Keśavapaniya
From Hindupedia, the Hindu Encyclopedia
By Swami Harshananda
Keśavapaniya literally means ‘hair-shaving ceremony’.
Great kings and emperors used to perform the Rājasuya sacrifice. As one of the vows, they were expected not to cut the hair on the head or shave the beard for one year after the Daśapeya rite. This rite was a part of the bigger sacrifice. The ceremonial shaving of the hair after one year was known as ‘keśavapaniya’.
The procedure was very similar to the one described in the Atirātra sacrifice. Recitation of certain verses taken from the Ṛgveda was a part of this ritual.
References[edit]
- The Concise Encyclopedia of Hinduism, Swami Harshananda, Ram Krishna Math, Bangalore