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Indian Culture & Science 7 min read

Śikhā Prevents the Outflow of Sublime Energy

Śikhā (hair knot, tied at the centre of the upper head; also called topknot) is given prime importance in the Indian Culture. It symbolizes the presence of discerning intellect, farsightedness and the deity of knowledge upon our head. It is like a 'flag' of dignified values and virtues of humanity that constitute the core of the Indian Culture hoisted at the suture (the central junction of all major nerves) on the top of our head. It reminds us of the religious principles of morality, righteousness, responsibility, and dutiful awareness. It is so precious for the true followers of Vedic teachings that in the medieval times of slavery under foreign invaders, in response to the tyrant attempts of conversion (of their religion), they preferred letting their heads cut instead of their śikhā.

Like several other symbols, disciplines, and values of the Indian Culture, the significance of śikhā was also discovered and propounded by the rishis (Indian sages of Vedic Age) who were accomplished yogis, and preeminent scientists of manifested as well as transcendent realms of Nature and life. The findings of some western researchers in modern times re-establish these facts in several respects. In particular, as cited below, the scientific importance of śikhā reaffirmed by them is indeed remarkable.

Western Scholarly Perspectives

In the views of renowned German scholar of Indology and translator of the Vedas, Prof. Friedrich Max Müller1, śikhā enables efficient reception and flow of (vital) powers in the human brain. In his noted book2 "Dharma Vigyan" Swami Dayanand Saraswati has mentioned about Dr. Victor E. Cromer's comments, as — śikhā sharpens the power of knowledge-acquisition and energetic functioning of several vital components of the body. Swamiji has also quoted Dr. Cromer's as — "[…] ever since I have discovered this science, I have myself started keeping a śikhā [….]"

Dr. Wilhelm Heymann, a German indologist and linguist, had stayed in India to study Indian Culture. Based on his study, he acknowledged his respect for the Hindu Philosophy; with regard to the tradition of keeping the topknot, he remarked — 'śikhā is helpful in positive intellectual development.' He also expressed his desire to tie such a hair knot on his head as well.

The Yogic Science of Śikhā

Some eminent Indian scholars and experts of the deep science of yoga describe the suṣumnā nāḍī as the core, the central channel for the flow of sublime vital spiritual energy that begins from the mūlādhāra chakra3 and ends in the brain; its inlets (for receiving extrasensory energy-currents) called the "brahmrandhra", subliminally exist right beneath the location of śikhā. This point is the core of discerning intelligence, wisdom.

It is believed that as the heat of the body is thrown out (via perspiration) from the skin-pores, similarly, the extrasensory energy (which also accounts for the radiance of inner strength and mental trenchancy) flowing in the suṣumnā nāḍī, also moves outward through the skin-pores and the hair above the brahmrandhra. This out-flow of extrasensory energy is prevented by making a knot of hair at the top of the head. This is unique importance of śikhā.

These views of the Indian scholars and yoga-experts are also supported by many western philosophers and scientists. Dr. W. E. Clark, American Indologist, and Professor at Harvard had found that similar to the Indians, the Chinese also keep uncut hair (and tie them at the bottom) in the central part of the head. His research concluded that maintaining śikhā is not a religious or cultural practice of the Hindus, but rather, it is an amazing scientific way, discovered by the rishis to protect the suṣumnā nāḍī.

Solar Energy and the Science of the Topknot

Modern science has found that the Sun is the vital source of sustenance of life on the earth; the heat and light received from it is essential for vitality and (bio) energy in all living beings. It is also a scientifically proven fact that black coloured substances attract and retain heat most effectively than other colours. So the energy and light received from the Sun are most likely to be preserved by a bunch of hair in the śikhā. Thus śikhā is indeed a powerful source of retaining vital energy and alacrity.

Ancient Indian texts regard that śikhā helps in the generation and protection of the sublime prāṇa and mental radiance essential to keeping the power of acquisition and generation of knowledge alive and active. Sādhanā of the divine radiance of Sun God with meditative chants of the Gayatri Mantra is recommended in Vedic Culture to activate, illuminate, and orient the intellect in righteous direction. Our rishis had propounded the discipline of maintaining śikhā for all the aspirants of holistic well-being and intellectual and spiritual evolution, as it is indeed a powerful means to support the awakening, attainment, elevation, and growth of prāṇa and wisdom by the spiritual endeavour of Gayatri Sādhanā.

Śikhā as Spiritual Antenna and Shield

When a devout sādhaka meditates deeply, or sincerely practices japa4, tapa5, svādhyāya6, etc., a sublime element of divinity is activated in the crown chakra; as per its natural tendency, it rapidly rises/radiates with the force of the devotee's prāṇa to unite with its origin in the sublime roots in the transcendental core of the Sun God. If not naturally prevented, it would exit outward through the brahmrandhra. Śikhā (a bunch of hair tied above the brahmrandhra) naturally prevents the exit and loss of this nectar-element. This is why the Vedic Scriptures guide tying of the śikhā as an essential discipline of all sādhanās and devotional and spiritual practices:

snāne dāne jape home saṁdhyāyāṁ devatārcane; śikhāgraṁthiṁ vinā karma na kuryāda vai kadācana.

Indeed, as also affirmed by many researchers of the modern times, śikhā works as a powerful antenna to attract the positive energy from the sublime cores of divinity; this sublime energy enters in the sādhaka through the brahmrandhra. It also works as a powerful shield to hinder the reverse flow. It thus marvelously serves the dual purpose of strengthening, elevation, and augmentation of prāṇa, and at the same time, preventing the drainage of this precious source of holistic wellbeing, mental brilliance, and spiritual evolution.

It is unfortunate to see that many people, especially the youths in India itself, are not aware of the importance of maintaining śikhā. Because of their ignorance and extrovert outlook focused on physical appearance and westernized lifestyle, they even laugh and criticize it as a mindless tradition. "All World Gayatri Pariwar," a socio-spiritual organization with global outreach, has significantly attempted removing the smog of ignorance and spreading cultural awareness by scientific explanations during the Vedic Sacraments — especially the thread-ceremony (yagyopavita samsakāra, when the śikhā is tied for the first time with initiation of Gayatri Sādhanā), and through its unique mission of dissemination of the knowledge and practical applications of scientific spirituality in a rational way, and feasible in the present times.

Notes

References

"The master sensitive spot on the head is Adhipati Marma, where there is a nexus of all the nerves. Shikha protects this spot." — Rishi Susruta

"If I were asked under what sky the human mind has most fully developed some of its choicest gifts, has most deeply pondered on the greatest problems of life, and has found solutions, I should point to India." — Max Müller

Footnotes

  1. Max Müller F. India: What can it teach us? [A collection of lectures delivered in the Cambridge University; originally published by Longmans, Green in 1883]. Reprint Edition by Rupa Publishers. (2002) ISBN: 978-8171679201 ↩

  2. Swami Dayanand Saraswati. Dharma Vigyan. Publ. Yogashram, Sanatan Dharma College, Kanpur. (1931) ↩

  3. Mūlādhāra Chakra: One of the six extrasensory energy nuclei (referred as ṣaṭa chakra in Yoga-Science) subliminally located in the channel of prāṇa along the endocrine column. This chakra (as experienced by accomplished yogis) subtly exists around the adrenal gland. ↩

  4. Japa: Repeated, rhythmic chanting (of a mantra) with mental and emotional engrossment. ↩

  5. Tapa (Tapa-Sādhanā): Introspection, penance and ascetic practices of self-restraint and self-discipline. ↩

  6. Svādhyāya: Self-study and self-training in the light of sagacious thoughts/teachings and inspiring deeds of great personalities, and saints. ↩