Upanayana in the Sūtras and the Smṛtis

This article is part 7 of 15 in the series Upanayana

It was in the Sūtra period that the upanayana saṃskāra seems to have been fully established.[1] Most of the details of the ceremony are laid out in the gṛhya-sūtras. The Dharma-sūtras and Smṛtis have nothing new to say about the ritualistic aspects apart from what has already been said earlier; they primarily develop the social side of the saṃskāra. It was also perhaps during this period that the Upanayana became compulsory for men from the first three varṇas. There was a firm belief that this saṃskāra marked the second birth of the child, after which he was designated as a dvija, ‘twice-born.’ The idea of the second birth was, however, not particular to the Upanayana alone. It was also associated with the initiation performed before a yajña.[2]

During the Vedic period, the significance of being a dvija was spiritual and not social; and not all people of the first three varṇas performed the Upanayana. Perhaps it was a voluntary ceremony for those who wanted to get educated in the traditional way. The ‘upanayanasaṃskāra was perhaps confined to literary and ritualistic pursuits. In a celebrated verse, Āruṇi tells his son Śvetaketu that he should pass through the life of a student, because members of his family did not claim Brāhmaṇa-hood by birth.[3]

By the time of the Sūtra period, upanayana seems to have become mandatory. Education is an essential part of any society or civilization that is progressing.[4] The Upanayana was made compulsory to encourage universal education.[5] The mass of literature and learning was constantly increasing. Different branches of learning evolved. And so, in order to preserve the sacred literature, the services of the entire community were called upon by making the Upanayana compulsory.[6]

Here is a short summary[7] of the Upanayana saṃskāra[8]

The boy holds the teacher’s hand. The teacher offers a homa of ājya (clarified butter made from goat milk) in the agni. He sits facing east, with agni to his right side. The boy sits facing the teacher (i.e. he faces west). The teacher then fills the folded hands of both himself and of the boy with water, reciting the verse “We choose that of Savitṛ!”[9] The teacher drops down the water in his own folded hands on to the water in the folded hands of the boy. Having thus poured the water, he should seize with his hand the boy’s hand together with the thumb of the boy, uttering the verse “By the order of Savitṛ, with the arms of the two Aśvins, with the hands of Pūṣan, I seize your hand, O Rāghava!’[10] The teacher holds the boy’s hand a second time, with the words “Agni is your teacher, O Rāghava!” and then a third time.

The teacher makes the boy look at the sun and recites the mantra “O Savitṛ, the sun deity! This is your brahmacārī! Protect him. May he not die!”[11] The teacher then says, “Whose brahmacārī are you? You are the brahmacārī of Prāṇa. Who initiates you? I give[12] you to Ka (i.e. to Prajāpati).” With the half verse “The young man, well-attired and dressed, came here,”[13] the teacher makes him turn to the right. With his two hands placed over the boy’s shoulders, the teacher touches the boy’s heart and repeats the latter half of the verse.[14] Wiping the ground around the agni, the boy silently puts a samidh in the agni – it is said in the Vedas that ‘what belongs to Prajāpati is done silently,’ and the brahmacārī now belongs to Prajāpati. The samidh may also be offered with the mantra – “To Agni I have brought a samidh, to the great Jātavedas; may you increase O Agni by the samidh, and may we increase through brahman (prayer), svāha!”[15]

Then the boy touches the fire and wipes his face thrice with the words, “I anoint myself with lustre! May Agni bestow on me insight, offspring, and lustre! May Indra bestow on me insight, offspring, and vigour! May the sun bestow on me insight, offspring, and radiance! What your lustre is, O Agni, may I become lustrous by it. What your strength is, O Agni, may I attain strength by it. You’re your consuming power is Agni, may I acquire consuming power by it.”[16]

Having worshipped Agni with these mantras, the student should bend his knees, embrace the teacher’s feet, and request him, “Recite, sir, recite, sir, the Sāvitrī!” Seizing the student’s hands with the upper garment (of the student) and his own hands the teacher recites the Sāvitrī, first pāda by pāda, then hemistich by hemistich and finally the whole verse. The teacher should make the student recite the Gāyatrī mantra as much as it is possible for him.

The teacher places his fingers upturned on the student’s heart and says, “I place your heart[17] unto duty to me. May your mind follow my mind! May you attend on my words single-mindedly! May Bṛhaspati appoint you unto me!”

Having tied the mekhalā (girdle) around the student and having given him the daṇḍa (staff), the teacher instructs him about the rules and regulations of being a brahmacārī[18] – “You are a brahmacārī. Sip water, perform service, do not sleep by day, learn the Vedas by relying entirely on the guru.” The student should beg for food in the evening and the morning. He should put a samidh into the agni in the evening and the morning. He should announce what he has obtained as alms to the teacher. He should not sit down (but should be standing) for the rest of the day.[19]

To be continued…

Thanks to Pradeep Chakravarthy for getting me to write this essay. Śatāvadhāni Dr. R Ganesh and Dr. Koti Sreekrishna, who have always supported and encouraged me, were kind enough to go through the essay and give their detailed feedback. Shashi Kiran B N, a young scholar-poet went through the essay and offered valuable suggestions. Yet another scholar-poet, Arjun Bharadwaj, helped me with getting some of the reference books needed for this essay. My heartfelt gratitude to all of them.

 

Bibliography

Achari, Sri Rama Ramanuja. Saskāras: The Hindu Sacraments. Srimatham, 2015 <http://www.srimatham.com/uploads/5/5/4/9/5549439/hindu_samskaras.pdf>

Devuḍu. Mahādarśana. Bangalore: Devuḍu Pratiṣṭhāna, 2009

H H Sri Rangapriya Swami’s lecture on the Gāyatrī mantra

Harshananda, Swami. Upanayana: Sandhyāvandana and Gāyatrīmantrajapa. Chennai: Sri Ramakrishna Math.

Harshananda, Swami. A Concise Encyclopaedia of Hinduism. Volume 3. R-Z. Bangalore: Ramakrishna Math, 2008

Kane, Pandurang Vaman. History of Dharmaśāstra. Vol. II, Part I. Poona: Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute, 1941

Pandey, Rajbali. Hindu Saskāras: Socio-Religious Study of the Hindu Sacraments. New Delhi: Motilal Banarasidass, 1969

Ṛgvedasaṃhitā. Vol. 17. Ed. Rao, H. P. Venkata. Mysore: Sri Jayachamarajendra Vedaratnamala, 1948-62

Śatāvadhāni Dr. R Ganesh’s seven-part lecture series in Kannada titled Ṣoḍaśa-saṃskāragaḻu at Gokhale Institute of Public Affairs (GIPA) in December 2005

The Sixteen Samskaras <http://cincinnatitemple.com/articles/SixteenSamskaras.pdf>

 

Footnotes

[1] HS, pp. 114-15

[2] Ajāto ha vai tāvatpuruṣo yāvanna yajate. – Jaiminī-upaniṣad-brāhmaṇa 3.14.8

[3] …Śvetaketo vasa brahmacaryaṃ na vai somyāsmatkulīno’nanūcya brahmabandhuriva bhavatīti. – Chāndogyopaniṣad 6.1.1

[4] HS, pp. 122-23

[5] Even today, many governments around the world push for a universal education policy.

[6] Altekar, A S. Education in Ancient India. Benares: Nand Kishore & Bros., 1944. pp. 11-12.

[7] HDS, pp. 281-83

[8] From the Āśvalāyana-gṛhya-sūtra

[9] Tat saviturvṛṇīmahe vayaṃ devasya bhojanam. Śreṣṭhaṃ sarvadhātamaṃ turambhagasya dhīmahi. – Ṛgveda-saṃhitā 5.82.1

[10] Vājasaneyi-saṃhitā 2.11, Taittirīya-saṃhitā 2.6.8.6

A similar verse occurs in Āpastamba-mantra-pāṭha 2.3.24 and 2.9.5, Hiraṇyakeśi-gṛhya-sūtra 1.11.17, Mānava-gṛhya-sūtra 1.22.5, Baudhāyana-gṛhya-sūtra 2.5.28, and Kāṭhaka-gṛhya-sūtra 41.16

[11] Deva…mā mṛta. This mantra also occurs in the Ekāgni-kāṇḍa of Āpastamba-mantra-pāṭha 2.3.31 (Asāveṣa te deva sūryabrahmacārī tai goṃpāya sa mā mṛtaiṣa rta sūrya putrassudīrghāyussa mā mṛta) and in Mānava-gṛhya-sūtra 1.22.5, Śāṅkhyāyana-gṛhya-sūtra 2.18.4 and others

[12] The words kasya…paridadāmi occur in Āpastamba-mantra-pāṭha 2.3.29, Mānava-gṛhya-sūtra 1.22.5, and Pāraskara-gṛhya-sūtra 2.2 (with variations in all)

[13] Yuvā suvāsāḥ parivīta āgāt sa u śreyān bhavati jāyamānaḥ… – Ṛgveda-saṃhitā 3.8.4

[14]taṃ dhīrāsaḥ kavaya unnayanti svādhyo manasā devayantaḥ. – Ṛgveda-saṃhitā 3.8.4

[15] Agnaye samidhamāhārṣaṃ &c. – The first half occurs in Āpastamba-mantra-pāṭha 2.6.2, Pāraskara-gṛhya-sūtra 2.4.3, Hiraṇyakeśi-gṛhya-sūtra 1.7.2, Gobhila-gṛhya-sūtra 2.10.46, and Bhāradvāja-gṛhya-sūtra 1.8, all of which have a long latter half like ‘Yathā tvamagne samidhā samidhyase evaṃ māmāyuṣā...medhayā prajayā’ &c.

[16] Mayi medhāṃ &c. These mantras occur in Taittirīya-saṃhitā 3.3.1.2 and 3.5.3.2; also in Hiraṇyakeśi-gṛhya-sūtra, Baudhāyana-gṛhya-sūtra 2.5.62 &c.

[17] Mama vrate &c. Those words also occur in Pāraskara-gṛhya-sūtra 2.2, Mānava-gṛhya-sūtra 1.22.10, Hiraṇyakeśi-gṛhya-sūtra (where we have mama hṛdaye). These words also occur in the marriage ceremony (as addressed by the husband); see Pāraskara-gṛhya-sūtra 1.8

[18] Brahmacāryasi &c. These words (with some additions and omissions) occur in Āpastamba-mantra-pāṭha 2.6.14, Pāraskara-gṛhya-sūtra 2.3, Kāṭhaka-gṛhya-sūtra 41.17, and several others. These are based on the passage—Śatapatha-brāhmaṇa 11.5.4.1-17—quoted earlier. In some it is said simply ‘do not sleep’ and this is explained in Āpastamba-dharma-sūtra 1.1.4.28 as ‘Atha yaḥ pūrvotthāyī jaghanyasaṃveśī tamāhurna svapitīti

[19] Anupravacanīya sacrifice is to be performed after a part of the Veda has been learnt; see Āśvalāyana-gṛhya-sūtra 1.22.10–16, Gobhila-gṛhya-sūtra 3.2.46–47

 

Author(s)

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Hari is an author, translator, editor, designer, and violinist with a deep interest in philosophy, education pedagogy, literature, and films. He has (co-)written/translated and (co-)edited some forty books, mostly related to Indian culture.

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மனித ஒற்றுமை நூற்றாண்டுகால பரிணாம வளர்ச்சியின் பரிமாணம்.
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Yaugandharam

इदं किञ्चिद्यामलं काव्यं द्वयोः खण्डकाव्ययोः सङ्कलनरूपम्। रामानुरागानलं हि सीतापरित्यागाल्लक्ष्मणवियोगाच्च श्रीरामेणानुभूतं हृदयसङ्क्षोभं वर्णयति । वात्सल्यगोपालकं तु कदाचिद्भानूपरागसमये घटितं यशोदाश्रीकृष्णयोर्मेलनं वर्णयति । इदम्प्रथमतया संस्कृतसाहित्ये सम्पूर्णं काव्यं...

Vanitakavitotsavah

इदं खण्डकाव्यमान्तं मालिनीछन्दसोपनिबद्धं विलसति। मेनकाविश्वामित्रयोः समागमः, तत्फलतया शकुन्तलाया जननम्, मातापितृभ्यां त्यक्तस्य शिशोः कण्वमहर्षिणा परिपालनं चेति काव्यस्यास्येतिवृत्तसङ्क्षेपः।

Vaiphalyaphalam

इदं खण्डकाव्यमान्तं मालिनीछन्दसोपनिबद्धं विलसति। मेनकाविश्वामित्रयोः समागमः, तत्फलतया शकुन्तलाया जननम्, मातापितृभ्यां त्यक्तस्य शिशोः कण्वमहर्षिणा परिपालनं चेति काव्यस्यास्येतिवृत्तसङ्क्षेपः।

Nipunapraghunakam

इयं रचना दशसु रूपकेष्वन्यतमस्य भाणस्य निदर्शनतामुपैति। एकाङ्करूपकेऽस्मिन् शेखरकनामा चित्रोद्यमलेखकः केनापि हेतुना वियोगम् अनुभवतोश्चित्रलेखामिलिन्दकयोः समागमं सिसाधयिषुः कथामाकाशभाषणरूपेण निर्वहति।

Bharavatarastavah

अस्मिन् स्तोत्रकाव्ये भगवन्तं शिवं कविरभिष्टौति। वसन्ततिलकयोपनिबद्धस्य काव्यस्यास्य कविकृतम् उल्लाघनाभिधं व्याख्यानं च वर्तते।

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Karnataka’s celebrated polymath, D V Gundappa brings together in the second volume, episodes from the lives of remarkable exponents of classical music and dance, traditional storytellers, thespians, and connoisseurs; as well as his...

Karnataka’s celebrated polymath, D V Gundappa brings together in the first volume, episodes from the lives of great writers, poets, literary aficionados, exemplars of public life, literary scholars, noble-hearted common folk, advocates...

Evolution of Mahabharata and Other Writings on the Epic is the English translation of S R Ramaswamy's 1972 Kannada classic 'Mahabharatada Belavanige' along with seven of his essays on the great epic. It tells the riveting...

Shiva-Rama-Krishna is an English adaptation of Śatāvadhāni Dr. R Ganesh's popular lecture series on the three great...

Bharatilochana

ಮಹಾಮಾಹೇಶ್ವರ ಅಭಿನವಗುಪ್ತ ಜಗತ್ತಿನ ವಿದ್ಯಾವಲಯದಲ್ಲಿ ಮರೆಯಲಾಗದ ಹೆಸರು. ಮುಖ್ಯವಾಗಿ ಶೈವದರ್ಶನ ಮತ್ತು ಸೌಂದರ್ಯಮೀಮಾಂಸೆಗಳ ಪರಮಾಚಾರ್ಯನಾಗಿ  ಸಾವಿರ ವರ್ಷಗಳಿಂದ ಇವನು ಜ್ಞಾನಪ್ರಪಂಚವನ್ನು ಪ್ರಭಾವಿಸುತ್ತಲೇ ಇದ್ದಾನೆ. ಭರತಮುನಿಯ ನಾಟ್ಯಶಾಸ್ತ್ರವನ್ನು ಅರ್ಥಮಾಡಿಕೊಳ್ಳಲು ಇವನೊಬ್ಬನೇ ನಮಗಿರುವ ಆಲಂಬನ. ಇದೇ ರೀತಿ ರಸಧ್ವನಿಸಿದ್ಧಾಂತವನ್ನು...

Vagarthavismayasvadah

“वागर्थविस्मयास्वादः” प्रमुखतया साहित्यशास्त्रतत्त्वानि विमृशति । अत्र सौन्दर्यर्यशास्त्रीयमूलतत्त्वानि यथा रस-ध्वनि-वक्रता-औचित्यादीनि सुनिपुणं परामृष्टानि प्रतिनवे चिकित्सकप्रज्ञाप्रकाशे। तदन्तर एव संस्कृतवाङ्मयस्य सामर्थ्यसमाविष्कारोऽपि विहितः। क्वचिदिव च्छन्दोमीमांसा च...

The Best of Hiriyanna

The Best of Hiriyanna is a collection of forty-eight essays by Prof. M. Hiriyanna that sheds new light on Sanskrit Literature, Indian...

Stories Behind Verses

Stories Behind Verses is a remarkable collection of over a hundred anecdotes, each of which captures a story behind the composition of a Sanskrit verse. Collected over several years from...