UPANAYANA

Namaskaram,

In Kaliyuga the physical as well as the mental capacity of the human being is far less as compared to the humans who existed in the earlier Yuga. In the earlier Yugas nothing was written down in text including the Vedas. That’s why we call Vedas as “Sruti” which means the one we learn by hearing from Guru. The humans of those Yugas had such an intellect and memory that they can store immense content of spiritual text just in their memory without any problem. Modern Science mentions that the human brain can store 2.5 million gigabytes of memory but we are not using even 10% of it, in the current time, most times we are confused what to do for any Karma.

    Our ancient Rishis predicted that such memory loss, loss of interest in Dharma and Shastra will happen, thus at beginning of Kaliyuga all the texts were written down as Dharma Shastra books and one of the pioneers was Veda Vyasa to write down entire Vedas and Puranas. Rishi Apastamba who has written Kalpa sutra (manuals of various Vedic rituals) in Vedic sanskrit has also written down on how to conduct an Upanayana. From his book in Sanskrit I give you the list with brief explanations of the steps. If you want your son’s upanayana to be perfect as per shastra then this sequence should be followed.

Few days before Upanayana

1. Gayatri Upadesha Adhikara :

The father who is set to perform Upanayana for his Son should perform 24,000 extra Gayatri Japas or minimum of 12,000 Gayatri Japas for him to attain the power to do Gayatri Mantra Upadesha for his son. Else he is considered as a chargeless battery who cannot pass current. This he can start few days before the date of his son’s upanayana and finish the count in time.

2. Sumangali Prarthana / Mangli Pondukal :

This ritual is to invoke blessing of ladies of the family in the ancestry who have passed as Sumangali /Suhagan. Mainly involves inviting and feeding Sumangalis /Suhagans and offering them Saree and other items like bangles, Kumkum etc. This is done by the ladies in the house. This can be done few days before Upanayana of the son by his mother/grandmother.

One day prior to Upanayana

1. Udakashanti :

In this ritual Devatas are invoked in water in the Kalasha and then Abhisheka to the boy (the boy undergoing Upanayana is called Vatu in Sanskrit). Vatu. This ritual is done for protection of the Vatu from various negative energies.

2. Ankurarpanam (Paligai):

In this ritual mother of the Vatu and other close family relatives (ladies) will sow pulses in mud in a clay bowl signifying the growth of the ceremony to completion. This should be kept till the 4 th day of the Upanayana and to be watered daily. As the plant from the pulses grow, it symbolises the growth of the Upanayana Karma itself and of her son in the spiritual path. On 4th day these clay pots should be taken to river or pond and should be put in water.

3. Pratisarabhandam (Kappu kattal):

In this a yellow thread is tied around the wrist of the boy for protection by chanting mantras and performing a pooja.

4. Nandee Shraddham:

Here we invoke the father and mother’s side Pitrus to bless the boy. 9 brahmins are needed to perform this ritual.

On the day of Upanayana

1. Vigneshwara Pooja:

Lord Ganapathy Pooja to seek his blessings.

2. Punyahavachanam:

In this ritual Lord Varuna is invoked in Kalasha and Pavamana Sookta is chanted for purification for the place and people involved in the Upanayana and therefore at the end holy water is sprinkled all over.

3. Anugya:

Prayer and permission in front of Vedic Scholars to bless the father to perform his son’s Upanayana. Vedic scholars will bless the father and son with Vedic Mantras. You should invite at least minimum 10 Vedic scholars to bless the boy during his Upanayana. In the ancient days 100s of Vedic Scholars were called for the Upanayana of a boy.

4. Grahapreeti Danam:

Danam to brahmins for the planets to be favourable during Upanayana.

5. Yagnopaveeta Dharanam:

The Vatu wears Yagnopaveeta (Sacred thread) with mantras.

6. Kumara Bhojanam:

Feeding the Vatu with food. The food prepared for the Vatu in this ritual should be without salt and spice. It can be sweet though. This salt less / spice less food is to train the boy to tame his senses and not give into pleasures always. As tough times can come ahead in his life in future, so he needs to learn adjusting.

7. Vapanam:

Cutting of hair. Only a single tuft at the back of the head is kept rest all hair on head is shaved off. Boy has a bath after this and comes wearing Kaupeenam (komanam /langoti)

8. Ashmarohanam:

The boy/vatu is made of stand on a flat stone. The mantras chanted. This symbolizes the fact that the way the stone stays unmoved in any situation and strong irrespective of heat, cold, weather etc, the boy/vatu should also learn this quality from the stone to be hard and tough in any adverse conditions and not stray away from his path of Dharma. The boy needs to adapt to this quality of stone from this ritual.

9. Vasaparidhanam:

Here the boy is made to wear a short Vastram/veshti/ dhoti made of cotton. It should be only upto the knee as per shastras. This will protect him as, Devatas (Gods) reside in every thread of this Vastra/dhoti as per Shastras which is sanctified with mantras.

10. Mounjibandanam:

Tying of a thread like rope made of Munja grass around his waist. This is called Mounji. The Vatu is supposed to wear throughout his life as Brahmachari till he gets married. This protects him from evil and negative energies.

11. Deer skin:

A deer skin piece is worn which as per shastras bring brilliance, fame and long life to the boy.

12. Standing on Dharba Grass: Bringing the boy to stand on Dharba grass, Prokshanam (sprinkling) of water with mantras and introduction of the boy to various Devatas (Gods) by the father by sequential holding and releasing of the hand of the Vatu.

13. Upanayana:

Bringing your son close to you with both hands and hugging him. This is a very important part and the tattva of Upanayana is hidden here. Upanayanam means (Upa =near, Aanayan=Bring) getting the student (in this case the boy who is undergoing Upanayana) close to Archarya (the father). Hugging the boy by father signifies the father is the Guru and he is bringing his student (his son) close to him “Upanayana”

14. Upanayana homam:

Ahutis / Offering to Agni for various devatas for the bright intellect for the boy and his protection

15. Washing the feet of Acharya (father): The son/Vatu now has to wash the feet of his father and pray to him to give him Gayatri Mantra Upadesha.

16. Brahmopadesham (Gayatri Mantra Upadesha):

Father now utters the Gayatri mantra secretly in the ears of his son. As the mantra is secretive it is only chanted near the ear. This is a very very important part of the ritual. Shastras tell us now this boy has become (Dwija) or twice born. Twice born or second birth to new parents after this ceremony. As now the Archarya/Guru is his father and mother is Devi Savitri (or Gayatri Devi).

Once Gayatri Mantra Upadesham happens, Gayatri Devi becomes his mother and he needs to take care of her by praying to her 3 times a day by performing Sandhyavandanam (Sandhya Devi is Gayatri Devi). So he worships her mother daily through Sandhya and she in turn blesses him with all the brilliance, intellect, victory, strength in all his future things he does in life.

17. Danda Dharanam:

Holding a Palasha stick in hand. This stick is supposed to help in increasing his retention power and will stimulate his intellect. We should encourage our children to keep his stick at least during Sandhyavandanam / Samidhadanam /Brahmayagnam close to his shoulders, and should not be thrown away after Upanayana.

18. Samidhadanam:

Now the boy performs his first independent worship of fire, praying to Agni for his well being and future development. This Samidhadanam once started today should continue till he gets married. He should perform Samidhadhanam twice in a day by offering Samits (twigs) in Agni.

19. Promise session (Vakdanam):

The boy here promises in front of Agni, all gods and Acharya that he will regularly perform his duties like performing his Nitya Karma (Sandhyavandanam / Samidhadanam) daily, he will regularly perform Achamana and water related rites, he will not sleep in the afternoon, he will listen to his Guru, he will study Vedas, he will take Biksha and eat.

Imagine the boy promises all this and doesn’t do anything from the evening of Upanayana. What an utter ignorance to our Shastras that as father and mother of the Vatu we are also not bothered whether the boy does Sandhyavandanam or Samidhadanam or Brahmayagnam. We still keep pampering the child after upanayanam ignoring shastras then when the child becomes uncontrollable we visit psychologist / psychiatrist to take care.

Shastras mention that from 7 th year to 15 th year of age of the child if your do not be strict and bring him/her in a disciplined manner, the child will never listen to you ever in future. Pampering of the child should stop after 7 th year of age / upanayana and we need to enforce discipline.

20. Bhikshacharanam:

The boy asks for Biksha. Mother should offer the first Biksha (raw rice),then others. Ladies in traditional 9 yards Saree only should offer Biksha.

21. Ashirvatham:

Blessing from all elders

22. Madhyanikam:

This is the first time the boy is initiated in Madhyanika Sandhyavandanam and henceforth he should continue it for life time, 3 times in a day. Morning, noon and evening.

Now this completes the procedure of the Upanayana day. From next day after Upanayana for following 2 days he has to compulsorily perform Sandhyavandanam 3 times in a day and two times Samidhadanam and Brahmayagnam. He should be in the same vastra/veshti which he wore during Upanayana and should not remove it. He should neither take bath or brush teeth as he is in vrata (sacred vow) until 4 th day of Upanayana. He will continue to eat food during these two days which are without salt and spice. He should not go anywhere outside the house or play etc. He has to focus himself on these karmas only.

Brahmayagnam:

Here the boy recites Vedic mantras and fulfils one of his objectives of birth that is Veda Adhyayana (Learning Vedas). After this he does Tarpana (oblations with water) for Devatas / Rishis and Pitrus. This Brahmayagna he does each day after Madhyanika till he is alive. This blesses him with sharp memory and blessings of Gods/Rishis and Pitrus from whose lineage he has come.

4th Day ritual:

4th day of Upanayana marks the culmination of the procedure of Upanayana by performance of Pranava-Shraddha-Medha pooja. This day (4 th day) Devatas (Gods) from Swarga loka (heaven) arrive to earth to see the newly initiated boy into Brahmacharya and bless him. In today’s world hardly people know about this Pooja and do not do anything which in itself is a very big mistake. Imagine the Gods are descending to earth to bless the boy and the boy is busy playing cricket with his friends or playing on mobile. 3 gods are worshipped here in this Pooja. Pranava (the essence of Vedas / the Supreme God), Shraddha (the Devi of devotion) and Medha (the Devi of Intellect). Shastras say this day is the day of Medha-jananam (birth of intellect for the Vatu), which means the intellect of the boy is born this day after the pooja and he is blessed by all Devatas. This 4 th day rite should definitely not be missed and should be got into practice again.

Veda Ghosham wants to bring in ancient practices as they existed during the Vedic times in its original form by educating, training people to know their culture, heritage and also perform their duties which are ordained by Shastras. Veda Ghosham has many students who work for a living as well as perform all the Vedic karmas as per Shastras and are leading a life full of happiness and success. For a non-believer all the above is Greek and Latin. For a believer it is Amruta (divine nectar). But once a non-believer gets into problems in life and has exhausted all options then he will come here. This is a common trend in current world. He realises later in life the importance of all these Vedic Karmas and then understands if he had started all this from childhood, he wouldn’t have had to undergo all the suffering.

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