UPAKARMA

Namo Namah

In the holy month of Shravana one of the most important and holy function of Upakarma is coming. Though we just know only the surface of the ritual currently but real tattva is deep routed in Dharma Shastra propagated by our Rishi.

We think that Upakarma or Avani Avittam is just a Yagnopaveeta / Poonal / Janeu /Munj /Jandhyam /Jannivara /Poita (Sacred thread) changing ceremony which occurs once in a year but it is more than just that. The word Upakarma comes from the root, Upakaranam or the new start /new beginning / commencement. In the ancient days this was the first day for young boys who have undergone Upanayana ceremony to join the Guru in his Gurukulam. Not only limited to them but for rest all the people it was the day to start learning / teaching Vedas once again freshly. As in the ancient times the Veda teaching method was such that Veda mantras where taught only for 6 months (Aug-Feb) and another 6 months Vedas were not taught. So this was the 1 st day to start (for new boys) or restart (for the seniors) the Veda Adhyayana (Learning of Vedas) again. The total basic Vedic education was 12 years which in current world is being done is 6 years. This is because in our current times the rule of stopping teaching Vedas for 6 months (Feb – Aug) is not followed anymore.

What about adults/seniors/elderly on this day who have finished their Vedic education ? What do they do on this day ?

It is a compulsory rite for all who have undergone Upanayana irrespective of the age. Shastras says like a cloth becomes worn out as you use it regularly, freshness of a fruit diminishes with time, our body ages with time, similarly the Vedas also chanted by us human beings, because of our bodily makeup and mental capacity over a period of time losses its impact and power to produce results. So this is the day when you charge up the mantra shakti in yourself and make a fresh commencement or beginning, they way a freshly serviced car drives very smoothly till its next service. Similarly our ability to focus, grasp and produce energy in mantra chanting in enhanced or charged up on this auspicious day. Below are the complete sequence of procedures as per Shastras you need to follow on the day of Upakarma.
Some of them in this list are your daily duties (Nitya karma) and some are specific to Upakarma day.

• 1. Snanam : Daily morning bath
• 2. Pratah Sandhyavandanam
• 3. Samidhadanam (For Brahmachari/Bachelor)
• 4. Aupasanam (For Gruhastha/Married men)
• 5. Vapanam: Shaving of hair to keep only Shikha (Only for Bachelor)
• 6. Kamokarsheet Mantra Japam: This mantra is chanted 108 times or 1008 time to ask for pardon for not stopping Veda Adhyayana throughout the year
• 7. Madhyanikam
• 8. Brahmayagnam
• 9. Snana Mahasankalpam: Resolve to take a sin absolving bath with mantras.
• 10. Snanam: The actual bath (this unfortunately has become mere sprinkling of water which is a very big lapse in one of the important rituals or Vedic Karmas recommended on this day).
• 11. Yagnopaveeta Dharanam: Wearing of new Yagnopaveeta / Poonal / Janeu / Munj / Jandhyam /Jannivara /Poita (Unfortunately people in current world are thinking that the whole purpose of Upakarma is just of change this sacred thread as it is one year old, which is very saddening)
• 12. Mounji bandanam (only for Brahmachari): Tying of munja grass rope around waist for protection
• 13. Ajinam (only for Brahmachari)
• 14. Dandam (only for Brahmachari): Holding and retaining forever of Palasha stick an inducer of intellect and memory power.
• 15. Kandarishi Tarpanam: Offering rice and sesame seeds (til) to satisfy Vedic Rishis who were the seers of Vedas.
• 16. Ganapati Pooja
• 17. Homam / Havan : Offering of Ghee in Agni / fire in the name of Vedic Rishis who gave us Vedas
• 18. Vedarambham : This is one of the most important parts of Upakarma, whereby Vedic verses are uttered by Guru freshly that day after satisfying all Rishis and Devatas, seeking their blessings through the above rites and all the Shishyas or Disciples repeat after Guru for fresh initiation. The mantras here get re-energized in this process and will be full of Veerya (power) for next 1 year.
• 19. Asheervadam: Obtaining blessings of Guru.

Following day is the day of Gayatri Japa where 1008 Gayatri Japas are performed freshly after the rituals of the Upakarma day. Most of the steps mentioned above are from Yajur veda though most of the sequence is also followed in other Vedas is some small differences.

You may ask I am neither studying in Veda Pathashala nor I have learnt any Vedas so why should I do this. I am working in an MNC years 6-7 figure salary so there is no need for me ?

Understand the answer below

• Are you not at all chanting any mantra anytime anywhere?
• Are you not chanting Gayatri mantra at least in Sandhyavandana or elsewhere ?
• Isn’t Gayatri a Veda Mantra ? Do you want it to be initiated again to you on this day with full Veerya (power) ?
• Aren’t you performing any Pooja at home and chanting some Vedic mantras ?
• Do you want those mantras in you to get re-energized ? Ganapathy Pooja, Sathyanarayana Pooja etc ?
• Aren’t you performing any homams / havan at home ? Ganapathy homam, Navagraha homam, Ayush homam ? Even if you yourself aren’t performing it directly and performing through a Vadhyar/Panditji, but you are repeating the mantras what he says as you are the Yajamana. Don’t you want that mantras to carry the power post Upakarma ?

Many people are performing Vedic rituals at home, they are very spiritual, they are very religious, visit temple, they know many stotras, mantras, daily after bath they chant it, do pooja, organize for homams/havans but unfortunately nothing good seems to be happening to them, what they want to achieve they aren’t able to achieve. They satisfy themselves by saying they have bad luck. Things seem like materializing and last minute doesn’t happen. Are you one of them who is experiencing all this ? Then you should ask yourself if you have done your Upakarma correctly which all the above steps ? Have to re-engerized the mantras shakti within you with a proper procedure as per Dharma Shastra. At Veda Ghosham each Shishya (student) whether young or old, whether working or retired, follows the entire 19 steps as per Dharma Shastras as listed above. Veda Ghosham aims at bringing Vedic wisdom to people in Kaliyuga through its classes on Nityakarma, Dharma Shastra and Vedic Mantras. To know more get in touch with us.