UPNAYANA ...

MUHURTHA VIDHAANAM Though we have born from mothers garbha, this is the second birth to have dwijatwam. This samskara is to be done before completion of 7th year i.e.(normally it is stated as ashtavarsheth i.e. 8th year hear we have to take into calculation of period in the mother womb also) Best period to perform this samskaram is vasanta rutu, magha, phalgunam, pushya and jyesta masas. If the boy is of 1st issue then jyeshta is not good. Gurubalam should be in favour. Jupiter is head for rig veda, sukra for yajurveda, angaraka for sama veda and mercury for Atharvana veda. According to veda, the head of veda should bestow best aspects from lagna to 4, 7 and 10th houses. During Maudyam period this samskaram should not be performed. This samskaram should also not to be performed on anadhyana days Padyami, ashtami, chathurdasi, purnami and amavaasya, chaviti, saptami, navami, ekadasi and thrayodasi days. This samskaram should be performed before attaining the age of 16 maximum. Beyond this age, this samskara will not give fruitful results. Upanayana means to take the person nearly i.e. to take the person to Guru to bestow bramha gyana. That is why after this samskara, the asrama is called bramhacharya ashrama. i.e. bramha means veda and paramatma, charya implies way of adoption i.e. learning the vedas ashis life goal and understanding the parabramha tatwa. The first part of the upanayana samskara is adorning with sacred thread called yagyopaveetam. The sacred thread should be woven by vedadhyana bramhana, sumangali or kanya or widow who follows the achara. This should be worn from left shoulder to navel. The boy will be offered with dandam made of palasa, ravi or atti tree, agina i.e. small piece of stag skin and mounji a rope woven with dharba to wear on navel. He should compulsorily wear koupina. For gayatri maha mantra upadesa father along with mother, guru will do collectively. On the day of upanayana the vatu should obtain bhiksha from his mother first then mothers sisters and fathers sisters will offer. First three days he has to obtain ama (rice biksha) from fourth day he has to obtain anna bhiksha only till complete of gurukula vaasa. The households should not threaten the vatu. He should obtain only to his requirement only and he should show it to his guru and consume. He should not obtain the bhiksha in the guru house or from his relatives house or vatus relatives house. This will bestow patience and perseverence and avoid ahankara. From the afternoon of upanayana day he has to start performing sandhyavandana through out his life. From next day he has to start doing bramha yagyan He has also do samida danam i.e offering samit to agni both in morning and evening without fail. During this time his lineage will be introduced i.e. pravara, sutra which he belong and to follow and his name initiated in the namakarana samskara. In total the pravara contain the rishi lineage to whch he belongs, the sutra which he follows and with name followed with abhivadaye. Whenever he meets with elders he has to close his both ears bow down from hip level and the chanting should be heard to the person whom he offers his namaskaram. The important aspects of upanayana:

1 If the mother of the boy is pregnant with more than 5 months this samskaara should not be done until delivery. 2. If mother is out of door during this period also not to be done. 3 If father is not alive, grand father, elder brother or brothers of father can do bramhopadesam. 4.If mother is not alive then father is not competent to offer bramhopadesa. 5. At no time, brothers should be offered bramhopadesa except in case of twins by birth. 6. If the children born to first and second wife, then the vedi and nandi performer should be separate. 7. impotant, blind, deaf, invalid and those who do not effectively speak in those cases the father should repeat the mantra on behalf of them but the samskara should not be avoided to them. 8. If anyone wanted to have sweekara of child that should be done before the upanayana samskara. VEDADHYANAM: vedadhyana for the vatu starts from the upakarma day only. On that day he has to offer puja to veda vyasa, kanda rushies then tarpana to them and after that vedadhyana to be started from guru. From that day upto uttarayana punyakala he has to learn the vedas and during the dakshinayana punyakala period he has to make abhyasa i.e. remembering what guru taught. No new lessons duirng this period. Those follow rig veda will perform upa karma on sravana nakshatra day, Sama vedies on hasta nakshatra day, krishna yajurvedies will do on pournami thithi on morning time in sranavana masa. Sukla yajurvedies will perform on sravana pournami day. During this day the upanayana boy should replace the upaveetam, mekhala, ajina and dandam.