Nudity is often
regarded as both impure and forbidden, and is subject to a number of taboos:
according to some authorities, one should not bathe (snana) naked (a more
understandable taboo in times when people bathed outside) or be naked during
sexual intercourse (a more understandable taboo in times when people bathed
outdoors).
There are additional taboos against a husband seeing his
wife nude, since it is popularly thought that this would force Lakshmi, the
goddess, to abandon her, robbing her of her married woman's auspiciousness.
Some ascetics feel that nakedness signifies the resignation
of all goods and the rejection of all worldly norms, including shame, hence
there is an exception to this nudity prohibition.
Few ascetics forego all clothes; some choose to wear a
loincloth in public, reasoning that it is better not to mislead or scandalize
regular people.
