upAkarma (AvaNi aviTTam) details

[Guest guest]

Dear Bhaktas,

 

Sri Sadagopan wrote rather elaborately yesterday about the

procedure for observing "AvaNi aviTTam", more properly known

as upAkarma. I already started writing this before I saw

Sri Sadagopan's note, so I offer it as a supplement to his.

I request correction of any errors.

 

Thanks,

Mani

 

-------------------------------

 

1999 yajur upAkarma procedure

-----------------------------

 

(1) Do morning nityakarmas including sandhyAvandanam as one

would do on any other day.

 

(2) kAmo'kArshIt manyur akArshIt japam

 

(a) Acamanam twice

(b) prANAyAma

© sankalpam, including sAttvika tyAgam:

 

taishyAm paurNamAsyAm adhyAya-utsarjana-akaraNa-prAyaScitta-artham,

ashTottara-sahasra (1008) [ashTottara-Sata (108)] sankhyayA

"kAmo'kArshIt

manyur akArshIt" mahAmantra-japam karishye.

 

(e) Do japam of "kAmo'kArshIt manyur akArshIt" 1008 or 108 times

as one has resolved.

(f) Acamanam once, followed by sAttvika tyAgam

 

(3) Perform mAdhyAhnikam, including mAdhyAhnika snAnam if one is

accustomed.

 

(4) Preparing for the upAkarma

 

Seated facing east, wearing a pavitram if available,

after Acamanam twice, prANAyama, and sankalpa, including

sAttvika tyAgam:

 

SrAvaNyAm paurNamAsyAm adhyAya-upAkarma karishye,

tad angam kAndarshi-tarpaNam karishye,

tad angam yajnopavIta-dhAraNam karishye,

tad angam snAnam karishye.

 

[ Brahmacharis add: tad angatayA maunji-ajina-daNDa-dhAraNAni karishye ]

 

(a) Bathe once again (at least mAnasika snAnam)

(b) Wear the new yajnopavItam (poonool-s) with appropriate mantras

© Brahmacharis should recite mantras for the darbha belt (maunji),

krishNajina (a piece of deer skin), and palAsa daNDa

and if possible wear them

(d) Acamanam

 

(5) Nava kANDa Rshi tarpaNam

 

(a) Acamanam twice

(b) Facing east, walk knee-deep into a river or pool of fresh water

if possible. Otherwise stand where you are

© For each of the following, offer a mixture of (uncooked) rice,

sesame seeds (eL), and water, as you say 'tarpayAmi'. Each line

should be said three times. Preferably, someone should help

by pouring the water as you release the rice and sesame, as this

makes it easier.

 

For the first seven, wear the yajnopavItam as a necklace (nivItam),

cup both your hands together, having the yajnopavItam's brahma-mudi

(knots) resting in your palms. The water should be released along

with the sesame and rice off the tips of both hands.

This is known as Rshi tIrtham.

 

(i) prajApatim kANDarshim tarpayAmi

(ii) sOmam kANDarshim tarpayAmi

(iii) agnim kANDarshim tarpayAmi

(iv) viSvAn devAn kANDarshim tarpayAmi

(v) sAmhitIr devatA upanishadas tarpayAmi

(vi) yajnikIr devatA upanishadas tarpayAmi

(vii) vAruNIr devatA upanishadas tarpayAmi

 

Now, still nivItam, the water mixture should be released towards

you, off the palms away from the fingertips. Typically this is

done by pointing the fingers straight up, keeping the sides of

the hands together. This is known as brahma-tIrtham.

 

(viii) brahmANaGM svayambhuvam tarpayAmi

 

Now the water should be poured as deva-tIrtham. This is hard to

describe, but when pouring, the hand should be in a grasping

position.

 

(ix) sadasaspatim tarpayAmi

(x) See Note (f) below

 

(e) Return to upavItam, i.e., your poonool in its normal position.

Finish with Acamanam and sAttvika tyAgam.

 

(6) Traditionally there is now a upAkarma homa, where the rishis

and devatAs mentioned above are once again saluted using the sacred

fire. The there is vedArambha, where the first four anuvAkas of the

yajur veda samhita are taught to the sishyas. This is followed by

jayAdi homam.

 

These may not be available if one is away from one's elders and

acharyas. At minimum, it is recommended that you recite one anuvAka

from your veda on this day. The Purusha Sukta suffices, for example.

 

[ It is often erroneously thought that upAkarma or AvaNi aviTTam is

primarily the changing the yajnopavItam (poonool). This cannot be

further from the truth. Changing the poonool happens very often,

whenever a significant vedic karma is performed. UpAkarma, however, is

a rededication of oneself to the study of one's Veda, along with a

salutations to the rishis who perceived and revealed the Vedic mantras

to the world. This is the significance of the nava-kANDarshi tarpaNam

and the anuvAka recitation. ]

 

(7) Next is bhagavad-ArAdhanam, as you would do on any normal day.

 

--\

---

 

Notes:

-----

 

(a) UpAkarma is a phalAhAram day -- no rice is to be eaten, and whatever

is eaten (fruits, idlis, etc.) should be minimal. Please also remember

that you are not supposed to eat anything until after bhagavad-ArAdhanam.

 

(b) The mantram for the kAmo'kArshIt japam is "kAmo'kArshIt manyur akArshIt".

It is not followed by "namo namaH".

 

© Some people also change their yajnopavItam before the kAmo'kArshIt

japam, in addition to the changing done for upAkarma itself. It should

be remembered that the changing before upAkarma is the more important

one, and if one only wants to change once, the upAkarma changing is

preferred.

 

The reason for this: the kAmo'kArshIt japam is done as an atonement,

a prAyaScittam for *not* having done the traditional utsarjana sankalpa

earlier in the year. The sankalpa for the japam says this explicitly

('adhyAya-utsarjana-akaraNa'). Just as upAkarma is the formal

recommencement of Vedic studies, the utsarjana is a sankalpa done to

formally halt study of the Vedas and commence study of grammar, prosody,

pronounciation, astronomy, etymology, etc., all of which are helpful

in *understanding* the Vedas. The year was therefore divided into

two, one half for studying the Vedas, the other half for studying

the VedAngas or Vedic accessories.

 

The utsarjana has unfortunately fallen into disuse for quite a while,

so what remains is the meagre prAyaScittam for not having done it.

Therefore, the *important* yajnopavItam changing is for the upAkarma.

 

(d) sankalpa details

 

The following is said for any major sankalpa. The underlined

parts change depending on the day and are specified below

for upAkarma.

 

After acharya vandanam and vishvaksena dhyAnam,

 

hari om tat SrI govinda govinda govinda!

 

asya SrI-bhagavato mahApurushasya

vishNor AjnayA pravartamAnasya

adya brahmaNe dvitIyaparArdhe SrI-Sveta-varAha-kalpe

vaivasvata-manvantare kaliyuge prathamapAde

jambudvIpe, bhAratavarshe, bharatakhaNDe,

SakAbde, meror dakshiNe pArSve

asmin vartamAnAnAm vyAvahArikANAm

prabhavAdI shashTI samvatsarANAm madhye

pramAthI nAma samvatsare

^^^^^^^^

dakshiNAyane, varsha Rtau, simha mAse, Sukla pakshe,

^^^^^^^^ ^^^^^^ ^^^^^ ^^^^^

paurNamAsyAm Subha-tithau, guru-vAsara-sravishTa-nakshatra yuktAyAm,

^^^^^^^^^^^^ ^^^^ ^^^^^^^^^

SrI-vishnu-yoga SrI-vishnu-karaNa Subha-yoga Subha-karaNa

evam guNa-viSeshaNa viSishTAyAm,

asyAm Subha-tithau,

 

SrI-bhagavad-AjnayA

[ SrIman-nArAyaNa-prItyartham OR

bhagavat-kainkarya-rUpam OR

bhagavat-prItyartham, depending on sampradAya ]

 

followed by the sankalpa for the particular karma.

 

(e) sAttvika tyAgam details

 

sAttvika tyAgam means dedicating the act one is performing

or has performed entirely to Bhagavan, and that Bhagavan is

performing it through you entirely for Himself. It is said

before and after performing the karma. In an abbreviated form,

here it one version:

 

Before doing the karma:

bhagavAn eva svaniyAmya sva-Sesha-bhUtena mayA

svasmai svaprItaye svayam eva <name of the act> kArayati.

 

After doing the karma, say the same thing, except replace the

last word "kArayati" with kAritavAn.

 

(f) After the kANda-rishi tarpaNam, some people add:

 

Rg-vedam tarpayAmi

yajur-vedam tarpayAmi

sAma-vedam tarpayAmi

atharvaNa-vedam tarpayAmi

itihAsam tarpayAmi

purANam tarpayAmi

kalpam tarpayAmi

 

Some also now recommend pitR tarpaNam (prAcIna-vItam) for

those whose fathers are no longer alive.

 

(g) procedure for wearing the yajnopavitam (poonool)

 

(1) Sit squatting (kukkuTTAsanam). Acamanam twice

(2) prANAyAmam, wearing pavitram if available

(3) sankalpam, with sAttvika tyAgam:

 

Srauta-smArta-vihita-nitya-karma-anushThAna-

yogyatA-siddhyartham yajnopavIta-dhAraNam karishye

 

(4) Put one yajnopavItam on at a time. To do this,

hold the yajnopavItam with both hands, with your right

palm facing up over your head, and your left palm facing

the ground. The top of the brahma-mudi (knot) should be

on your right palm and should be facing right. Then say

this mantra, while holding the sacred thread this way:

 

yajnopavIta-dhAraNa-mantrasya

brahmA Rshi:

trishTup chanda:

trayIvidyA devatA

yajnopavIta dhAraNe viniyoga:

 

yajnopavItam paramam pavitram, prajApater yat sahajam purastAt |

Ayushyam ugryam pratimunca Subhram yajnopavItam balam astu teja: ||

 

Now wear the yajnopavItam. Acamanam once.

 

If you are married, repeat this procedure for the second yajnopavItam,

from the praNAyAmam and sankalpa to the mantra, and wear the thread.

Acamanam.

 

Then, after saying

 

upavItam chinnantu jIrNam kaSmala-dUshitam |

visRjAmi punar brahman varco dIrghAyur astu me ||

 

remove the old yajnopavItams and discard them under a tree or some

other natural place. Don't throw them in the garbage!

 

Acamanam again followed by sAttvika tyAgam.