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UPNAYAN SANSKAR
(SACRAMENT FOR WEARING YAJNOPAVEET)
‘Yajnopaveet’ or the sacred thread is
one of the main signs of Vedic culture. Today, we have forgotten about this
extremely holy sign.
Yajnopaveet means
the taking on your shoulders the sacred thread for Yajna , for becoming an
authority on the teachings of the Vedas. It is also called ‘Brahm-Sutra’. The
meaning of ‘Brahm’ is Ved, knowledge and God. This thread is worn for the
purpose of acquiring knowledge and reaching God.
This sacrament is the tenth sacrament.
It is performed so that after this the child will commence the study of Vedas.
The meaning of study of Vedas in this day and age is the commencement of the
education of the child. This sacrament is the doorway to the temple of
education. The entry through this doorway and the learning process is called
‘Vedarambh Sansk1ar’.
The significance of Yajnopaveet
There are three threads in the
Yajnopaveet which are the signifiers of three debts i.e, as soon as a person is
born there are three debts that fall on his/her shoulders- the fulfilment of
which become his/her duty. These debts are-indebtedness to a) the seers or
‘rishis ‘ b) parents and c) ‘Devas’ or other persons who have done good to
us.
a) Debt to seers-
The seers have made us knowledgeable by acquiring knowledge and passing it on to
the society. If they did not have such knowledge then we would be completely
deprived of it. Just as they have acquired knowledge and passed it on to us, so
should we acquire knowledge and arrange that it flows on to others in the
future. One of the three threads of Yajnopaveet reminds us of this obligation.
b) Debt to parents-
Our parents completed their ‘brahmacharya ashram’ (celibacy) and entered into
stage of married life and gave birth to us. I f they had not entered the stage
of married life, then how would we have been born? In the same way, after
completing the celibacy stage we enter into the stage of married life and
produce good children for the society so that the society continues from father
to son, son to grandson etc. When we complete the celibacy stage and enter into
married life, then we appreciate all the good done to us by our parents. When
we experience the amount of sacrifice that is involved in looking after our
children and the number of obstacles that have to be overcome, then we realise
that our parents would have also sacrificed so much for us. This reminds us that
we should serve our parents and become free from this indebtedness. The second
thread of Yajnopaveet draws our attention to this.
c) Debt to ‘Devas’
or noble people - We are so engrossed in the affairs of the world that their
attraction ties us down. In the end all such affection /attraction will not
remain. Therefore when one is relieved from the stage of married life (‘grihasth
ashram’) i.e, after educating and having sons and daughters married off, the
couple should enter the next stage of life - ‘vanprasth ashram’ (life of
learning and service to society) for the good of society. The third thread of
Yajnopaveet reminds us of this obligation and the good done to society by noble
people.
Upnayan sacrament is called ‘up nayan’
because ‘up’ means near and ‘nayan’ means to take. In ancient times when parents
took their children for admission to Gurukuls (schools), they used to take them
to the teacher at Gurukul who used to perform the child’s ‘upnayan’ sacrament
first. What is understood by going to school in current times, in ancient days
the same meaning was attached to ‘upnayan’. The teacher used to start the
child’s education by giving a special place to the child in his mind. The three
threads of Yajnopaveet also direct attention to these three qualities namely-
knowledge, strength and good conduct.
The living habits, speech and eating
habits etc of the person wearing Yajnopaveet should be pure. In particular the
person must not consume meat and liquor.
The mantra for wearing Yajnopaveet
Om
Yajnopaveetam paramam pavitram prajapateyatsahajam purastat. Ayushyamagrayam
pratimunch shubhra Yajnopaveetam balamastu tejah.
Yajnopaveetamasi yajyasya twa
yajnopaveete-nopanhyami.
Paraskar Grihasutra
2,2,11.
Meaning
- This ‘Yajnopaveet’ or ‘Brahma Sutra’
is very pure. I am wearing this in front of the learned teacher. I wear this
Yajnopaveet which gives a long life, is the promoter of spiritual progress and
is a sign of purity. I wear this pure ‘Brahma Sutra’ for receiving knowledge.
Reciting this mantra the teacher
should place the Yajnopaveet on the left shoulder near the neck, and take it
over the head placing it under the right hand and ending at the waist.
Thereafter the yajna prescribed for this sacrament in the Sanskar Vidhi should
be performed.
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