Answer

Jain sadhus do loch — the plucking of hair by hand — as a practice of vairagya meaning detachment, renunciation, and endurance.

It is done to show that the sadhu has given up bodily attachment, comfort, beauty, and worldly identity.

Explanation

In Jain Dharma, a sadhu’s life is based on complete renunciation. Hair is connected with:

• beauty and appearance,
• personal identity,
• bodily care and decoration,
• attachment to comfort.

By doing loch, a Jain sadhu practices:

• Detachment from the body
• Endurance of pain with equanimity
• Control over passions
• Renunciation of vanity and pride

Loch is not done out of cruelty toward the body. It is done with spiritual awareness and discipline.

Spiritual Understanding

Jain Dharma teaches that the soul is separate from the body. The body is temporary, but the soul is eternal.

Through loch, a sadhu reminds himself:

• “I am not this body.”
• “My goal is liberation of the soul.”
• “I must remain calm in pleasure and pain.”

This practice strengthens titiksha — the ability to tolerate hardship peacefully — and supports the path of samyam, self-restraint.

Takeaway

Jain sadhus do loch to practice deep renunciation, reduce bodily attachment, and remain focused on the soul’s liberation.