Upakarma (उपाकर्म)

Upakarma (Samskrit: उपाकर्म) refers to the commencement of education (at the beginning of the educational year) by the teachers and students in olden days. In the present day it is associated with the day when dvijas (one who has undergone Upanayana) change yajnopaveeta annually and refresh their vows for the study of vedas.

Introduction

Sanatana Dharma has many activities associated with every stage of life intricately woven with nature and divinity. One such is the system of education and timing with nature. With the onset of rains, since the life style was primarily agrarian, people were engaged in activities of farming. Maintaining cows both for havya and kavya (offerings to devatas and forefathers) was considered a sacred requirement. Every season had its significant events and worship associated with it. The months of Sravana and Bhadrapada (usually around August and September) fall into the rainy season and during this time Chaturmasya vrata commences.

छान्दसाम् उपाकर्म Chhandasam Upakarma

In pre-historic times the annual session of education began soon after the commencement of the rainy season when the sowing operations were over and crops had began to sprout. By the full moon of month of Sravana (August) the sowing activity would be over and the ritual of Chhandasam Upakarma (छान्दसाम् उपाकर्म), i.e., gathering the vedic knowledge, was performed on that day. The full moon days of Ashadha, Sravana and Bhadrapada are mentioned by different authorities as appropriate days for Upakarma. The ritual of cessation of vedic studies, after a period of five or six months from Sravana masa is prescribed in the grhyasutras, as Chhandasam Utsarjana (छान्दसाम् उत्सर्जनम्). Utsarjana was therefore performed on the fullmoon day of Pausha(Pushya masa) or Magha masa (February - March). In the present days Utsarjana is not performed.

हुतानुकृतिरुपाकर्म ।१। श्रावण्यां पौर्णमास्यां क्रियेतापि वा आषाढ्याम्।२। (Bau. Grh. 3.1.1-2)

अथात उपाकरणोत्सर्जने व्याख्यास्यामः १ श्रवणापक्ष ओषधीषु जातासु हस्तेन पौर्णमास्यां वाध्यायोपाकर्म २ (Hira. Grh. 8.2)

Significance

Upakarma is associated with the annual replacement of the yajnopaveeta, in the present day. However, in earlier days it was to be performed only by the teacher along with his students when they had reassembled at the beginning of the session (Asv. Grh. 8.4.10) and Baud Gr. Sutr. 3.1.8. Upakarma Prakarana of Apastamba Grhyasutras

Vat. Gr. Sutr mention special formulas to be performed by teachers ambitious to have a large number of scholars. Thus it was clear that in ancient times Sravani was originally restricted to teachers and students.

Later on it was extended to grhasthas who were required to spend time on revising what they learnt in their gurukula days. They therefore proposed that the monsoon time should be devoted to the task of revising their studies. Jai. Grh. Sutr. Upakarma section. The central ideas of rituals on the Upakarma day was to

• remind the students/grhasthas of the rshi rnam and express their gratitude for the knowledge given to them
• motivate students to perform with vigour by remembering and following the glorious examples of rshis
• remind the grhasthas of their duty to study their own vaidika shakas

विधिः ॥ Vidhi

Although the procedures of Upakarma differed with different vaidika shakas they have a few common principles. The activities common to all followers of different shakas include - on the opening day, offering of tarpanas (oblations) to deities of yajnas and vedas, propitiating the presiding deities of intellect, memory and creativity (ex., Sarasvati devi, Hayagriva) and pay reverence to the rshis (ex., Panini) who have enriched the literature. Apart from these dvijas change their yajnopaveeta and perform Gayatri mantra japa on the following day.

• Rigveda shaka followers used to recite the opening and concluding mantras of each of the ten mandalas of their vedas.

• Yajurveda followers offer tarpanas/oblations to all the vedas, itihasa and puranas. Apart from this the celebrated rshis such as Dvaipayana, Vaisampayana, Tittiri (mantra drashtas), Atreya (author of pada-patha), Kaudinya (vrittikara), Baudhayana (pravachanakara), Apasthamba (Sutrakara) and others such as Vajasaneya, Hiranyakeshi, Yajnavalkya, Bharadvaja and Agnivesya (Baudh. Gr. Sut. 3.1).

• The followers of the Samaveda invoked the memory of their rshis like Jaimini, Talavakara, Ranayani etc.

The rituals performed on the day of Utsarjana are also similar and respectful homage to the rshis and gurus are paid on the day before the students dispersed home. Sadly these procedures are now lost and Sravani came to represent the day to change the yajnopaveeta which is actually a minor activity in the whole event. The study of veda shakas is gradually decreasing and people are forgetting the rshiparamparas that gave us this vast knowledge base.