by Shrila Gopala Bhatta Gosvami
The acarya should go and sit on the North side of the fire facing East upon kusha with tips facing North.
The child should face the acarya, and kneel with right knee touching the ground, upon kusha with tips facing North.
The acarya should wrap the child’s waist three times with a belt of three strands of kusha, by walking around him three times in a clockwise direction.
@footnote:
Varaha Griha Sutras say: “The triple belt symbolises that the brahmacari is always surrounded by the three Vedas.”
He should make the child say:
om prajapatih vishnu rishih
gayatri chandah
shri vishnuh devata
upanayane brahmacari mekhala paridhapane viniyogah
om iyam dur uktat pari vadhamana
varnam pavitram punati me agat
pranapanabhyam balam avahanti
svasa devi subhaga mekhala iyam
“This belt is the consort of the Lord, pure and auspicious. Like a sister, freeing and protecting one from bad words and acts. It preserves the purity of ones varna, bringing strength for inhaling and exhaling breath. I have obtained this belt.”
om ritasya goptri tapasah parasvi
ghnati rakshah sahamana aratih
sa ma samantam abhiparyehi bhadre
dhartarah te mekhale ma rishama
“This belt is the protector of truth, the greatest wealth of austerity, which prevents injury, and causes victory over enemies. O secret belt of fortune, please surround me completely. As your wearers may we not bring harm to you.”
The acarya should take the sacred thread saying:
om prajapatih vishnu rishih
gayatri chandah
shri vishnuh devata
upanayane yajnopavita dane viniyogah
om yajnopavitam asi yajnasya tva yajnopavitena upanahyami
“You are the sacred thread for sacrifice. I tie you with this thread for the purpose of performing sacrifices.”
He should place the thread on the child’s left shoulder and under the right arm saying:
om prajapatih vishnu rishih
gayatri chandah
shri vishnuh devata
upanayane manavakasya yajnopavitam paridhapane viniyogah
om yaMjnoMpaMviMtam paMraMmam paMvitram /
praMjapaÁteMr yat saÁhaMjam puraMstaÁt //
aMyuMshyaÁm agryaMm pratiÁmunca shuMbhram /
yaÁjnopaviMtam balaÁm astu tejaÁh //
“The sacred thread is most pure, born at the time of the appearance of the Lord, long before. Put on this shining white thread bestowing long life. Let there be strength and energy.”
The acarya should place the deer skin in the child’s hands and make him say:
@footnote:
The deer skin was of practical use in forest life. It was used by the brahmacari as an upper garment to keep the rain off, and as an asana to sit and meditate, as snakes would not disturb him as they dislike the subtle smell of the skin, and the hairs of the skin hurt their scales. Brahmanas would wear the skin of the black buck (which is non-different from Brahman), kshatriyas would wear the skin of a spotted antelope, and vaishyas would wear the skin of a goat. However, some texts substitute the animal skin for a new cloth.
om prajapatih vishnu rishih
trishtup chandah
shri vishnuh devata
upanayane manavakasya ajina paridhapane viniyogah
om mitrasya cakshuh dharunam baliyah
tejo yashasvi sthaviram samidham
anahanasyam vasanam jarishnu pari
idam vaji ajinam dadhe aham
“I am giving you this deer skin, which is the light of the sun, the presiding Lord, strength, energy and fame, eternal and effulgent, chaste, giving valor, giving long life.”
The child should put on the deer skin.
The child, folding his hands, should stand in front of the acarya and say:
om prajapatih vishnu rishih
gayatri chandah
shri vishnuh devata
acarya mantrane viniyogah
om adhihi bhoh savitrim me bhavan anubravitu
“Teach me, sir. Please recite to me the Gayatri mantra.”
The acarya should make the child recite each phrase three times:
om prajapatih vishnu rishih
gayatri chandah
shri vishnuh devata
upanayane japopanayane viniyogah
om tat savituh varenyam (3x)
om bhargo devasya dhimahi (3x)
om dhiyo yo nah pracodayat(e) (3x)
The acarya should make the child repeat the following two phrases three times each:
om tat savituh varenyam bhargo devasya dhimahi (3x) om dhiyo yo nah pracodayat (3x)
The acarya should make the child recite the full mantra three times:
om tat savituh varenyam
bhargo devasya dhimahi
dhiyo yo nah pracodayat (3x)
The acarya should make the child recite each of the Mahavyahritis as follows:
om prajapatih vishnu rishih
gayatri chandah
shri vishnuh devata
maha-vyahrti pate viniyogah
om bhur om
om prajapatih vishnu rishih
ushnik chandah
shri vishnuh devata
maha-vyahrti pate viniyogah
om bhuvah om
om prajapatih vishnu rishih
anushtup chandah
shri vishnuh devata
maha-vyahrti pate viniyogah
om svah om
The acarya should make the child recite the Gayatri mantra with the Mahavyahritis three times:
om prajapatih vishnu rishih
gayatri chandah
shri vishnuh devata
japopanayane viniyogah
om bhur bhuvah svah
tat savitur varenyam
bhargo devasy dhimahi
dhiyo yo nah pracodayat om (3x)
Then the acarya should hand the child a stick of bilva or palasha wood and make him address the stick, saying:
@footnote:
The danda is given for protection and for tending the spiritual master’s cattle. Symbolically it represents the symbol of a traveller, in other words, the brahmacari is a traveller on the road of spiritual life.
The brahmana’s danda should measure up to his hairline, the kshatriya’s up to the place between eyebrows, and the vaishya’s up to the tip of his nose.
The danda should be unbroken, unscratched and with bark. It should be straight, fine looking and not burnt by fire.
om prajapatih vishnu rishih
pankti chandah
shri vishnuh devata
upanayane manavaka dandarpane viniyogah
om sushravah sushravasam
ma kuru yatha tvam sushravah
sushrava deveshu evam
aham sushravah sushrava
brahmaneshu bhuyasam
“You, being glorious with knowledge, make me glorious with the same knowledge. O glorious one, as you are glorious among the devas, may I be glorious among the brahmanas.”
Taking the danda the brahmacari should begin begging, by first going to his mother and saying:
om bhavati bhiksham dehi
“Oh good woman, please give alms.”
@footnote:
In the Dharma shastra it explains that
a brahmana will exclaim
“bhavati bhiksham dehi”,
a kshatriya, “bhiksham dehi bhavati”,
and a vaishya, “dehi bhavati bhiksham”.
Receiving alms he should say:
om svasti
“May there be auspiciousness”
In the same manner he should approach women friends of his mother and then thank them on receiving the alms.
He should then go to his father and say:
om bhavan bhiksham dehi
“Oh sir, please give alms.”
@footnote:
The same manner of address will apply as said to the mother.
Receiving alms he should say:
om svasti
“May there be auspiciousness”
He should approach friends of his father in the same way.
He should give all that he receives to the acarya.
The acarya should perform Vyasta Samasta Mahavyahriti Homa and should offer ghee-soaked wood of pradesha length into the fire silently.
He should perform Shatyayana Homa, Vamadevya Ganam and the other rites of Udicya Karma. The father of the child should give dakshina to the initiated Vaishnavas and brahmanas. He should serve prasada to all the devotees and guests.
The brahmacari should remain at the place of the homa silently until sunset. He should then perform Kushandika rites, drawing the lines and purifying then, establishing the fire and calling the fire called “Samudbhava.” He should fold his hands and say:
om ihaivayam itaro jataveda
devebhyo havyam vahatu prajanan
“May this fire, all knowing Jataveda, carry the offering to the devatas.”
He should perform Udakanjali Seka and Agni-Paryukshana (see the section on Kushandika)
Taking three sticks of ghee-soaked wood of pradesha length, he should offer the first without mantra.
The second he should offer saying:
om prajapatih vishnu rishih
gayatri chandah
shri vishnuh devata
agnau samidadhane viniyogah
om vishno agnaye samidham aharyam
vrihate jatavedase
yatha agnih samidha samidhyati
evam aham ayusha medhaya varcasa
prajaya pashubhih brahmavacasena
dhanena annadyena samedhishiya svaha
idam vishnave idam na mamav
“I have brought the wood of the great fire, the knower of all living entities. Just as the fire shines brightly by means of the fuel, may I shine with long life, wisdom, vitality, good offspring, many cows, knowledge of the Vedas, necessary wealth and sustenance.”
He should offer the third stick silently.
He should perform Agni Paryukshana and Udakanjali Seka again.
Identifying himself by gotra he should salute the fire, saying:
om …… gotrah shri (his own name) deva sharmaham bho ‘bhivadaye
“I ………. of ….. gotra salute you, oh fire.”
He should dismiss the fire saying:
om kshamsva
“Please forgive my offenses.”
