The Moustache

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Srimate SrivanSatakopa Sri Vedanta Desika Yatindra

Mahadesikaya Nama:

 

The Moustache

_________________

 

“What a frivolous subject to write on!” said adiyen’s

daughter, commenting upon the title. However, little

did she know that the matter had been sanctified by

mention in the Upanishads. One might wonder as to what

the unshaved hair on a man’s upper lip might have to

do with such exalted works as the Upanishads. It is

indeed true-the subject finds a mention in none other

than the Chandogya Upanishad, one of the most

comprehensive bodies of knowledge.

 

Describing the TirumEni of the ParamaPurusha, the

Upanishad has the following to say-

“Ya EshOntar AdityE hiraNmaya:Purusha:drisyatE

HiraNmaya:smashru:hiranya kEsa:AprNakhAt sarva Eva

suvarNa:”

The Lord is seen in golden splendour amidst the Solar

system, adorned by golden hair with a golden moustache

to match. From head to toe, he is all glitter like the

yellow metal. Thus the moustache too seems to be a

distinct feature of the Lord’s vigraham. And the

Upanishad goes on to say that whoever meditates on

Emperuman’s tirumEni as described above, is absolved

of all sins. It is noteworthy that the aforesaid

passage mentions the moustache ahead of the Lord’s

golden locks, indicating perhaps the primacy of the

former. It is also clear from this that the moustache

is an inseparable part of the Lord, as are His other

adornments. We must remember that the Upanishad is

commenting about the Lord’s primordial anatomy, the

Parama Purusha Vigraham.

 

In vibhava avatArAs too, Srimad Ramayana bears

testimony to Sri Rama sporting a moustache.

Preparatory to His Coronation, Sri Rama is attended

upon by expert hairdressers, who give Him a

comfortable and expeditious shave. In preference to

other words indicating barbers, Sri Valmiki uses the

term “smashru vardhakA:”, meaning those who beautify

the vegetation on the upper lip. Here is the Yuddha

Kanda sloka-

“tata: shattrugna vachanAt nipuNA: smashru vardhakA;

sukha hastA: susheegrAscha Raghavam paryupAsata.”

 

Sri Valmiki pays a rare tribute to the barbers of

Ayodhya- they were highly dexterous at their work,

extremely fast, with nimble fingers and soothing

hands, which made you hardly feel the blade on your

countenance. And it is significant that the barbers

were chosen by Sri Shatrughna-though he does not find

frequent mention in the epic as do his illustrious

brothers, wherever he does figure, the occasions are

important and display his knowledge and prowess. On

this occasion, he was perhaps acting upon the

instructions of Sri Bharata, who wanted his elder

brother to wipe off all traces of his long sojourn in

the jungle, and present a clean-shaven countenance to

the citizens of Ayodhya on the Coronation day.

 

The moustache finds mention also in the third Ashtaka

of the Taittiriya Brahmana, more specifically in the

Aswamedha prasna. Following is the mantra there-

“KEsa smashru vapatE----pApmana: apahatyai”

Probably in preparation for the important Aswamedha

sacrifice, shaving off of one’s moustache is laid

down, and with other purificatory ceremonies, this is

supposed to absolve one of one’s sins.

We may find it difficult to picture the Almighty

with a moustache, for all the pictures and vigrahAs we

have seen of Him depict Him being clean-shaven. It is

perhaps to convince such doubting Thomases that He

appears to us with a beautiful moustache at

TiruvallikkENi. Those who have had the good fortune

to perform mangalAsAsanam of Sri Parthasarathy would

agree that this distinguishing feature adds a virile

look to Him, which is perhaps not to be found in any

other divya desam. And the slight upward curl to the

moustache at both ends makes His visage dashing and

natty, bringing to one’s mind the Maharshi’s words

“pumsAm drishti chittha apahAriNam” and “SAkshAt

Manmata Manmata:”. Adiyen might be mistaken, but even

Sri Namperumal, on a close scrutiny,appears to sport

the contours of what could be a mousache.

 

Another Emperuman who sports a moustache, along with a

veritable mane of dense hair is Sri Nrisimha. On this

Lord, the moustache adds to His fearsome appearance.

However, to His ardent devotees such as Sri Prahlada,

amidst all that ferocious forest of hair, the eyes do

smile out kindly like beacons of love.

When we were adolescents, parents used to chide such

of us who tried to grow a fledgling moustache as an

expression of manliness. And those in TiruvallikkENi

always used to remonstrate with their parents,

pointing to the Emperuman himself sporting a dashing

moustache. While predictably this argument did not

find favour with the parents, they might have been

better impressed, had they known of the Upanishadic

sanction for the ubiquitous moustache.

Srimate Sri LakshmiNrsimha divya paduka sevaka Sri

Narayana Yatindra Mahadesikaya nama:

____dasan,sadagopan.

 

 

 

 

 

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