Important note about observing Yajur Upakarma

[Guest guest]

Dear Friends,

 

This year the calendar complicates the observance of Upakarma

(AvaNi-aviTTam) a little bit. Sri Madhavakkannan has just

brought this to my attention. For some people, such as those

in India and Singapore, both Upakarma and Gayatri Japam will

have to be observed on the *same day*. (To understand why,

please see http://ramanuja.org/sv/bhakti/archives/aug2000/0135.html

from last year when the same thing happened).

 

To summarize:

 

India:

Yajur Upakarma Saturday, August 4

Gayatri Japam Saturday, August 4

 

Singapore:

Yajur Upakarma Saturday, August 4

Gayatri Japam Saturday, August 4

 

Dubai and everyplace West, including

New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles:

Yajur Upakarma Friday, August 3

Gayatri Japam Saturday, August 4

 

 

Not having access to the appropriate texts,

I do not know the rules for Rg Upakarma. Please

consult locals for the correct information.

 

Here is what Sri Madhavakkannan's father writes about

how to observe Yajur Upakarma and Gayatri Japam on the

same day. It is tough:

> A correction in Avani Avittam celebrations. This year Pournami, and

> Prathamai fall on the same day more or less, ie. on saturday. Hence all

> the Acharyas have directed that Avani Avittam and Gayathri japam are to

> be performed on the Saturday itself. As such, we must do

> kamokaareesheeth japam first, followed by Gayathri's Japam 1008 times.

> Afterwards only, around 11'o clock Avani avittam i.e. yagopaveetha

> tharanamand Deva rishi, Kanda rishi Tharpanam.

>

> Here, we follow this pattern only.

 

Here some knowledgable people may wish to confirm, but

from my reading of the Ahnika Grantha of Srimad Azhagiya Singar,

for those who are observing Gayatri Japam and Upakarma on the

same day, one should fast or observe phalAhAram the day and

night *before* the Upakarma / Gayatri Japam and not the day of,

as normally performed.

 

I apologize for the late notice.

 

aDiyEn rAmAnuja dAsan,

Mani

[Guest guest]

I have updated the Upakarma procedure at ramanuja.org.

Please see

 

http://ramanuja.org/sv/rituals/upakarma/procedure.html

 

if you need the procedure this year.

 

Mani

[Guest guest]

One should do sandhyavandana and all other yagams even when you are in US or

some foriegn country. Particularly in US there is no real problem to do any

such rituals.

 

whoever has advised you is trying to find "reasons" to support laziness and

is completely erroneous.

 

adiyen Krishna

 

 

Pradeep [pradeepjanakiraman]

Monday, July 30, 2001 1:36 AM

bhakti-list

Re: Important note about observing Yajur Upakarma

 

 

unfortunately i have a naive question. this is regarding the

applicability of Upaakarma to people living outside of India

(including me)

 

I have heard some say that one should not do Yagams, Homams outside

of India and some go to the extent of even including Sandha-Vandhanam

in that list of "donts"!! They only advocate doing Bhakthi in

that...like naama sankeerthanam, maybe japam, reading holy texts like

Bhagavatam, Sundarkandam etc. etc. outside of India.

 

The reasoning given is that only Bhaarata Desham is the Karma-Bhoomi

and the rest are not. Also all the dasha-avatars and other major

leelais of Naarayana and other deities/demi-gods have taken place

only in India... all the great saints have only originated in India.

 

I have even heard that one loses "Brahmana-hood" when one crosses the

ocean. So I am under a lot of confusion and would greatly appreciate

if someone can clear this out for me...maybe by quoting something.

It will help me greatly.

 

thanks in advance...

 

adiyen..

 

 

 

 

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

- SrImate rAmAnujAya namaH -

To Post a message, send it to: bhakti-list

Archives: http://ramanuja.org/sv/bhakti/archives/

 

 

Your use of is subject to

[Guest guest]

Dear Sir

 

The current geo-political definition of what

India does not even match Gupta's empire (400 AD).

If we go back even further in time when the label

"bharatha kandam" might have been coined for

these "rituals" South India might just be on

the periphery of the classical "bharatha kande".

 

We can all derive so many divergent conclusions

and debates from these two statements. But the

purport behind all these could have much

different and deeper.

 

It is not about living in current day

India. Crossing oceans.

Sriman Narayana created them all. What is the

difference between land and ocean. Where are we

not going to feel HIS maginificent presence?

How dare could I exclude? Where could I find a

spot in this whole world where HE does not

reign and will?

Sriman Narayana is appealing inside and outside.

Whether you are crossing oceans or not crossing.

Besides oceans change in their extent, shape

and boundary!

 

These other rituals are only secondary to

the primary fact above. Our ancestors,

fully understanding the plight and the busy

life that we as a species are faced with, have

established several days of significance, so

that we all could contemplate on Sriman Narayana

and observe some discipline and restrictions

on these days if not on all the other days.

 

They could not pick a day as in July 4th, better

yet,

they used cosmic events to mark these days,

which they "assumed" will be easy to

identify and remain

unchanged for a long long time to come.

 

This is how I explained myself and I am motivating

my kids to understand what this is all about.

 

It is not only confusing to take these to an

extreme but also (sadly) our vedic religion

founded upon practicality and universal wisdom

may be (mis) taken for just another faith based

religion.

 

These are the opinions of a software engineer.

Nothing more. I have shared them here only in

the spirit of understanding more of our

great way of life. And to develop clarity

for myself

as to what is that one essential thing

of Sri Vaishnavite.

What is the essence? What is the kernel?

What is the bark?

 

This "ignorant"'s confusion and disenchantment

arises from the variations I find in the way

people observe these rituals in different places.

Because they are outwardly different, none of

them could be so essential. What else is?

What is immutable about all these various

different procedures and rituals?

 

On occassions the emphasis is pretty much on

the procedurals and not on the "matter" at heart.

 

If you find time, please enlighten me.

 

I must admit, I am not observing any of these.

I am not convinced I will take to these "rituals"

any time in this life, even if I am retired.

They do not appear to take me from point A to B,

especially to the point B I am interested in. Instead

these rituals drown me in these meaningless

procedures and actually

distract me from Sriman Narayana. I wish I could

undertake serious journey into Upanishads on these

days. What a joy that could be to get up in the

morning and spend the whole day on such matters

and have nothing else to do.

 

I can only hope our great Acharyan

"ThiruKudanthai" Acharyan would forgive me

and bless me with essential faculties and

mental orientation next time

around if these are verily important.

 

Certainly my words are not to offend or challenge

anyone or practices or beliefs.

 

Om Namo Narayana, please bless me with the

smallest brain enough to hold Sriman Naryana

all the time.

 

--- Pradeep <pradeepjanakiraman wrote:

> unfortunately i have a naive question. this is

> regarding the

> applicability of Upaakarma to people living outside

> of India

> (including me)

>

> I have heard some say that one should not do Yagams,

> Homams outside

> of India and some go to the extent of even including

> Sandha-Vandhanam

> in that list of "donts"!! They only advocate doing

> Bhakthi in

> that...like naama sankeerthanam, maybe japam,

> reading holy texts like

> Bhagavatam, Sundarkandam etc. etc. outside of India.

>

>

> The reasoning given is that only Bhaarata Desham is

> the Karma-Bhoomi

> and the rest are not. Also all the dasha-avatars and

> other major

> leelais of Naarayana and other deities/demi-gods

> have taken place

> only in India... all the great saints have only

> originated in India.

>

> I have even heard that one loses "Brahmana-hood"

> when one crosses the

> ocean. So I am under a lot of confusion and would

> greatly appreciate

> if someone can clear this out for me...maybe by

> quoting something.

> It will help me greatly.

>

> thanks in advance...

>

> adiyen..

>

>

>

>

>

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

> - SrImate rAmAnujAya namaH -

> To Post a message, send it to:

> bhakti-list

> Archives: http://ramanuja.org/sv/bhakti/archives/

>

>

> Your use of is subject to

>

>

>

 

 

 

 

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