair, as in the cause of the nails. And, therefore, either all which have no limit should be cut right off or kept altogether, being no one considered wise to interfere with the Supreme Design, and draw his own marks of limitation."
Hair v/s Nails
It is often argued that hair and nails are similar, and a question frequently asked: "If we should not cut our hair, then why do we cut our nails?" But even a superficial study of the two shows them to be extremely different from each other. Whereas the hair grows from a tubular pit, the hair follicle, formed by sinking in of the most actively dividing layer of the skin, i.e., stratum germinativum, into the lower dermis, the nails are only modifications of the upper dead layers of the skin, i.e. stratum corneum. Further, the base of every follicle bulges out forming an inverted cup, which receives blood capillaries for nourishment and nerve fibers that make the hair sensitive to contact. An oil gland, known as sebaceous gland, opens into every hair follicle, the secretion of which lubricates the hair. A muscle is also attacked to the base of every hair for bringing about movement. Pigments are added to the shaft of the hair as it grows. None of these features is associated with nails.
Structurally also hair is extremely strong, and resists breaking due to its elasticity and flexibility. Hair is as strong as steel, if we compare the two of the same diameter. Nails, on the other hand, are very brittle and rigid, breaking off easily. Hair number in thousands, thereby increasing the surface area, as if to meet a specific requirement. Nails number only twenty.
The differences between the two do not end with the structural features. Even the body's response towards the two is totally different. Our body, throughout life, tries to maintain a particular length of hair, and if cut anywhere along the length, responds by growing them again to the specific length. It clearly indicates the link of the body with the hair all along its length.
The body shows no such response to the nails, which grow from birth to death at the same rate, irrespective of whether cut or not. As has been mentioned earlier, even the shafts of hair, like any other living organ of the body, respond to ageing (in their length, density of growth, graying, etc.) and condition of health is reflected in the person's hair (in their lusture, shine, etc.), whereas from the dead part of the nail, one can infer no such thing.
Practically also, hair do not interfere in any daily activity, whereas it is impossible to function at all with long nails. And even if not cut, nails generally fall off of their own easily; rather it takes great effort to maintain them, even up to a short length. In contrast to the long list of the functions of hair, only one function can be attributed to nails - that is, protection of the tips of digits.
