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9) Nainabhäv. Mundabhäv Sah Asnänata, Adantadhovan Adi Param Prasiddha Jo; Kesh, Rom, Nakh Ke Ange Shrungar Nahin, Dravyabhäv Sanyammay Nirgranth Siddha Jo. Apoorva.
Resorting to the well known attributes of nudity, shaven-head, non-bathing, non-brushing etc. and avoiding hair-dye, manicure or other make up, we may remain totally disentangled while observing external and internal restraints.
When?
It would be remembered that at the very outset Shrimad had presented the aspiration to get freed from the external as well as internal entanglement. The beginning in that respect occurs with the right perception, which arises when perception-related delusion is overcome. The endeavor thereafter rests on overcoming the character-related delusion. For that purpose one has to exercise increasing level of control over his behavior. Observance of Samiti and Gupti, staying away from the objects of senses and overcoming of defiling instincts as stipulated in stanzas 4 to 8 are the means for that purpose. This stanza now depicts the picture of a truly disentangled one.
What we are now going to consider is applicable to the spiritual aspirants belonging to the monastic cadre or to a level corresponding to that. Such people have already got rid of the entanglement pertaining to extraneous possessions. The entanglement that stays at this level pertains to clothing, appearance etc. In order to avert the same it is stated here that the aspirant should remain unclad, should have shaven head, should not take bath, should not brush teeth and should not resort to hair-dye, manicure etc.
A couple of points arise here. Hairstyle, hair-dye, manicure etc. are resorted to for the sake of beautification and physical attraction. A spiritual aspirant obviously needs to avoid that. Bath and brushing of teeth are, however, undertaken for cleanliness, not for beautification. The body is prone to get unclean and the mouth to get sticky. It would therefore be necessary to clean them. When it is acceptable to clean the relevant parts of the body after toilet, why should bath and brushing be forbidden? Similarly why is it necessary to avoid clothes? What is the spiritual significance of remaining naked? Would it not be indecent and offending? These questions are reasonable and we need to seek satisfactory replies. Since it is particularly hard to justify nudity, let us start with that.
Clothes are put on mainly on the grounds of protection and decency. The body needs to be protected from cold, heat etc. and clothes provide a reasonable degree of protection from the extreme weather conditions. The stipulation to remain unclad mainly relates to monks and that was laid in light of the conditions prevailing in India. There it mostly rains during the monsoon period and monks are not supposed to travel during that period. As such, rain does not pose a major problem. Winters are cool, but not very cold. The temperatures do not go below freezing point except in the Himalayan ranges. Summers are, of course, hot, but they are not unbearable and one of the criteria for spiritual pursuit is to bear discomfort. As such, the monks do not need clothes on the ground of protection.
Now, let us consider the social norm. Remaining without clothes is considered indecent. It may also be perceived as offending and sentimentally hurting. Such concepts are based on the ground that remaining without clothes results in exposure of genitals. That is repellent and no one would like to do so in the presence of anyone else. The offending sense, however, occurs because of our associating sexiness with genitals. If we do not associate it with sexiness, we would not feel it offensive. That is evidenced by the fact that we are not at all perturbed, when we see a naked child.
Such difference in approach arises, because childhood is innocent and no sexual instinct can be attributed to it. Now it should be born in mind that no one except the monks and other aspirants belonging to a similar level is expected to remain unclad. Those aspirants have reached a state where sexual instinct has been entirely overcome. They are as innocent as children and sexiness cannot be associated with them. Moreover, monks have relinquished the worldly life. As such, they can be expected to stay beyond the social norms. The strictures against nakedness cannot therefore be made applicable to them. Hence, there should be no objection to their remaining unclad. On the contrary, dispensing with clothes would be helpful in relieving them of the trouble of procuring, cleaning and maintaining the same.
As said above, however, the stipulation to remain unclad was laid in light of the climatic conditions
