UPANAYANAM AND SANDHYVANDANAM----4

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Friends,Let me try to share with you in this posting as to what some Rishis have said about Upanayanam in their Smritis:-Manu Smriti"In the eighth year from the conception in the case of a Brahmin, in the eleventh from that for a kshatriya and in the 12th from that of a vaisya, let the father invest the child with the mark of his class(ii.36). The three twice-born classes are the sacredotal, the fighting and the commercial, but the fourth,or servile, is once-born,that is,has no second birth fromthe Gayatri, and wears no (sacred) thread(x.4).Let the students in spirituality wear for their mantles the

hides of black antelopes, of common deer or of goats,with lower vests of woven san ofchsuma and of wool,in the direct order of their class(ii.41). His girdle, his leather mantle, his sacrificial cord; he must throw into water,when they are worn out or broken, and change them with sacred mantras(ii.64) A son should be taught Vedas as quickly as possible. Fathers who are desirous of their sons becoming greta scholars can even perform the Upanayanam of the son at the age of 5. In case of Brahmin, a boy can get his Upanayanam performed even upto the age of 16 along redemptive (prayaschita) ceremonies for the delay. This is th outer limit. In the case of Kshatritas the age limit is 22 and incase of Vaishyas the limit is 24. Those who do not get their Upanayanam done within the outerage limits indicated above would be considered as Pathitha (fallen people).Apasthamba Smruti Upanayanam of a Brahmin boy should be performed in the eighth year from the year of conception. In case of Kshatriay, this is fixed as 11years and for vaisya it is 12. For Brahmins, the ceremony should be performed during Vasantaha (spring), Kshatriya during Greeshma(summer) and Vaisya in Sharad(autumn).Vashishta SmrutiIn respect of boys whose

Upanayanam is not

performed within prescribed time, they can get it after performing austerities prescribed by sage Udhalaka, or after performing Aswamedha avabrutha snanam(ritual bath).Sage UdalakaHe prescribes redemptive act consisting of living only on gruel for two years followed by living only on milk for one year,followed by 15 days ofAamiksha,followed by eight days of complete fast. After this ,upanaynam can be performed.(to be continued)G.Balasubramanian