Yajnyopaveetham Paramam Pavithram

[Guest guest]

Dear Sriram garu,

 

Thanks for the information...

Basically I belong to aruvela niyogi sect from hyderabad and follows krishna Yajurvediya (Shaiva) Sampradaya Telugu Brahmana paddhathi.

Could you please send me the paddhati we are supposed to follow tomorrow to my personal id listed below...

talluri_krishnan

 

RegardsGopala K Talluri

 

 

 

 

Dear gopAlam gAru,

 

I assumed that you were a tamizh brAhmanan because your name was gopAla krsnan.Only now I see Talluri surname added to your name.Sorry for the wrong assumption.

 

I will bifurcate this e-mail into two parts. I'm doing this for the benefit of other readers too of our group. When I answer anyone's question(s) in the public forum it is meant for all and not just for the person who is asking.

 

First part answers your question and the remaing part gives general information. Im sure you wont find this in any other internet site or even in books.Please make the best use of it.I'm typing this information not to bide my time but in the hope that whatever I type with inspiration will be followed by atleast one person out of the two thousand and odd members who are there in my groups.

 

One human is enough to change the consciousness of the world.

I repeat "One human is enough..."

 

 

 

 

 

 

Part-1

First things first:

 

Since you belong to the Aruvela niyOgi sub-sect, the procedure is the same as for vaidEkI velanAdu.You can procure very easily the booklet in Hyderabad for both sandhyA vandanam and yajnopavEtham combined.

 

The procedure for yajur-upAkramam(today it is for Rg vediya BrahmanAs) is as follows:

 

 

 

1. First, the sacred thread has to be spun properly by Vedic chants by spiritual Brahmins.Only such sacred threads which have been mantriacally energized have to be obtained and worn for this vestitural ceremony.

 

2. Then there is a mantra to do Puja for the new Yajnopaveetha as in

-- "prajApatheryathsahajam pavitram kArpAsasUtrOdbhAva...(Mantra extends)..."

 

3. After this, the new yajnOpavEtha dhArana sankalpa is taken as in--

"yajnopavEthamapi..."

 

4. Then do AchamanEyam and then another sankalpa taken in regular fashion but in the end, there should be added the words ..."mama shroUtha, smArtha,sakala karmAnushtAna yogyathA phalasidhyartham nUthana yajnOpavEtha dhAranam karishye' "

 

 

 

5. All these procedure have to be done keeping the thread tied to the end of both knees and spanning across the thighs and straight, while in padmAsanA.The sacred thread has to be adorned at 3 places including the granthi as one of the three places, with sacred vermillion mixed with turmeric while chanting..."yajnOpavEthetyasya mantrasya..."

 

6. Take each set of 3 threads(9 threads of 3 thread set each if the person is a gruhasthA else one 3 thread alone)

 

7. Do the yajnopavEtha dhArana mantra for each set seperately with a sankalpa for each as "prathama yajnOpavEtha dhAranam karishyE'", then "dwithEya..." and then finally "thruthiya..."(in rare cases of some sects of brahmins they have even chathurthi and panchamam, eg., those who follow Gauthama samhita)

 

8. While wearing the sacred thread from the top of the head by keeping the threads behind the centre two fingers and the two sides of the 3 thread set between the ringfinger and the last finger; and index finger and middle finger chant...slowly thinking of gayathrI matha: and energizing the sacred thread with the vedic mantra

 

" yajnyopavEtham paramam pavithram, prajApathEr yeth sahajam...(mantra extends)..."

 

Toward the end of the mantra, the sacred thread must be worn in a cross belt fshion over the left shoulder.While wearing see the sun once, imagine sAvitrI devI and immidiately close eyes and internalize the rUpA in one's heart.

 

9. Do similarly for the second set of threads too....saying "mama nityanushTAnayogyathA phala...dwitiya yajnopaveethadhAranam karishyE'"

 

10. For the third set of threads one must say ..."uttharEyaardham truthiya..."

 

11. Do Achamanam after this

 

12. Then one should do yajnOpavEtha visarjana mantra for discarding the old sacred thread.This is should be done for all the three sets in one go by saying..."upavEtham Bhinnathanthum(some say Chinnathanthum) Jeernam kasmaladhUshitam..."

 

13. Do Achamanam twice after this.

 

14. Many discard the old sacred thread in the wrong way like removing their underwear, however the correct procedure as enjoined in scriptures is : "Jeerna Yajnopaveethaani shiromaargena samthyejeth". It has to be removed over one's head. The visualization being one's kalmashas(Impurities of the mental kind) are thrown away from one's system over the Sahasraara.

 

15. The old scared thread should not be thrown in garbage as it contains power because Gayathri mantra is chanted with i being wrapped on the ring finger connected to the heart chakra. Thus the thread has to be done a proper visarjana method in a flowing river, kept in a temple or thrown on trees like Peepul(Raavi chettu) or other sacred trees saying the following mantra:

 

 

 

"Pavitravantham yadi jeerna vantham

Vedaannityam parabrahma satvam

Aayushyamugram prathimuncha shubram

Yajnopaveetham visrujathutejaha"

 

 

 

 

Part -2

Notes: The above Dhaarana vidhi must be done after taking proper bath.There are different bath modalities to be observed too.

 

Bath or Snaanam is of 8 kinds:

 

1. Mantra

2. Paartheeva

3. Aagneya

4. Vaayavya

5. Maanaseeka

6. Divya

7. Kaapila

8. Dhyaana

 

One should take bath with tepid to cold water during brahma muhurtha and then recite the mantra "ashtaachakra navadwaara..." mantra of Arunam(27th Pannam).

 

For brahmachaaris once per day snaanavidhi

For gruhasthas twice per day

For Yatis thrice per day

 

is the vedic norm. There is a basis for that too and that is hardwork, any contact with a gruhini,etc

 

 

 

When taking bath in a river, one must stand only till knee deep and then take bath.

 

One should not do the Yajur upakramam with wet cloths, without wearing Kucchilapancha(for gruhasthas), without Uttareeyam atop or untying the shika.

 

One must wear a silver, gold or dharba mudi on the ring finger while doing this upakarma.

 

Achamana vidhis also are many among them the famous are Shruthyaachamana, Shrouthaachamana, Smaarthaachamana and Puranaachamana.

 

Who can wear Yajnopaveetham?

 

" Shoodraanaamdushtakarmaanaamupanayam idam cha ratham

kaarasyopanayanamdustha sharmaanaamshoodraanaamupanayam"

 

Those barhmins and other castes who do not do any evil deeds and even those shudras and charioteers who do good deeds have the authority o wear this sacred thread.

 

This being the vedic aphorism, anyone can wear it.It is not a sole property of a brahmin or a Kshatriya or a Vysya to wear the sacred thread.

 

The commentary then goes on,

 

Those who have Brahamana samskaraas(Brahamana here means those who are in search of Brahmam and nothing to do with one's birth or caste), those who revere the sacred thread as something holy,those who are aware of the yantric secrets of the scred thread, and those who lead their lives in the 'Unnatha'(most noble) manner are 'arhaths' to wear this yajnopaveetham, rest should not wear.(as it signifies disrespect to divinity and making a mockery of God)

 

What is the stand of women here?

 

 

 

Puraakalpethu naareenaam mounjeebandhanamuchyathe'

adhyaayanamcha vedaantham saavitreepravachanam thathaa

 

This is said in Yamasamhitha...that in days of yore even women used to wear sacred thread, do yoganushtanam and vedanushtaanam, and recite the savitri mantra.

 

Also in Yajurvediya paraskara Guhya sutras also it is said "Striyam upaveetha anupaveethaascha..." and thus the upanayana and upaakarma vidhi was there for them too.

 

In women there are two kinds--Brahmaavaadis and Navavadhu.Brahmavaadis are serious female aspirants of the divine who aspire for equal status with men for the Brahma-anveshana. Navavadhus are women who wear the sacred thread ceremony only during the marriage.

 

Some say that because women face the monthly mensuration problem it prevents them from wearing the sacred thread. The argument is not quite correct when seen from the above perspective. Also, the sacred thread is divested and another sacred thread is worn after the monthly period is over and not total ban for women.

 

The reasons for exclusion of women and lower castes thus is because of Kali prabhavam and middle men who misinterpreted the Shaastras and also due to 'convinience' factors.

 

 

 

 

There are 3 runas to follow when wearing the sacred thread

1. Rishi Runa--Yogam(sadhanopayam for this)

2. Deva Runa---Yagnam( " )

3. Pithru Runa---Tapas( " )

 

 

 

One who wears the sacred thread must live thereafter only for the fulfilment of these three rinas.

 

 

 

 

A brahamana(same meaning which I said in one para supra) who wears this sacred thread must follow certain rules:

 

1. Courage--Must exceed a Kshatriya swarupam(must learn martial arts and swordsmanship). The Brahmins of today(castewise, I mean) are physical and mental weaklings at the best fearing every little thing and being highly superstitious. Superstitions do not make a Brahamana, fearlessness makes a brahaman.This is my personal observation.

 

2. Patience--Being in a pure marga means having to face ridicule from others, temptations, slacking, etc. All this requires the virtue of patience.

 

3. Compassion--This is also slowly dying out in brahmins today.Most are economically poor and feel they are being isolated and the only marga is to integrate themselves with the soceity and be cunning, self-centered and show no compassion,etc. The rationalization being "No one will help us if we don't help ourselves" What they forget is, Gayathri Matha will take care of everything. Every Brahmin who is doing Gayathri Mantra is a Tantric so to speak!

 

4. Not stealing from others.

 

5. Striving eternally toward divine intelligence

 

6. Striving daily to learn Moksha vidyas

 

7. Sticking to truth at whatever be the cost

 

8. Being shaantha and not getting angry at others.

 

9. Being clean physically and mentally

 

10. Having utmost selfcontrol over organs.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Yadnyopavit is a word consisting of two words, yadnya and upavit. Vit means that which is woven, that is cloth and upavit means upper garment. Till the thread ceremony is performed the boy can remain clad in one garment. The use of the upper garment begins after the thread ceremony. After the thread ceremony one garment refers to the loin cloth (langoti) and the second (upper) garment to the sacred thread (janave) which is in a way a condensed form of the shawl on the shoulder (uparne).

The sacred thread is made up of nine fibers. One deity is established in each fiber as follows. 1. Omkar, 2. Agni (deity of fire), 3. Nag (Serpant), 4. Som (moon), 5. Pitar (ancestors), 6. Prajapati (deity of procreation), 7. Vayu (air), 8. Yama (deity of death) and 9. Vishavdevata (deity of universe). Twisting three of nine fibers in each strand creates three strands. The three Vedas – Rugveda, Yajurveda and Samveda are established on each of these strands. Three fibers are woven into one strand and the three strands are then knotted together. The knot is called Brahmaghata (ghata means a knot) or the Brahmagranthi (granthi means a gland). [The knot of sacred grass (darbha) tied to gold ring (pavitrak) is also called a Brahmagranthi.] It is the site of establishing the Atharvaveda. This knot is extremely important and one requires skill to tie it. The three strands

represent the three stages (ashrams) – celibate student (brahmacharya), the married householder (gruhastha) and retired householder (vanprastha); the three fires, the fire worshipped in the home (garhapatya), the fire placed in the south (dakshinagni) and the sacred fire lit for a specific spiritual purpose (ahvaniya) as well as spiritual knowledge (dnyan), devotion (bhakti) and acton (karma). The one who possesses all the three qualities gets the spiritual experience of Brahman. Based on 96 items listed below, the length of the sacred thread should be 96 times the breadth of a finger (angul).

Tithirvaram cha nakshatram tatvvedgunanvitam I

Kalatrayam cha masashch bramhasootram hi shannav II

Meaning 15 auspicious dates (tithis) +7 days of the week +27 lunar asterisms 25 principles 4 Vedas+ 3 components (gunas)+ 3 times periods (kals)+ 12 months= 96. Thus, the length of the sacred thread (yadnyopavit) is 96 times the breadth of a finger (angul).

In the Shaiva sect, the three strands of the sacred thread represent the three horizontal lines of holy ash (tripundra) on the forehead of Lord Shankar which symbolize spiritual knowledge (dnyan), purity and penance (tapashcharya). The Brahmagath indicates the origin of these three that is divine consciousness (chaitanya).

The celibate (Brahmachari) and ascetic (yati) should wear one and the married householder (gruhastha) and the retired householder (vanprasthi) should wear two sacred threads. One thread indicates that an ascetic and a celibate are concerned only with their own spiritual progress while two threads in the married householder and the retired householder indicates that they are also responsible for the spiritual progress of their wives besides their own.

 

 

What is the motive behind placing the sacred thread over the right ear lobe during urination or defecation?

 

Niviti Dakshine Karne Yadnyopavitam Mutrapurishe Vishrujet I

Urdhvam Nabhamaredhyataraha purushaha parikeertitaha II

 

 

In short, it means that since the part of the body above the naval is considered pure and that below it impure, during urination and defecation the sacred thread is worn as a chain (nivit) around the neck and is placed on the right ear. The scriptures often mention the importance of the right ear. Since it is the seat of various deities like Aditya, Vasu, Rudra, Vayu, Agni, Dharma, Veda, Apa, Som, Surya, Anil, etc. mere touch of the right ear bears the benefit of the ritual of sipping water from the palm (achaman). Thus, by placing the sacred thread on the right ear that is pure, one is bound by the restrictions of impurity.

 

The right ear assumes such scientific importance because the nerve endings and receptors situated here are closely related to the testes. During urination there is likelihood of passage of semen in a small quantity. It is well documented by Ayurveda that encircling the right ear with a thread prevents seminal loss as it presses a particular marma point(accupressure point). Keeping the right ear tied during sleep can reduce the frequency in case of repeated nocturnal emissions. An animal is subdued as soon as its ear is held. Of the seven causes of scrotal swelling, one is urinary. Encircling the ear with a thread prevents a scrotal swelling due to a urinary cause.

 

 

 

According to Sri Sri Sri Chandrasekharendra Saraswathi MahaSwamiji, the Telugu Brahmins who perform priestly duties and other religious activities should follow certain rules:

 

The Brahmin has to wake up at four in the morning and bathe in cold water, rain or shine, warm or cold. Then, without a break, he has to perform one rite after another: sandhyavandana, Brahmayajna, aupasana, puja, vaisvadeva and one of the 21 sacrifices. If you sit before sacrificial fire for four days you will realise how difficult it is with all the heat and smoke. How many are the vows and the fasts the Brahmin has to keep and how many are the ritual baths.... .... Other castes do not have to go through such hardships. A Brahmin cannot eat "cold rice"in the morning like a peasant - he has no "right" to it. The dharmasastras are not created for his convenience or benefit, nor to ensure that he has a comfortable life. He would not have otherwise imposed on himself the performance of so many rites and a life of such rigorous discipline. When he has his

daytime meal it will be 1 or 2. (On the day of a sraddha it will be three or four). This is the time the peasant will have his rest after his meal under a tree out in the field where he works. And the Brahmin's meal, mind you, is as simple as the peasant's. There is no difference between the humble dwelling of the peasant and that of the Brahmin. Both alike wear cotton. The peasant may save money for the future but not the Brahmin. He has no right either to borrow money or to live in style. ...In the "Yaksa-prasna" of the Mahabharata the simple life of Brahmin is referred to:

pancame' hani saste va sakam pacati svegrheAnrni ca' pravasi ca sa varicara modate

If daytime is divided into eight parts, the Brahmin may have his food only in the fifth or sixth part after performing all his rites. Before that he has neither any breakfast nor any snacks. And what does he eat? Not any rich food, no sweets like almonds crushed in sweetened milk. "Sakam pacati" - the Brahmin eats leafy vegetables growing on the banks of rivers, such areas being no one's property. Why is he asked to live by the river side? It is for his frequent baths and for the leafy vegetables growing free there and for which he does not have to beg. He should not borrow money: that is the meaning of the word "anrni", because if he developed the habit of borrowing he would be tempted to lead a life of luxury. Poverty and non-acquisitiveness (aparigraha) are his ideals. A Brahmin ought not to keep even a blade of grass in excess of his needs. ...The

Brahmin must be conversant with the fourteen branches of the Vedic lore. He must be proficient even in Gandharva-veda or music and must be acquainted with agricultural science, construction of houses, etc. At the same time he must give instructions in these subjects to pupils from the appropriate castes. His own vocation is the study of the Vedas and he must have no other source of income. ...If the Brahmin is asked, "Do you know to wield a knife or fight martially? " he must be able to answer, "Yes, I know". If he is asked, "Do you know to draw and paint" again he must (be able to) say truthfully, "Yes". But he cannot wield a sword(unless it is for self-defence) or become an artist to earn his livelihood. All he can do is to learn these arts and teach others the same according to their caste. He is permitted to receive a daksina to maintain himself and he must be contented with it however small the sum may be. The Brahmin's specialty is

his true vocation is Vedic learning. ... The goal of Vedic works is the happiness of all mankind, indeed the happiness of all the worlds ("Lokah samastah sukino bhavanthu"). The sound of the Vedas creates universal well-being, so too Vedic sacrifices. … Brahmins would be committing a sin if they gave up Vedic rituals and earned money by doing other types of work. However, it is important to realize that the successive secular governments in the Indian Union are determined to destroy the Hindu religions, in favor of non-Hindu religions. The modern Indian democracy tends to support Abrahamic religions to appease the rich and powerful global proselytizing religions. The ancient tradition of rulers protecting Brahmins is an obsolete tradition. Accordingly, it is upon the individual citizens to step up to help and protect Brahmins, temples and their traditions. As the times have changed, even

Vaidika Brahmins should earn money to protect the Dharma, despite the traditional ban on earning money. That was one of the main reasons for the existence of Niyogi Brahmins. However, many Brahmins in India are Naxalites, communists and atheists. Thus, it is incumbent on all Brahmins, who believe in their culture, to rise to the challenge of protecting the Vedik culture. Otherwise, the extinction of Hindu culture and Brahmin tradition is not far away.

 

 

 

 

 

Yours Yogically,

 

Shreeram Balijepalli

 

Purity, Powers, Parabrahmam...

 

 

 

 

 

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