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== परिचय || Introduction ==
== परिचय || Introduction ==
Literally it means "taking near". It is implied that the boy is taken near Ācārya for instruction and learning Veda etc. The rite by which the boy is taken to Ācārya is also called Upanayanam.
'''Brahmacārī''': The boy who underwent this Saṃskāra is called Brahmacārī (Brahma means Veda, one who learns Veda is called Brahmacārī). A Brahmacārī would get eligibility to perform any Vedic rite.
'''Dvija''': Upanayanam is a Saṃskāra to be performed on the boys of Dvijas, i.e. Brāhmaṇa, Kṣatriya and Vaiśya. People belonging to the above three castes are called Dvijas, which literally means twice-born. The first birth is given by father and mother whereas, since Goddess Gāyatrī (whose Mantra is preached to the boy during Upanayanam) and the Ācārya (the teacher who performs the Upanayanam) are considered as mother and father during Upanayanam, the Upanayanasaṃskāra is considered as another birth. Thus the people of the first three castes are called Dvijas.
'''Ṛṣiṛṇam (the debt of sages)''': Taittirīyasaṃhitā (6.3.10.5) says the following:
जायमानो ह वै ब्राह्मणः त्रिभिः ऋणवान् जायते ब्रह्मचर्येण ऋषिभ्यः यज्ञेन देवेभ्यः प्रजया पितृभ्यः एष वा अनृणो यः पुत्री यज्वा ब्रह्मचारिवासी।
jāyamāno ha vai brāhmaṇaḥ tribhiḥ ṛṇavān jāyate brahmacaryeṇa ṛṣibhyaḥ yajñena devebhyaḥ prajayā pitṛbhyaḥ eṣa vā anṛṇo yaḥ putrī yajvā brahmacārivāsī।
Every Brāhmaṇa, when born is indebted in three debts related to Ṛṣis (sages), Devatas (deities) and Pitaraḥ (forefathers) in terms of Brahmacaryam (celibacy), Yajña (sacrifice) and Prajā (offspring), respectively. He can get rid of the above three debts by living with the teacher as a Brahmacārī, by performing a sacrifice and by being father of a son.
Brahmacārī and his conduct are beautifully lauded in Atharvaveda (11.7, 26). According to Taittirīyabrāhmaṇam (3.10.11) Bharadvāja took Brahmacaryam for three generations. Āśvalāyana, in his Gṛhyasūtram (22.3, 4) prescribes twelve years of Brahmacaryam for each Veda, i.e. forty eight years for four Vedas or till completion and its origin is in Gopathabrāhmaṇam (2.5) –<blockquote>द्वादशवर्षाणि वेदब्रह्मचर्यम्। ग्रह्णान्तं वा। आश्वलायनगृह्यसूत्रम् ॥</blockquote><blockquote>dvādaśavarṣāṇi vedabrahmacaryam। grahṇāntaṃ vā।</blockquote>Āśvalāyanagṛhyasūtram ॥
== Age for Upanayanam ==
Three different ages are prescribed for Dvijas, viz. Brāhmaṇas, Kṣatriyas and Vaiśyas, in Gṛhyasūtras and Dharmaśāstras. Double the age is permitted for those, who, for some reason or the other could not perform at the right age –<blockquote>गर्भाष्टमेषु ब्राह्मणमुपनयीत।</blockquote><blockquote>गर्भैकादशेषु राजन्यं गर्भद्वादशेषु वैश्यम्। आपस्तम्बगृह्यसूत्रम् १॰. २, ३॥</blockquote><blockquote>garbhāṣṭameṣu brāhmaṇamupanayīta।</blockquote><blockquote>garbhaikādaśeṣu rājanyaṃ garbhadvādaśeṣu vaiśyam।</blockquote><blockquote>Āpastambagṛhyasūtram 10. 2, 3॥</blockquote>Upanayanam for a Brāhmaṇa should be performed in sixth or seventh or eighth years from conception. Similarly it is ninth or tenth or eleventh years from conception for a Kṣatriya; and tenth or eleventh or twelfth years from conception for a Vaiśya.
Gautama adds the following:<blockquote>आषोडशात् ब्राह्मणस्य अपतिता सावित्री।</blockquote><blockquote>द्वाविंशते राजन्यस्य द्व्यधिकाया वैश्यस्य। गौतमधर्मसूत्रम् १.१३, १४॥</blockquote><blockquote>āṣoḍaśāt brāhmaṇasya apatitā sāvitrī।</blockquote><blockquote>dvāviṃśate rājanyasya dvyadhikāyā vaiśyasya।</blockquote><blockquote>Gautamadharmasūtram 1.13, 14॥</blockquote>The upper limit for getting Upanayanam for a Brāhmaṇa is sixteen years. For Kṣatriya it is twenty years and for a Vaiśya it is twenty two years.
Manusmṛti prescribes the age for Upanayanam depending on the purpose.
== Seasons for Upanayanam ==
Different seasons are prescribed for different Varṇas (castes) for Upanayanam –<blockquote>वसन्तो ग्रीष्मः शरदिति ऋतवो वर्णानुपूर्व्येण। आपस्तम्बगृह्यसूत्रम्, १॰.४॥</blockquote><blockquote>vasanto grīṣmaḥ śaraditi ṛtavo varṇānupūrvyeṇa।</blockquote><blockquote>Āpastambagṛhyasūtram, 10.4॥</blockquote>It is Vasanta (Spring) for a Brāhmaṇa, Grīṣma (Summer) for a Kṣatriya and Śarat (Autumn) for a Vaiśya for performing Upanayanam.
Specific Nakṣatras (stars) and Tithis (dates) etc. are also prescribed by some Smṛtis. Upanayanam, according to Smṛtis and Jyotiṣam (Astrology / Astronomy) has to be performed during Uttarāyaṇa (six months from mid-January) and forenoon.
== Yajñopavītam ==
Yajñopavītam is the holy cord to be worn by a Dvija from the day of Upanayanam. It has got a lot of significance in the rites. Raising the boy's right arm, putting the head into he suspends the cord over his right shoulder in such a way that it hangs down on his right side. Thus he becomes Yajñopavītin (one who has got the Yajñopavīta). The Yajñopavītam would have three positions.
# Upavītam: The cord will be sitting on the left shoulder and hanging under the right hand. For all rites related to deities (Vedic) one should maintain Upavītam.
# Prācīnāvītam: This is opposite to Upavītam, i.e. the cord would sit on the right shoulder and hangs under the left hand. This position is to be used while performing any rite related to forefathers (Pitṛkarma).
# Nivītam / Saṃvītam: The cord simply hangs from the neck and this position is for any human activity such as sleeping, nature's calls, sexual intercourse etc.
'''Manufacturing the''' '''Yajñopavītam''': The Yajñopavīta should have three threads of nine strands (tantus) well twisted for each thread. A Brahmacārī has to wear a single Yajñopavītam whereas a householder should wear two or three.
'''Women had Yajñopavītam''': Saṃskāraprakāśa (pp. 402, 403) quotes Yama –<blockquote>पुरा कल्पे कुमारीणां मौञ्जीबन्धनमिष्यते।</blockquote><blockquote>अध्यापनं च वेदानां सावित्रीवचनं तथा॥</blockquote><blockquote>purā kalpe kumārīṇāṃ mauñjībandhanamiṣyate।</blockquote><blockquote>adhyāpanaṃ ca vedānāṃ sāvitrīvacanaṃ tathā॥</blockquote>During former ages, tying of girdle of muñja (i.e. Upanayana) was desired in the case of maidens, they were taught Vedas and made to recite Sāvitrī, i.e. Gāyatrīmantra.
Commentators are of the opinion that this practice belongs to earlier Yuga.
== Sandhyavandana ==
This is the basic regular rite to be performed by all Dvijas. Those who ignore are not eligible to perform any (Vedic) rite. It is called Nityakarma (a regular rite). One has to perform this rite three times a day. Sandhyā means twilight. The rite performed during twilight is also called Sandhyā or Sandhyāvandanam (salute of Sandhyā). All the Dvijas (i.e. who have undergone Upanayanam) have to perform Sandhyā. For Śūdras and ladies the sight of rising and setting Sun itself is considered as Sandhyāvandanam.
After Upanayana, Brahmacharis have to perform [[Sandhyavandana (सन्ध्यावन्दनम्)]] and samidhadhana.
== यग्नोपविथम् || The Significance of the Sacred Thread, Yagnopavitham ==
== यग्नोपविथम् || The Significance of the Sacred Thread, Yagnopavitham ==