Ramana Maharshi tells significance of Upanayanam

[Guest guest]

One morning two or three days back some people came with a young boy whose

Upanayanam had been recently performed and went away after prostrating

before Bhagavan.Soon after they left, some devotee asked him about the

significance of Upanayanam and Bhagavan related it to us as follows:

 

“Upanayanam does not mean just putting round the neck three strands of

cotton thread. It means that there are not only two eyes but a third also.

That is the jnana netram (wisdomeye). Open that eye and recognise your

swa-swarupa (own form); that is what is taught. Upanayanam means additional

eye. They say that the eye must be opened and for that purpose they give

training in pranayamam (breath control). After that they give Brahmopadesam

(Initiating about Brahman), give the boy a begging bowl and tell him to go

about begging. The first bhiksha is mathru (mother’s). When the father gives

Brahmopadesam, the mother gives three handfuls of bhiksha (rice) to enable

the young boy to do manana (repeat inwardly), the upadesa given by the

father. He is expected to fill his stomach by begging, stay in the Guru’s

house for training and realise his self by opening the jnana netram. That is

the significance of Upanayanam. Forgetting all that, what is done at present

is this: pranayamam has come to mean just closing the nose with the fingers

and pretending to control the breath; Brahmopadesam means just to cover both

the father and the son with a new dhoti when the father whispers something

in the ear of the son; bhiksha means just filling up the begging bowl with

money. What could they preach to the boy when the father who gives the

upadesa and the priest who gets this done,do not know the real significance

of Upanayanam? Not only that. After receiving the required knowledge by

staying with the Guru for a sufficiently long time, the Guru used to send

the boy to his parents to find out whether his mind would get caught in

worldly affairs or turn towards sannyasa. After staying for some time in

their own homes, the boys used to start on a pilgrimage to Banaras, devoid

of worldly desires and with a view to renouncing them completely. At that

time, parents having girls of marriageable age dissuade the boys from going

to Banaras and offer them their daughters in marriage. Those that are

strongly inclined towards renunciation would go without caring for the

offers of marriage and those that are otherwise, return home and accept the

offer of marriage. All that is forgotten now. Pilgrimage to Banaras at

present means the young man puts on a silver-lined silk dhoti, his eyes are

coloured black, his forehead bears a caste mark, his feet are ornamented

with yellow and red paste, his body is smeared with sandal-paste, his neck

is adorned with flower garlands, an umbrella is spread over his head and

wooden sandals are worn on his feet and he walks on stylishly to the

accompaniment of music. When the girl’s brother comes and offers his sister

in marriage and presses him to accept the offer, he says, “I want a wrist

watch. I want a motor cycle, I want this and I want that. If you give them,

I can marry, otherwise not.” Afraid that the marriage which is arranged may

fall through, the parents of the bride give whatever is demanded. Then they

have photos, feasts and presentation of cloths and the like. Nowadays,

bhikshas are used for filling up the begging bowl with rupees and

pilgrimages to Banaras are used for extracting dowries.”

 

Source: Letters from and Recollections of Sri Ramanasramam Book

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