Changes

During this time perceptual powers increase in keenness and accuracy. Environmental influence has a great role in such development of perception. Before Upanayana home and members of the family are the most important factors influencing the child. Chaturvarnya system was the foundation of the society in Bharatavarsha. As [[Brahmana Dharma (ब्राह्मणधर्मः)|Brahmana]] household was filled with Veda mantras and recitation, it was quite natural that a child born there starts to learn them early on just by hearing, as early as, by the age of five. Some grhyasutras prescribe Upanayana samskara for the Brahmins by the age of five. So their thinking and reasoning capacities develop early on based on their environment. Consider the household of a Kshatriya. A child born there needs a little more time to strengthen himself physically. The [[Kshatriya Dharma (क्षत्रियधर्मः)|kshatriya dharma]] entails that they be trained more strictly to a harder discipline working on the natural qualities of heroism, leadership, resourcefulness and generosity etc. Hence they can undergo the Upanayana samskara at a much later age than the Brahmin boys as they have to focus more on their physical strength. Coming to the [[Vaishya Dharma (वैश्यधर्मः)|Vaishyas]], their strengths lie in understanding the principles of agriculture and business handed down from their forefathers. Thus Upanayana at different age levels for the different varnas have been fixed by the Smritis and this was based on the psychology and developmental stages of a human being. Thus educational system was totally framed around grooming the child in his future occupation as well as transmitting the knowledge to the next generation.<ref name=":1" />

During this time perceptual powers increase in keenness and accuracy. Environmental influence has a great role in such development of perception. Before Upanayana home and members of the family are the most important factors influencing the child. Chaturvarnya system was the foundation of the society in Bharatavarsha. As [[Brahmana Dharma (ब्राह्मणधर्मः)|Brahmana]] household was filled with Veda mantras and recitation, it was quite natural that a child born there starts to learn them early on just by hearing, as early as, by the age of five. Some grhyasutras prescribe Upanayana samskara for the Brahmins by the age of five. So their thinking and reasoning capacities develop early on based on their environment. Consider the household of a Kshatriya. A child born there needs a little more time to strengthen himself physically. The [[Kshatriya Dharma (क्षत्रियधर्मः)|kshatriya dharma]] entails that they be trained more strictly to a harder discipline working on the natural qualities of heroism, leadership, resourcefulness and generosity etc. Hence they can undergo the Upanayana samskara at a much later age than the Brahmin boys as they have to focus more on their physical strength. Coming to the [[Vaishya Dharma (वैश्यधर्मः)|Vaishyas]], their strengths lie in understanding the principles of agriculture and business handed down from their forefathers. Thus Upanayana at different age levels for the different varnas have been fixed by the Smritis and this was based on the psychology and developmental stages of a human being. Thus educational system was totally framed around grooming the child in his future occupation as well as transmitting the knowledge to the next generation.<ref name=":1" />

Intelligence is required for a person of any varna. The ancients believed that the chief goal of Upanayana samskara centered around the development of intelligence along with the child's sensory equipment. The study of Vedas was considered as a higher level of study. Vedic study included what intelligence tests now measure - efficient problem solving abilities, the power of understanding and processing multiple things, ability to think abstractly and memory power to name a few. The sankalpas made during Upanayana aimed to increase medha (intelligence), [[Shraddha (श्रद्धा)|shraddha]] (concentration and focus), Prajna (discrimination, judgement) required for Vedic study. The [[Vedapatha Paddhati (वेदपाठपद्धतिः)|Vedapatha paddhati]], the system of chanting the mantras, in eight types- Jata patha, Mala patha, Shikha patha, Rekha patha, Dhvaja patha, Danda patha, Ratha patha and Ghanapatha are the standard IQs of those days.

Intelligence is required for a person of any varna. The ancients believed that the chief goal of Upanayana samskara centered around the development of intelligence along with the child's sensory equipment. The study of Vedas was considered as a higher level of study. Vedic study included what intelligence tests now measure - efficient problem solving abilities, the power of understanding and processing multiple things, ability to think abstractly and memory power to name a few. The sankalpas made during Upanayana aimed to increase medha (intelligence), [[Shraddha (श्रद्धा)|shraddha]] (concentration and focus), Prajna (discrimination, judgement) required for Vedic study. The [[Vedapatha Paddhati (वेदपाठपद्धतिः)|Vedapatha paddhati]], the system of chanting the mantras, in eight types- Jata patha, Mala patha, Shikha patha, Rekha patha, Dhvaja patha, Danda patha, Ratha patha and Ghanapatha are the standard IQs of those days. This type of recitation improves memory as well as sustained attention as evidenced in [https://www.researchgate.net/publication/228494221_Effect_of_Vedic_chanting_on_memory_and_sustained_attention one such modern research study]. During Upanayana the child is taught the Gayatri mantra on which he is asked to focus and meditate. Even though at such a young age the child is unaware of the effects, he is trained to sit and meditate on the mantra under guidance. Thus this samskara is the starting point of disciplining the mind, and developing a habit of doing so.<ref name=":1" />

 

Recent studies on the [https://www.researchgate.net/publication/347947464_Beneficial_effects_of_Gayatri_mantra effect of Gayatri mantra] on today's youth point to an improvement in the cognitive and cardiovascular parameters when the mantra was chanted. Mantra chanting, specifically Gayatri Mantra has become one of the modern tools to achieve "mindfulness or calmness". A preliminary investigation of this approach to use ancient methods in improving quality of life has shown promising results as evidenced by the [https://pediatrics.medresearch.in/index.php/ijpr/article/view/366/730 pilot research study in school children in Kerala]. Studies on brain using imaging techniques (such as Magnetic Resonance Imaging) are underway in many laboratories around the world to prove the positive effects of chanting mantras in people in different areas of life such as students, the elderly, [https://www.researchgate.net/publication/342704865_Effect_of_Gayatri_Mantra_Chanting_on_Attention_Memory_Anxiety_and_Mental_State_in_Young_Athletes_A_Prospective_Study?_sg=dsVSa18th46wVPN_3vYbnpk-OPFH5KqpXN71XWIQUlZ6M9A6XrF1qFQsg4s8WU2oYkWzZ0bZiawpy38 athletes], office goers so on and so forth.

== Upanayana for Girls ==

== Upanayana for Girls ==