Aani or Aadi or AavaNi UpAkarmA : Part 3 & Final Part

[Guest guest]

Dear BhakthAs :

 

In earlier postings of Sri Vijayaraghavan and

myself on the subject of UpAkarma last year ,

We mentioned that " UpAkarmA " really stands for

" AdhyAyOpAkarmA " or VedhAramabham .This UpAkarmA

(Rishi TarpaNam )is observed according to ChAndhra

MaasA tradition .To that extent , it is like

the obsevance of Sri Rama Navami and Sri Nrusimha

Jayanthi celebrations based on chAndhra Maasa classification.

 

The PourNamI relevant to UpAkarmA will some times

be associated with SravaNa Nakshthram and at other times

with Avitta Nakshthram .

 

The PourNamI before AavaNi amaavAsyai is known as

SRAAVANEE . Yajur Vedis observe UpAkarmA on that

SRavaNee .

 

This SrAvaNa PourNami occurs some times in Aadi

and some times in AavaNI .If it happeans to be

in Aadi , then the UpAkarmA has to be observed in

Aadi .

 

Those , who live to the north of NarmadA river

perform UpAkarmA only in AavaNi .

>From Aadi Sukhla Prathamai to AavaNi amAvAsyai is

the month of SrAvaNam according to chAndramAnam .

Hence , the SrAvaNa maasam begins from the Sukhla

prathamai following Aadi amAbvAsyai .That day

is called SrAvaNa Suddham . That would be approximately

around the 20th of Aadi in most years .In those cases,

the the PourNami thithi will occur in AavaNi .The

PourNami thithi will be most of the times associated

with SravaNa Nakshthram and therefore , it takes on

the name of SrAvaNa PourNimai .

 

There are times when the Aadi amAvasyai occurs in

the middle of Aadi . The next day is Sukla Prathamai

and the month of SrAVaNam begins in Aadi itself .

The PourNami falls at the end of Aadi and The UpAkarma

will be then in Aadi ( Example : Dhurmathi year , 1981) .

BahudhAnya Year is also an year , when the SraavaNa PourNami

falls in Aadi end ( August 7 ) and the Gayathri

Japam is on August 8.The AavaNi month does not

start until August 17 . The nakshathram happens to be UtthirAdam

on " AvaNi avittam " day . As we know ,SravaNa Nakshthram

is in between UtthtirAdam and Avittam .

 

August 8 is Aadi SravaNam day . The day of Gayathri Japam for

Yajur Vedis and the day of UpAkarmaa for Rg Vedis .

For the Rg Vedis , there is a strict sampradhAyam

of performing UpaakarmA on SravaNa nakshthram . They

have no flexibility .Yajur Vedis put the emphasis on PourNami

thithi instead of SravaNa nakshthram because

these is Thithi-based chAndra MaasAnushtAnam .

 

To add more compications , if there are two PourNamis

in SrAvaNa maasam , the 12 th Naazhikai of the day

becomes determining factor . If the union (santhi )of

PourNami and Prathamai happens after 12 Naazhikais

( sangava kaalam ) , then the UpAkarmam and Gayathri

Japam is done on the same day .If it is before the 12

Naazhikais , then the PourNami day is UpAkarmA day

and the next day is Gaayathri Japam day .More details

can be had in Upaakarma NirNayam in the June/Aadi

issue of the year 1970 of Nrusimha PriyA . Extraordinary

variations , where "PrathamOpaakarmA " is celebrated in

the month of Aani due to mala maasams having PourNamis

with DhOsham are described there .

 

Gayathri Japam is peformed by Yajur Vedis

and Rg Vedis on the day after UpAkarma

except in instances cited above. This observance of

UpAkarmA and Gayathri Japam on successive days

is known as SanniyOga Sishtathvam . The Saama Vedis

perform UpAkarmA in the month of BhAdrapAtha PourNami

( Purattaasi).They do not perfrom Gaayathri Japam

on the next day . They perform Gaayathri japam

on the Prathamai following SrAvaNa PourNami .

The Saama Vedis do not emphasize this sanniyOgam .

There are exceptional occasions , when Gaayathri

Japam is performed before UpAkarmA .

 

We( Sri Vijaya Raghavan and Myself ) have covered earlier ,

the details on KamOkArsheeth Japam , Adhyayana Homam .

We have indicated that KaamOkaarsheeth Japam is

done as a PrAyascchittham for not performing

VedOthsarjana karmA in Taisha PourNami .THis japam

has to be done like any other japam with in the first

six Naazhikais after sunrise .The KhAnda Rishi TarpaNam

is done after MaadhyAnika SnAnam , BhagavadhArAdhanam ,

Vaisvadevam and then assembling at the river side .

It was a sight to see this at NattAn VaaikkAl karai

( DakshiNa virajA nadhi ) or at the bank of

AhOrAthra PushkaraNI at Oppilaippan Koil in

my boyhood days .

 

There are some differences of opinions in these

observances .It has been recommended by

our compassionate AchAryAs that one should observe

according to their traditions .Those , who have had

the good fortune of Ahnika Grantha KaalakshEpam

would be sure about their sampradhAyams .

 

With this posting , I conclude this year's observations

on " AavaNi Avittam " and place it at the feet of

Our AchArya paramparai .

 

Subhaamasthu ,

Oppiliappan Koli VaradAchAri SadagOpan