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This answer says sins are attached to hair and devotees tonsure their hair when they visit temples to get rid of sins. It says Dharma Sindhu mentions the verse.

तीर्थोपवास कर्तव्य सिरसोमुन्दनानिच सिरोगतानि पापानि यान्तिमन्दनथो यतह्

tīrthopavāsa kartavya sirasomundanānica sirogatāni pāpāni yāntimandanatho yatah

Dharma Sindhu is a book written by Panditha Kashinaatha taking essence of various Dharma Sastras and Puranas. This is what preface of book says,

Drushtaa purva nibandhaatrirnaaya sindhu kramena siddharthaan

Praayena mula vachaannyujijjtya likhvaami baalabodhaaya

Having studied various ancient Sciptures and strictly based on the rudimentary facts delineated in those Root-Grandhas that the essence of Dharma Nirnayaas (Regulatoty Verdicts) is sought to be described.

So, this must be presumably present in Puranas or Smritis or Dharma Sastras.

Also, Dr. Sri Vaddiparti Padmakar, famous scholar in Telugu states, says the same in this video (in Telugu). I searched in Shiva Purana and Padma Purana but couldn't find any references for it.

My question is: What scriptures, such as Dharma Sastras or smritis or puranas or any authoritative Hindu scriptures, say Paapa or Sins are stored or attached to hair? Please don't answer from books by Acharyas or Swamijis.

Note: This question is not duplicate to this question or any such related question.

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    related note - when washing hair and then drying it, elders advise us to not let water drip down the back of the head. if you see olden ladies, they will bend down and let hair fall through front of their face and then dry it. same with shikha for men. because water falling from back neck is considered equal to toddy, while that from the front is offered as libations to pitrus.
    – ram
    Commented May 5, 2017 at 12:21
  • @ram I think there is also scientific reason for what you mentioned. If we let water drip on back, we may get cold, especially women. Our Hinduism is really very amazingly correct
    – user9392
    Commented May 5, 2017 at 12:28
  • @ram What is toddy What if prokshanam​ water during sandhyavandanam flows down from the back, I cannot control it like ladies. Destroyer Goof question btw, I think that's why hair strands are considered impure.
    – Yogi
    Commented May 5, 2017 at 12:56
  • If it is so, one should die bald. Commented May 5, 2017 at 12:58
  • 1
    that is why i avoid these texts... it would mean that dead person karmas would remain with the physical body as his body will be cremated. Commented May 7, 2017 at 7:25

2 Answers 2

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It is so said in ParAshara Smriti's (PS) Chapter 9.

Whatever sin a man commits attaches itself to his hair. Hence he should clip his hairs to the length of two fingers' width from their end.

PS 9.55

Attaching a screenshot from the book:

enter image description here

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  • Which book are you following? I have checked Parashara Smriti on archive and 9.55 looks different. archive.org/details/ParasharaSmriti
    – The Destroyer
    Commented Oct 18, 2017 at 12:43
  • I am following "Parashara Samhita" -Original Text- Edited and published by Manmatha Nath Dutta. Calcutta edition. And yes that version does not contain this verse otherwise i would answered long ago as i have it too. Apparently there's something wrong in the version which you have given. I find many sanskrit verses and their translations are out of place. @TheDestroyer
    – Rickross
    Commented Oct 18, 2017 at 14:07
  • I could not find any online link of the book right now. See if u can find it. Anyways here is another ss: i.imgur.com/2vIQOpX.jpg @TheDestroyer
    – Rickross
    Commented Oct 18, 2017 at 14:34
  • But i think Sanskrit verses have no words for "Sins"
    – The Destroyer
    Commented Oct 18, 2017 at 14:45
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    Obviously such verses apply on those who have hairs.. This is but common sense. For those who don't have hairs there must be a separate mechanism for them. @Rohit.
    – Rickross
    Commented Oct 19, 2017 at 5:37
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Chapter 29, Prabhas Khanda of Skand Puran says so...

enter image description here

Iswara said:

  1. O Daughter Of the Mountain, whatever sin a man commits when in straitened circumstances due to want Of Sustenance, all that sin remains on his hairs.
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    You're right. Please add this, Verse 5 reference as it is the complete and unabridged version of the Skanda Purana.
    – Arya
    Commented Oct 18, 2017 at 20:48
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    Btw, what's the SI unit of sins? Kg, MB, GB, Cal, pixel etc ? How do we measure quantity of sins? Seems they are stored in bytes in hairs. My sins are then in some TBs. Commented Oct 19, 2017 at 3:36
  • @Mr.Sigma. what is the answer to your question? How is sin measured?
    – user17858
    Commented Jun 16, 2019 at 15:10

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