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We have a lot of things that we can't do on certain week days. (Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday).

They include cutting nails, getting a hair cut, shampooing hair etc. Why is it so?

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    because Shastras dictate us not to do so. You may ask why Shastras say so... When you're a small child who has not seen fire, you don't know that fire burns the fingers. So when you go to touch fire, your mom will simply yell 'DON'T TOUCH". She won't bother to explain why during that instant, because there is no time, and her priority is to save you. Similarly, Shastras dictate a lot of rules, but don't give reason for it. When you grow up later (i.e. gain knowledge from a guru), you'll understand why it says those rules.
    – ram
    Commented Apr 20, 2017 at 17:55
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    @ram Do you follow Dharma Shāstra ardently (100%) with 100% efficiency? 😓😕
    – ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ
    Commented May 2, 2017 at 13:06
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    @ram Shastras also tell us to not believe anything without any basis at all. If you have realised why such rule is there please tell us. Because I have honestly tried to find why such a rule exist but couldn't find any reason. If your response is that we should just take it for granted, then sorry I won't.
    – Lokesh
    Commented Sep 12, 2020 at 4:05
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    @ram Shastras except Veda are all creation of human and humans can make error as per their conditioned knowledge and intellect. Nothing new.
    – Lokesh
    Commented Sep 13, 2020 at 11:15
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    @ram No, this cannot be the case, because mantras were revealed to many rishis not just a single one. Yajnavalkya received the same mantras from Surya Deva which were already known with addition of few more. BTW what you are saying here about nail cutting rule is not derived from Veda, not even closely. Same kutarka are made to legitimize many other superstitions. Nothing new.
    – Lokesh
    Commented Sep 14, 2020 at 1:01

4 Answers 4

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This question has nothing to do with the Hindu religion. This is all superstition. Superstition is not religion, nor is it Hindu. This is in not in the Vedas.

Swami Vivekananda said (Complete Works VIII. p 184-187) "We may be under planetary influence but it should not matter much to us. Buddha says 'Those that get a living by calculation of the stars by such art and other lying tricks are to be avoided.'...Let stars come, what harm is there? If a star disturbs my life, it would not be worth a cent. You will find that astrology and all these mystical things are generally signs of a weak mind; therefore as soon as they are becoming prominent in our minds, we should see a physician, take good food, and rest. If you can get an explanation of a phenomenon from within its own nature, it is nonsense to look for an explanation from outside... I lay down as the first essential in all I teach: anything that brings spiritual, mental, or physical weakness, touch it not with the toes of your feet. Religion is the manifestation of the natural strength that is in man...You can swallow the stars by handfuls if you want; such is your real nature. Be strong, get beyond all superstitions, and be free."

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    FALSE. Have you read Manu dharma shastras, or Apasthamba sutras ? I've noticed you're tagging any question related to shastras as superstition. If you have mingled with any brahmin household, you'll realize they try to do everything based on these shastras. Every single aspect of life is governed by it - when to wake up, when to eat, when to sleep, when to procreate. Path mentioned by Swami Vivekananda maybe suitable for those who can follow jnana yoga, but not for karma yogis, who have to follow dharma shastras.
    – ram
    Commented Apr 20, 2017 at 17:23
  • @ram There's no wrong in adding superstition (though technically they are not superstitions). Tag superstition will help in identifying such questions.
    – The Destroyer ♦
    Commented Apr 20, 2017 at 17:51
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    why is it not wrong ? Non-Hindus or atheists might think these are superstitions, but anyone following Hinduism should know that there are detailed dharma shastras detailing these aspects of life. It would be like tagging Ramayana as 'imaginative poetry' instead of 'history'. For laymen, that is fine, or if the questioner himself tags it so, fine.. but for moderators of this site, adding that tag, it's not fine.
    – ram
    Commented Apr 20, 2017 at 17:59
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    @ram exactly which dharma shastras say this exactly? I am unaware of them.
    – Swami Vishwananda
    Commented Apr 21, 2017 at 5:35
  • @SwamiVishwananda, salagram.net/sstp-NityaKriya.html - claims it is from Hari Bhakta Vilasa which is a compilation of other smritis, puranas and agamas.
    – ram
    Commented May 3, 2017 at 13:19
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I have got a link that consists good reasons:

Since my childhood, I have been hearing from my parents that we should not cut hair or nails on Saturday. You should not shave also on this day. When asked why, they used to tell me that it brings bad luck as it brings anger of Planet Shani (Saturn) upon us. We lose money and peace of mind in our life. This belief is very common amongst Hindus, and hence, most of the Hindus do not cut hair or nails on Saturday.

The answer seems reasonable for those who believe in Astrology and do not like to question the traditions. Those who are not satisfied by the answer always try to find the actual scientific reasons behind such things.

Possible reasons behind not cutting hair on Saturdays:

  1. It is believed that cutting hair/nail would bring bad luck to the person because it would attract the anger of Planet Shani, which is considered as a deity. In Indian Astrology, Shani has great importance in terms of human life. It is believed that all the bad things that happen to us are because of Planet Shani. Especially, in Kali Yuga, Shani is very powerful and even deities have to suffer from his anger. Hence, it is advisable that one should get his/her hair/nails cut on Saturdays.
  2. The second most probable and logical reason could be that in old times, the people from barber caste used to do the job of cutting hair and they had no weekly offs. Hence, in that way, they used to get a weekly off on Saturday. Plus, many people in India prefer to cut hair/nails on Sundays. In general, there used to be only one or two barbers in a village. Therefore, on Sunday the workload would be maximum and therefore, they were able to relax and prepare themselves for the rest of the week.

There could be many other reasons behind it. We cannot tell anything certainly today. I have seen many people cutting their hair and/or nails on Saturday and nothing bad happens in their lives. Many businessmen and executives have to shave everyday; still they are earning heavily and living a good life. Problems will always be there in our lives whether you cut your hair on Saturday or not. It is our attitude that matters.

We should remember one that things change with time. This tradition could be right for the old time. There could be some reason behind it but now a day, it seems useless. Hence, we should get off such things from our minds.

Here is the reference link: Why hindus do not cut hairnails on saturdays?

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Well, I really do not believe of not doing these activities on certain days. Everything we have heard of to do or not to do on a certain day might be because, so that we do not overdo them. No non-vegetarian food on a Tuesday or a Saturday, some say it is due to Gods special days but he has created equal. Doing things over might hurt us.

Fasting is another activity which I see as a religious thing very similar to above activities. Gods do become happy when we control our senses against some attractions of human-made but the actual reason, we must actually not become their servants.

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From http://www.salagram.net/sstp-NityaKriya.html

Cutting hair is said to cause loss of energy. Certain days also put the body into a weak state. Therefore on these day shaving is not recommended, especially for sick or unhealthy people. Shaving at night is forbidden. It is done in the daytime, usually before the noon bath. It should never be done after eating. It is said that shaving on Sundays reduces ones life by one month; shaving on Saturdays reduces ones life by seven months; shaving on Tuesdays reduces ones life by eight months. Shaving on Wednesdays increases ones life by five months; shaving on Mondays increase life by seven months; shaving on Thursdays increases life by ten months; and shaving on Fridays increases life by eleven months. Other authorities say that shaving on Sunday brings physical well-being; shaving on Monday, bright complexion; shaving on Thursday, success; shaving on Friday, universal respect. Shaving on Tuesdays reduces life span; shaving on Saturdays causes decay of the body. Monday is good only during the waxing phase of the moon. However, brahmanas may shave on Sundays and kshatriyas may shave on Tuesdays. Sannyasis customarily shave on purnima. Of the tithis, prathipat, chaturthi, astami, chaturdasi, purnima, amavasya; and sasthis, navamis, dvadasis, sankrantis, and any day of fasting, such as ekadasi, are also unfavorable. The favorable tithis are dvitiya, tritiya, panchami, saptami dasami and trayodasi. The moon in waxing phase is favorable and in the waning phase, particularly the latter half, is unfavorable.

At the least, shaving, hair/nail cut is to be avoided on Tuesdays and Saturdays.

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    Please post from scriptures not from a site which nobody in the world knows or cares about.
    – Pinakin
    Commented May 3, 2017 at 7:36
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    @ChinmaySarupria, if you stop quoting some random 'Autobiography of Yogi', then I'll think about what you said.
    – ram
    Commented May 3, 2017 at 8:35
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    When did I quote "Autobiography of Yogi"? And even if I do it in future, it will still be better than that website of yours which is written by nobody knows! So post from either scriptures or words of Swami Vivekananda, Paramahamsa Yogananada, Ramakrishna Paramahansa etc..
    – Pinakin
    Commented May 3, 2017 at 13:06
  • You mentioned that book and Holy Science by Yukteshwar when describing newfound theories about duration of yugas. Maybe YOU do not know about that website, just like many others do not know about Yukteshwar or Paramananda. Anycase, the website I mentioned quotes from Hari Bhakti VilAsa which "is not an independent work, but based on commonly accepted scriptures: smrti shastras like Yajnavalkya, Manu and Harita; puranas like Bhavisya, Siva, Skanda, Vishnu, Bhagavat Puranas; and pancaratrika texts like Hayasirsa and Narada Pancharatra".
    – ram
    Commented May 3, 2017 at 13:15
  • I accept Ramakrishna & Vivekananda as Mahatmas and I've poured over both Kathamrita and Complete Works, but when you say 'post from scriptures', then you cannot grant special status to any person. And reading directly from scriptures is not the best way to learn because we either do not know sanskrit exactly, or we can't interpret author's true meaning. For this, we need bhashya or explanation from gurus or acharyas. Which guru one follows is based on his family, surroundings and personal tastes.
    – ram
    Commented May 3, 2017 at 13:18

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