Upakarma(Avani Avittam): Rig: Wed., Yajur: Thur, Sama: 9th Sept (Gayatri Japam for all: Friday, 23rd.) - Details.

[Guest guest]

Those of you who maintain the practice of wearing yagnopaveetham

(poonal) and following its associated Vedic precepts will find the

following message from Sri Mukundan Pattangi helpful. It provides

details on the dates that the upa:karma falls on for each of the

three principal Vedas, and also provides the standardized mantras and

procedures, including the corrected sankalpam (invocational vows) for

2002.

 

Please note that this procedure is per the dictates of the Sri

Ramanuja Tradition, and is intended for individuals who have received

formal initiation into the ritual of wearing the sacred thread and

reciting Gayatri mantram as an expression of service to Sriman

Narayana. It is recommended that you check with a local priest, guru

or elder on modifications to these procedures based on your family

customs.

 

Copies of a the upa:karma procedure are also available in Tamil,

Devanagari, Telugu, and Romanized Sanskrit at www.prapatti.com.

 

adiyEn rAmAnuja dAsan

Mohan

 

 

sri: Humble pranams to all devotees:

 

Dates for 2002 Upakarma:

==================================

Rg Upakarma: Wednesday, August 21

Yajur Upakarma: Thursday, August 22

Sama Upakarma: Monday, September 9th

 

Gayatri Japam (For all): Friday, August 23rd.

===================================

 

Procedure: - Article from ramanuja.org (by Sri Mani): Dates and

sankalpas modified for this year.

=========================

(1) Do morning nityakarmas including sandhyAvandanam as one

would do on any other day.

 

(2) kAmo'kArshIt manyur akArshIt japam

(first time upAkarmins [talai AvaNi aviTTam] skip this and goto

(3))

 

Facing east:

 

(a) Acamanam twice

(b) prANAyAma

© sankalpam, including sAttvika tyAgam:

 

(i) guru-paramparA anusandhAnam.

 

Chant your respective Guru Parampara

 

(ii) vighna nivAraNam / viSvaksena dhyAnam

 

SuklAmbaradharam vishNum SaSivarnam caturbhujam |

prasanna-vadanam dhyAyet sarva-vighnopaSAntaye ||

 

yasya dvirada-vaktrAdyAH pAriSadyAH paraH Satam |

vighnam nighnanti satatam viSvasenam tam ASraye ||

 

(iii) mahA-sankalpa

 

hariH om tat

SrI govinda govinda govinda!

 

asya SrI-bhagavato mahApurushasya

vishNor AjnayA pravartamAnasya

adya brahmaNe dvitIya-parArdhe SrI-Sveta-varAha-kalpe

vaivasvata-manvantare kaliyuge prathamapAde

jambudvIpe, bhAratavarshe, bharatakhaNDe,

SakAbde, meror dakshiNe pArSve

asmin vartamAnAnAm vyAvahArikANAm

prabhavAdi shashTi samvatsarANAm madhye

Chitrabanu nAma samvatsare

dakshiNAyane, Varsha Rtau, Simha mAse, Sukla pakshe,

 

Today's Day: (Guru) vAsara-sravaNa-nakshatra yuktAyAm,

 

paurNamAsyAm Subha-tithau,

 

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

depending on

sampradAya ]

 

taishyAm paurNamAsyAm adhyAya-utsarjana-akaraNa-prAyaScitta-

artham,

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

sankhyayA " kAmo'kArshIt

manyur akArshIt " mahAmantra-japam karishye.

 

(iv) sAttvika tyAgam (see notes)

 

bhagavAn eva svaniyAmya sva-Sesha-bhUtena mayA

sva-ArAdhana-eka-prayojanAya idam " kAmo'kArshIt

manyur akArshIt mahAmantra-japam " svasmai svaprItaye

svayam eva kArayati.

 

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

as one has resolved.

(f) Acamanam once, followed by concluding sAttvika tyAgam

 

(3) Brahmacharis are supposed to have a haircut now.

 

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

accustomed, followed by bhagavad-ArAdhanam. After this, strictly

speaking, one should wait until after midday (aparAhna) to perform

the upAkarma, but these days, due to exigencies of work, etc.,

people do it earlier.

 

(5) Preparing for the upAkarma

 

Seated facing east, wearing a pavitram if available,

after Acamanam twice, prANAyama, and sankalpa, including

sAttvika tyAgam:

 

(repeat sankalpa portion from above, including dhyAna

slokas)

 

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) First, do the 'nimitta snAnam'. The very orthodox,

performing this ritual

at a river bank or pushkariNi, would have done the snAnam

immediately

upon reaching the water. If this is not possible, do

mAnasika snAnam as

a bare minimum by meditating on the lotus-eyed Lord.

 

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

 

(1) Sit squatting (kukkuTTAsanam) facing east. Acamanam twice

(2) prANAyAmam, wearing pavitram if available

(3) sankalpam, with sAttvika tyAgam:

 

adya pUrvoccarita evam guNa-viseshaNa-viSishTAyAm,

asyAm Subha-tithau,

 

SrI-bhagavad-AjnayA

[ SrIman-nArAyaNa-prItyartham OR bhagavat-kainkarya-

rUpam

depending on

sampradAya ]

 

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 agryam 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. The sankalpa is:

 

pUrvoccarita evam guNa-viseshaNa-viSishTAyAm,

asyAm Subha-tithau,

 

SrI-bhagavad-AjnayA

[ SrIman-nArAyaNa-prItyartham OR bhagavat-kainkarya-

rUpam

depending on

sampradAya ]

 

 

gArhasthyArham dvitIya yajnopavIta-dhAraNam karishyE

 

Wear the second yajnopavItam as before.

 

Then, after saying

 

upavItam chinnantu jIrNam kaSmala-dUshitam |

visRjAmi punar brahman varco dIrghAyur astu me ||

 

remove the old yajnopavItam(s) and discard them under a

tree, in a river,

or some other natural place. Don't throw them in the

garbage!

 

Acamanam again followed by sAttvika tyAgam.

 

© Brahmacharis should recite mantras for the darbha belt

(maunji),

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

and if possible wear them (see notes for the mantras)

(d) Acamanam

 

(5) Nava kANDa Rshi tarpaNam

 

(a) Acamanam twice

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

water

if possible. Otherwise stand where you are; traditionally,

your clothes

should be wet. Do as you can.

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

black 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.

 

Wear the yajnopavItam as a necklace (nivItam). For the first

seven,

cup both your hands together, having the yajnopavItam's

brahma-mudi

(knots) resting in your palms and with the threads going

between

your thumb and forefinger of each hand. The water should be

released

along with the sesame and rice between the two hands, at the

base

of the little finger. This is known as Rshi tIrtham.

 

(i) prajApatim kANDarshim tarpayAmi

(ii) sOmam kANDarshim tarpayAmi

(iii) agnim kANDarshim tarpayAmi

(iv) viSvAn devAn kANDarshIn 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 of the base of the hands near the palms (i.e., 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 means

that

the water mixture should be poured off the tips of the

fingers.

 

(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, and change into dry

clothes.

 

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

and devatAs mentioned above are once again saluted using the

sacred

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

the

yajur veda samhita are taught to the sishyas. This is the most

important part of the upAkarma. 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.

If you haven't learnt any of your veda, you should do gAyatrI

japam

in its place.

 

[ 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. ]

=============================================================

Notes :

(a) On the UpAkarma day, strictly speaking, the rule is to eat only

after

bhagavad-ArAdhana and the homam. If done properly this lasts

well into

the afternoon. Because of the length of the procedure, young

brahmacharis

and those others who are absolutely unable to bear their hunger

are permitted

to eat before the homam itself. The typical meal consists of idli

and

appam, but usually excludes rice. Complete fasting is observed

after this

through the night, in preparation for the next day's gAyatrI

japam.

In some traditions one meal is eaten during the day and phalAhAram

is observed at night.

 

(b) The mantra for the kAmo'kArshIt japam is " kAmo'kArshIt manyur

akArshIt " .

Most authorities end with this, and do not follow it by anything

else.

However, in some traditions, the mantra is " kAmo'kArshIt manyur

akArshIt 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 is as follows. 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., as well as other

shastras,

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 (mahA-sankalpa). The

underlined parts change depending on the day & year.

 

After acharya vandanam and vishvaksena dhyAnam,

 

hariH om tat (NOT " om tat sat " )

SrI govinda govinda govinda!

 

asya SrI-bhagavato mahApurushasya

vishNor AjnayA pravartamAnasya

adya brahmaNe dvitIya-parArdhe SrI-Sveta-varAha-kalpe

vaivasvata-manvantare kaliyuge prathamapAde

jambudvIpe, bhAratavarshe, bharatakhaNDe,

---

-------

SakAbde, meror dakshiNe pArSve (We are all

souht of Meru no matter where on Earth)

asmin vartamAnAnAm vyAvahArikANAm

prabhavAdi shashTi samvatsarANAm madhye

Chitrabanu nAma samvatsare

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

dakshiNAyane, Varsha Rtau, Simha mAse, Sukla pakshe,

--

---

Today's Day: (Guru) vAsara-sravaNa-nakshatra yuktAyAm,

---------

paurNamAsyAm Subha-tithau,

 

 

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

depending on

sampradAya ]

 

followed by the sankalpa for the particular karma.

 

Having said a mahA-sankalpa once for a particular ritual, it need

not be

said again and again in its entireity. It is enough to

say " pUrvoccarita

evam guNa-viSeshaNa viSishTAyAm, asyAm Subha-tithau, SrI-bhagavad-

AjnayA... "

 

(e) sAttvika tyAgam details

 

sAttvika tyAgam is a moment of contemplation whereby one dedicates

the act and all its fruits entirely to Bhagavan, and where one

recognizes

that Bhagavan himself is performing the act through you entirely

for His own

purposes. Typically, as an expression of this attitude, a brief

sentence

is stated before and after performing the karma. In an

abbreviated form,

here is one version:

 

Before doing the karma:

bhagavAn eva svaniyAmya sva-Sesha-bhUtena mayA

sva-ArAdhana-eka-prayojanAya idam [name of the act]

svasmai svaprItaye svayam eva 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)

(h) mantras for wearing the maunji, ajina, and palAsa daNDa:

 

(1) maunji

, , , ,,

iyam duruktAt paribAdhamAnA Sarma varUtham punatIna AgAt |

- - - - - -

, , , ,

prANApAnAbhyAm balamAbharantI priyA dEvAnAGM subhagA

mEkhaleyam ||

- - - - - - - - - -

, , , ,

Rtasya gOptrI tapasa: parasvIghnatI raksha: sahamAnA arAtI: |

- - - - - -

, , , , ,

 

sAna: samantamanu parIhi bhadhrayA bhartAraste mekhale mA

rishAma ||

- - - - -

 

(2) ajina

 

, , , , ,

mitrasya cakshur dharuNam balIyas tejo yaSasvi sthaviraGM

samiddham |

- - - - - - - -

, ,

anAhanasyam vasanam jarishNu parIdham vAjyajinam dadhe'ham ||

-- - - - - - -

 

(3) daNDa

, , , ,

suSravassuSravasam mA kuru yathA tvaGM suSrava: susravA

asyevamahaGM

- - - - - - -

-

, , , , ,,

,,

suSravassuSravA bhUyAsam yathA tvaGM suSravassuSravo devAnAm

nidhigOpO-

- - - - - - -

-

,, , ,

'syevamaham brAhmaNAnAm brahmaNo nidhigOpO bhUyAsam ||

- - - -

======================================================================

=====

 

 

Upakarma (Avani Avittam): Nature and Purpose - by Sri Vijayaraghavan

==================================================

Upakarma (/upaakarma/) means beginning or " Arambham " , i.e. to begin

the study

of the Veda (Veda Adhyayanam). For example, Yajur Upakarma means to

begin

the study of the Yajur Veda. Those belonging to the Yajur Veda

observe the

Upakarma in the month of Sravana (August-September), on the day of

the

full moon (paurnami). Why begin study of the Vedas on this particular

day?

 

This auspicious day also happens to be the day when Lord Narayana

took the

avatara as Lord Hayagriva. Lord Hayagriva as we all know restored the

Vedas

to Brahma and also is the God of Knowledge.

 

The next question is: why do this every year? In the not too distant

a past,

Veda Adhyayanam was performed only during the period Avani to

Tai (from mid-August to mid-January). Therefore, one is supposed to

perform an " utsarjanam " in the month of Tai, i.e., a giving up of the

learning of

Vedas from Tai to Avani. Just like a Upakarma function there was a

Utsarjana

function in Tai. The period between January to August was then

devoted to

learning other branches of our shastras. Thus the cycle of Upakarma

and

Utsarjana with regard to Vedic studies was established. However,

this method took 12 or more years to learn just one veda. Slowly this

became

impractical and Vedic studies continued throughout the year.

 

Therefore, the first thing to do before the Upakarma function is to

do a

praayaschitta (atonement) for having learned Vedas during the

prohibited

period. Specifically, one atones for not having performed the

Utsarjanam in

the month of Tai. That's why we begin the function by doing

the " kAmo'karshIt... " japam.

The purpose is declared as " adhyAya-utsarjana-akarana-

prAyaScittArtham.. "

(to atone for not doing the utsarjana of Vedic study) and the

sankalpam continues

as " ...ashTottara-sahasra-sankhyayA kAmo'karshIt manyur akArshIt mahA-

mantra-japam karishye "

(I will now do recite the great " kAmo'kArshIt " mantra 1008 times).

The meaning in Tamil is " kAmaththAl seyya pattadhu, kOpaththAl seyya

pattadhu " -- done out

of desire, done out of anger. The correct way of chanting this mantra

is

" kAmo'karshIt manyur akArshIt " . Don't add namo nama: etc.

The right time to perform is immediately after your morning

anushthanam like sandhya,

samidaadaanam (if you are a brahmachari), brahma-yajnam etc. This is

performed

during the abhigamana kaalam. Brahmacharis are supposed to have a

hair-cut

(prefarably by a man!) after this.

 

The Kanda Rishis and their Significance

We saw that the " kAmo'karshIt manyur akArshIt " japam is done with a

sense of contrition.

Who else but Vasudeva can bear the burden of our acts of omissions

and commissions

with regard to shastras? SAstramayena sthira pradIpena -- Daya Devi

(compassion of the Lord personified)

lights the lamp of shastras so that the jiva can find its way to its

home in the Absolute.

After the kamo'karsheeth japam, we proceed to perform the Upakarma

function.

It is done after mAdhyAhnikam and bhagavad-ArAdhanam (ijyA).

The main purpose of the Upakarma function is to offer prayers and

express our

gratitude to those rishis who gave us the Vedas -- the rishis through

whom the

Vedic mantras were revealed. These rishis are known as " kaanda

rishis " .

There are different rishis for the different Vedas. We are expected

to worship those rishis

who belong to our shakha or branch of the Veda, one of Yajur, Rk,

Samam etc.

The Yajur Veda consists of 4 kaandams. These are known as

 

prAjApatya kaaNDam

saumya kaaNDam

Agneya kaaNDam and

vaishvadeva kaaNDam.

 

These kaandams are named after those rishis who first taught the

Vedas, viz.,

Prajapati, Soma, Agni and Vishvadeva. Subsequently we also offer our

prayers to the

Upanishads saamhiti, yaajniki, and vaaruni, and finally to Svayambhu

and Sadasaspati,

through whom the Yajur Veda came down to us.

 

The sankalpam is mainly taken for performing the Upakarma Homam. Then

we say

tad angam snAnam karishye, tad angam yajnopavIta-dhAraNam karishye,

tad angam kANDarshi tarpaNam karishye -- which implies that all other

activities like snaanam,

yajnopaveeta dhaaranam, tarpanam etc., are only performed as

an 'angam' or subsidiary

to the Upakarma Homam (which is the angi or primary).

 

In the Upakarma Homam as well as in the tarpanam, the offerings are

made to the kaanda rishis.

In fact this tarpanam is so important that it is included as part of

our nitya karma-anushthaanam,

our daily worship. There are other minor points that are worth

noting:

 

Brahmacharis should wear maunji (belt made of sacred grass), ajinam

(deerskin) and

dandam (stick made of palaasa wood) after they wear the poonool

(sacred thread).

There are separate mantras for each.

It is said that: purAtanAn parityajya which implies that you should

wear a new set of clothes

(veshti and uttarIyam) before the tarpanam and homam.

It is also said that: kAndarshi tarpaNa-kAle punaH snAtvA Ardra

vastra eva tat kuryAt,

i.e, before performing the kaanda rishi tarpanam you should once

again take a dip

in the water and do it with wet clothes.

The rishi tarpanam is done with the poonool in the nivita position

(like a garland)

and the water along with rice and sesame seeds should leave the root

of the small finger.

In some traditions you fast on the Upakarma day or at least fast till

the end.

In some traditions a general pitr tarpanam is also done.

========================================================

 

 

azhwAr emperumAnAr JeeyAr thiruvadigalE sharanam

 

adiyEn rAmAnuja dAsan

Mukundan Vangkipuram Pattangi

http://www.radioramanuja.com

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