The Pancha Poojas

The Pancha Poojas

According to the traditional Vedic system, the Hindus are prescribed 5 daily Vedic pujas for all round prosperity and to ward off all evils. The pancha pujas are:

1.   Ganesha Pooja,

2.   Soorya pooja,

3.   Shiva Pooja,

4.   Devi Pooja and

5.   Vishnu Pooja.

A brief and simple pooja to the five deities, including the famous Sri Chakra pooja is best suited. Pooja is the Hindu ritual of worshiping God in a systematic manner as prescribed in the Vedic scriptures. An idol or image or symbol of the deity is kept and worshiped by chanting the mantras & verses. The various names of the deity and the mantras are recited. The number of times they are recited depends on one's convenience, capacity and time (Yatha Shakti). Some recite 108 times, or 1008 or more. It is a way of expressing ones faith in God, a way of seeking salvation and a way of seeking His blessings to ward off the troubles and to ask Him to grant ones desired goals and objectives. There several types of poojas of these deities and some of them can take a whole day. The way a pooja is performed also varies depending on ones regional and traditional back ground. Various pooja books and websites prescribe long preparations and rituals for poojas. It is not possible for every one to perform a pooja like an ordained Vedic priest. Hence our scriptures allow one to do a pooja "Yatha shakti" or as per ones capability and convenience. Doing it with faith is what really matters. Various offerings like fruits, flowers, camphor, sweets, milk etc. are offered. These are called Shodasa Upacharas. The minimum is to light a lamp and an incense stick and offer some Prasad, preferably keeping an idol or photograph of the deity.

About Homas

·     Homa is an ancient Hindu ritual performed to invoke Agni, the God of fire, by offering Ghee (clarified butter) and other sacrificial offerings. As Havih means Ghee, Havisha means offering and Yagya means sacrifice, Homa is also called Havan and Yagya.

·    After performing the Pooja, a fire is lit in a Homakunda. If one has done 1000 mantra recitals during the pooja, the 1/10 of that number, i.e., 100 times the mantra is recited again and with each mantra recital Ghee is pored into the Homakunda. Other offerings like cooked rice etc are also offered as prescribed. The ingredients vary according to the deity worshiped. Brahma is the creator of the world and the Sun God is His son. The Sun is the main source of energy and fire represents Sun. Hence ending the Pooja with offering to fire is considered very auspicious and enhances the beneficial effects of the pooja.

·      Technically a Homa and Yagya (also called Yajna) are the same but Yagya is a much larger scale Homa. To give you an idea: the famous Ekadasa Rudram where normally 11 pundits perform the Homa is called Rudra Ekadasa Homam. Where as the Ati Rudram, where 121 pundits perform the Homa is called Ati Rudra Yagya.

·        Another perspective - Ashoka, Akbar & Vikramaditya were Maharajas, i.e., kings. As they ruled vast kingdoms they were also called "Chakravarti", i.e.,  Emperors. Where as the maharaja of Junagad and the maharaja of Patiala were only kings and not emperors. So if you get a Havan/Homa done by a few pundits, you should not call it a Yagya. So the questions to ask include-

o   what all will be performed,

o   how many recitals and homa offerings,

o   by how many pundits it will be performed,

o   the date time and the venue of the homa!

How the Poojas work

·        The Hindu theology is based on the theory of Karma or fate. The good and the bad acts by you have a positive or negative effect on your soul. This balance sheet of your Karma is carried forward from life to life. It is based on this that you have good and bad experiences in your life. You may commit a murder and may get away with the police and the law. Or you may cheat your partner or spouse and hoodwink him. But there is no escaping His cosmic x-ray. Your account gets debited and the law of Karma is as certain as Newton's third law of motion. Sometimes you experience the effects of your Karma in this life and sometimes in the next life.

·  According to the Vedic scriptures and the learned saints, performing mantra-japa, stotra recital, dana, pooja/homa etc. are auspicious as they produce positive effects and counteract and remove or at least reduce the negative Karma and improve your life.

· The poojas and homas work when performed properly reciting the prescribed mantras, using the prescribed ingredients, by making the required homa sacrifices and doing the prescribed dana etc to the pundits.

· To counteract the negative influences of the planets and their bad yogas/doshas, or to improve and attain various desired objectives, the scriptures have prescribed several poojas and homas of various deities.

·   The deity is worshipped in the prescribed ritualistic manner with mantras and offerings, the Brahmins are given anna-dana, vastra-dana and dakshina etc. The positive influence of these give you positive results. Better results and an inner strength and confidence are experienced. Sometimes the results are instant and sometimes they are slow. But they are certain.

·        If you can perform a pooja yourself, nothing like it. It gives the best results. However not many know how to perform a ritualistic pooja, or the patience to do repeated mantra japa with concentration. Those who don't know take the help of the priests to do it for them.

BRAHMIN

BRAHMIN

·         The word Brahmin means many things to many people, resulting in confusion. 

·     One of the reasons for this confusion is Sanskrit language, in which, many words in Sanskrit have many meanings.  So, depending upon the context one has to absorb the meaning of the word.

·         The word Brahmana (hereinafter "Brahmin") means the one who knows God, one who has the knowledge of God, one who has the knowledge of Vedas, an intellectual, a priest, a teacher, a professor, a person belonging to Brahmin caste, knowing the text related to Vedas, and so on.

·         The 6 deeds/traits of a Brahmin are as follows:

1.    To learn

2.    To teach

3.    To worship for yourself

4.    To worship for others

5.    To give what you can

6.    To accept what is offered in love

·   Accordingly, priests in a mosque, church, a synagogue, a gurudwara etc. may all be Brahmins, too because they are all obviously, having the knowledge of God and because they are intellectuals. However, they may not be Brahmins as they may not have the knowledge of the Vedas and they may not belong to the Brahmin caste and certainly, they may not be vegetarians.

·        The process of learning involves exposure to information based on which one forms ideas, views and assessments. Knowledge pertaining to the universe is tangible to the human mind, but spiritual knowledge is elusive to rational enquiry. The Vedas are a comprehensive source of knowledge spanning both the physical and metaphysical worlds.

·        The term ‘Brahma Jignasa’ implies the desire to know the Brahman. When one is prompted to enquire about Brahman, it is up to the individual to assess the validity of the means of gaining knowledge, and to evaluate its relevance, purpose, and correctness. So a constant exposure to this knowledge, through listening (sravana) and contemplation (manana) is required in this enquiry into Brahman, and there is no shortcut.

·         In the Vedas, there is information about how to lead a purposeful life and accomplish one’s goals. These goals are collectively known as Purusharthas &are broadly classified into 4:

1.    Dharma (righteous living),

2.    Artha (material possessions),

3.    Kama (sense pleasures for enjoyment and happiness) and

4.    Moksha (liberation).

·         The first 3 pertain to life on earth, while the 4^th leads to the path of salvation.

·      The Karmakanda section of the Vedas deals with the means of attaining the first 3 goals. Based on their guidance, one may persevere to achieve the results aimed for. The Vedas also point out that these 3 goals have their limitations. Attaining these goals needs much effort; and maintaining what is gained is a still greater challenge since these are not permanent and can be lost at any point of time. This loss will also cause pain and sorrow. The sense of happiness projected in these goals is only a false sense of euphoria.

·       So the Vedas also show the way to permanent bliss which is the ultimate goal in the section known as Jnanakanda. Herein is shown the path to the superior knowledge about the Self. It is the knowledge of one’s own true nature; and understanding this itself can lead to moksha.

Most of the practicing Brahmins adhere to the principles learnt therein, such as:

·         Acceptance of the Vedas with reverence;

·       Recognition of the fact that the means or ways to salvation and realization of the truth are diverse but God is one,

·      God has innumerable names and forms to chant and worship due to our varied perceptions, cultures and languages; and that

·        A Brahmin works or needs to work not only for the welfare of his near and dear but also the entire society and so on. 

·     Brahmins also give tremendous importance to purity of body and mind and hence attach importance to ritual baths and cleanliness.

·         Daily practices of Brahmins include:

o   Sandhyavandana (prayers to Gayatri and Sun God),

o   Prayer to ishtadaiva (personal God),

o   Yoga,

o   Non-violence,

o   Vegetarianism, etc.

·      Everything in the daily life of a Brahmin is a ritual and certain rituals are very special for a practicing Brahmin and those include:

1. Marriage,
2. Ritual conception and consummation of the wedding,
3. Rituals of childbirth, naming ceremony,
4. First feeding ceremony,
5. The child’s first tonsure,
6. Upanayana (the sacred-thread ceremony - initiation into vedic learning and ritual),
7. Ritual baths,
8. Cremation rituals,
9. Shraaddha, etc. 

·         The Vedas are the primary source of knowledge for all Brahmin traditions, both orthodox & heterodox.  All religions of Brahmins and all traditions, in one way or other, take inspiration from the Vedas.  Traditional Brahmin accepts Vedas as apaurusheyam (not man-made), but revealed truths and of eternal validity or relevance and hence the Vedas are considered Srutis that which have been heard and are the paramount source of Brahmin traditions and is believed to be divine.

Parenting - art or science?

PARENTING

Parenting isn’t a limelight kind of role. Neither was camerawork. You are supposed to do it quietly in the background and not hanker for credit. Being a parent, being part of a family, requires one to surrender one’s arrogance first. This requires the courage to be a nobody for a while as the child demands that. This one is the hardest as the child's demands take priority over yours. Personal demands pale in front of the child’s demands. Thus, emerges the time to revisit that version of our life from where one’s self-concept comes from. Suddenly, we learn to give credit where we never gave it before. We start to notice that we are who we are, not only despite where we came from, but because of of the roots and sanskars that grew with us.

One can never plan parenting, because raising children often positions parents in the minefield of political, social and cultural conflicts by default. Becoming a parent feels like one has inadvertently signed up for therapy. Self-therapy, friendship therapy, Internet therapy, runaway therapy, depression therapy, sacrifice therapy… whatever works best. This is the time when one says …It’s time for a personal upgrade. Saying yes to a calmer, better version of oneself.

Children are glorious, they make us laugh, they are thoughtful teachers, they protect us from ourselves. But do we as parents ever realize? Children have an innate sense of justice even if they bring me to the point f breakdown and tears. But, just because I feel like crying, does not mean I am unhappy. Just because I care for the details, does not mean I have gone to pieces. Just because I am jittery, does not mean I am not prepared.

These are feelings and feelings must be felt & expressed. It leads to better productivity, unleashes creativity and protects the sanity in our inner self. This ultimately contributes to better lives. By thinking on their behalf and teaching them to disregard their intuitive feelings, we scar them for life. Spontaneity is replaced with an unexplained visceral anxiety, lack of self confidence in decision making and anger. Brothers and sisters grow up estranged from each other, resentful of their parents and confused about their own worth in the world. Unless we allow ourselves to be expressive with our children and teach them to think and introspect, we are not going to raise children who are better in touch with their inner selves. No amount of beating, slapping and reprimanding is going to substitute good old listening and talking.

We negate the power of family with our ignorance. And then what will happen? Another generation of mindless Facebook and Twitter updates, among other things. Life is never a straight road. It’s a lovely loop really. Coming together, then going our own way. Getting on top of things, then plummeting at top speed. Figuring it out, then forgetting again. Not always getting it, but being determined to deal with it.

Being a parent and raising children offers us a second shot at childhood. Growing up means listening to everyone. Growing up as a parent means listening to everyone and then not listening to anyone. Let sleep catch up with you wherever it finds you. In parenting, you’ve got to learn when to run and when to walk. Ears are useful. Hold them and look sorry when the need arises. Listen. There is so much about our children that we find ourselves unprepared for. I mean personality traits, future perspectives, world-view things. “Mamma, what you just said, can you say that again in Hindi?” Choose your words: Children learn quickly. It’s a familiar story for many of us grown-ups in India. A polite vocabulary for everyday talk and a gush of words in which we express our private self, particularly flashes of anger. We switch languages effortlessly as our moods switch and expressions change. Children pick this up, too. Suppose we listen to our children express themselves patiently, let them speak their mind and not be embarrassed by the things they says casually. What will happen? They will retain confidence in answers instead of clinging to the security of socially relevant questions. Irrelevant questions that paralyse us into inaction as helpless adults can enable kids to feel like responsible, thoughtful, empathetic adults. Give wings to your words, the children will learn to play with the breeze. It is when we refuse to listen to children that they begin to express themselves in other ways. They get crabby, clingy and sickly. They throw tantrums and look for solace in new toys and things. We do the same as adults when we’re stuck with a conflict that we are unable to fathom.

As the children tug at you to slow down. Do nothing. Just listen. Watch. Time will soon fly off. Their attention is sharp, their insights startling. They are keen stakeholders in our venture called marriage. There are things we don’t admit to ourselves that our children can spell out to us simply and articulately. And they do. Children change our life. The unconditional acceptance s/he will offer will shock us parents and move things inside us that we didn’t know existed. Strength and vulnerability, love and exhaustion, illness and laughter, courage and fear - We don’t usually expect to meet these contrary characters together but love and despair, exhilaration and exhaustion hold our hands as if they are twins, demanding equal attention.

As parents, we don’t have to protect our children from meanness and cruelty and make them incompetent to face the realities of the world. We have to show them how to deal with it. That’s how we can change the world around us and influence our children. Our children must feel that we are there for them as providers and nurturers, and that we are happy to give them the things they need and enjoy. But when they take it for granted, and simply grab or pinch things, we need to pull them off the road for a quiet talk that brings in important concepts such as boundaries, rules and honesty. While helicopter parents believe they’re doing the right thing, they actually tend to negatively affect their children’s development in several ways.

“Being there” for our children is to be in a wise but enabling way, so that they become well-rounded adults, is hard mental and emotional work, but it must be done. The key seems to be in remaining interested in your children and not anxiously spreading yourself thin for them and micromanage their lives. Where does the root of this parenting-forever phenomenon lie? It starts from the infamous “board exam” days. The child is “not to be troubled or burdened” with any family responsibilities— be it a sick grandparent, or a wedding to attend, or helping around the house, or being social with the extended family. This goes on with the class XII boards, where the “competition” stakes are higher, so the child is further “protected” from everyday concerns. So it goes on when the young adult is pursuing higher qualifications, at a new job, etc. The pursuit of “excellence” (and, therefore, money) becomes primary and the development of any other socially and personally useful behaviour is simply not expected of the child. When adult life demands that they engage in more than just their careers, the parents step in and provide all the “essential services”. Frankly, this is a way of crippling our children and ensuring we never can or will step out of the equation in a more detached and yet loving way as older parents of grown children.

We are and will always remain our children’s first, most influential, role models. Let the only luck that s parents, we will ever need is the fortune of being chosen again as their parents, if the children are given a choice.

ANJALI - the why of the ritual?

Anjali

·        The bringing together of the palms as a measure of showing devotion and respect is known as ‘anjali’. We have an infinite capacity for wrongdoing, and what can people like us do to reach God? The simplest of things is enough, namely ‘anjali’ and so, the significance of ‘anjali’ cannot be exaggerated. We must first of all realise how unfit we make ourselves to receive His unfailing mercy.

·        That realisation will humble us and make us see the importance of devotion to Him in this birth. If we had been devoted to Him in our previous births, would we be here on this Earth now? Would we not have been liberated? If we had shown our devotion through an ‘anjali’ to the Supreme One would He not have granted us moksha?

·        All we have to do to make God melt is to offer anjali to Him. The very first letter ‘a’ in the word ‘anjali’ is itself auspicious because ‘a’ refers to Vishnu. It is for this reason that Ramanuja began his Sri Bhashyam with the word ‘akhila’. The use of this word was to indicate that Vishnu is the Lord and Master of all. But if this were the intention, Ramanuja could as well have begun his Sri Bhashyam with the word ‘nikhila’ which would have conveyed the same meaning. But he preferred ‘akhila’ because of the significance of the letter ‘a.’ Thus, the Supreme One is indicated by the very first letter of the word ‘anjali’, and the very first letter in Ramanuja’s commentary is also ‘a.’

·        We have no refuge except His feet. Imagine a bird that has fallen asleep on a ship. When it wakes up, the ship has sailed several miles from the shore. The bird does not know in which direction its home lies. It makes a few tentative flights from the ship, but is afraid to venture too far, and comes back to the ship. In the same way, we are confused and unable to judge which is the way for liberation. Our best bet is to keep close to His feet, just as the bird keeps close to the ship, for just as the ship will eventually take the bird back home so will the Lord eventually guide us to where we should be.

Upanayanam

UPAKARMA & UPANAYANA - Significance and relevance in the present age

Introduction

• Certain general principles pervade all religious ceremonies and Hinduism is no exception to this rule. In any religion, if the principles behind the ceremonies and rituals are not properly grasped, then they become unintelligible and the ceremonies degenerate into blind rituals. 
• In Hinduism, all rites and ceremonies are intended to aid the embodied soul, i.e. the Jeevatma, in making its journey towards its final goal easier. The soul is said to be encased in different sheaths, (Kosas) and the ceremonies help in bringing the sheaths in which it is encased or constrained to obedience. 
• The rites and ceremonies also help in purifying self and in making one internally strong to resist evil and to shape external conditions to one’s benefit, protection and support. 
• If these principles and facts are properly understood, then, instead of a labyrinth of ceremonies, sounds, objects and gestures, which are likely to be interpreted or even dismissed as mere ‘mumbo-jumbo’, one can see an orderly system intended to help the individual to develop his potential more rapidly and overcome the obstacles in his way. 
• It will in addition to enable hindu to get the best in this life also facilitate his journey towards the ultimate goal or purpose of life, namely, Moksha, or liberation.

Upakarma - origin

• As learning and teaching became the foremost occupation for Brahmins in the early days, the Upakarma was the solemn opening of the brahminical school term or semester and Utsarga it’s closing or valedictory function, the duration of the term being 4 & half months. 
• The term ‘Upakarma’ literally means things to be done before, or as preliminary or preparatory to a main event.  Nowadays only Upakarma is observed and that too in a vestigial form and ‘Utsarga’ has been totally discontinued, for obvious reasons. 
• There is an example of such a prayer by an Acharya in Taitreya Upanishad:-  “All along may celebate students, thirsty to know, come to me. May they come in large numbers. May the students anxious to gain from the knowledge of Brahman control their senses. May the students anxious to live the knowledge of Brahman be peaceful… As waters flow downwards and as months merge into years, so also, O Creator, may students of Brahmavidhya come to me from everywhere…” (T.U. I.4).
• Upakarma is commencement of studies for the new Brahmacharins and in the life of a Brahmana, ‘Upanayana’ is an important samskara. 
• There is yet another meaning for the word Upa-nayanam, namely, additional eye or auxiliary sight. The knowledge he gains by study of the scriptures gives him the ability to see things in better perspective. 
• Upanayanam is the Samaskara or the ceremonial rite in which the young Brahmin boy is invested with the sacred thread and initiated into the into the process of learning by the preceptor or Acharya of the Gayathri - the Holiest of all mantras in the legacy of the Rishis.
•  After the Upanayanam is performed, the boy gets eligible to study the Vedas and as this Samaskara signifies a spiritual rebirth, the boy becomes a Dvija or a "Twice Born" after the Upanayanam is performed.
• Etymologically speaking, the word means, taking (NAYANAM) near (UPA). In the ancient days when the scripturally ordained modes of conduct were strictly followed, the father took his son near the Gayathri Mantra, and there after near a Guru and left him under his care and tutelage soon after the Upanayanam was performed. The Guru took him near the Vedas (i.e.taught him to chant them in the traditional way) which in turn ultimately took him near God. Thus, the ceremony opens for the young Brahmachari, a succession of gates, leading to the ultimate goal of human existence - the realisation of God. In the scheme of the four ashramas prescribed for the individual, the Upanayanam Ceremony signifies the boy's entry into the ashrama namely Brahmacharya.
• In this connection, Manu says: “The father and mother give birth to him from mutual desire so that he is born. Let this be known as his physical birth. But the birth which is given according to the ordinance, through the Savithri by the preceptor who has mastered the Vedas, that is the true birth, the undying and immortal. Of the progenitor and the giver of knowledge, the later is more venerable for the birth of knowledge for a Brahmana is more eternal, both here and after death.” ( Manu Smrti – II –146-48). 
• The student life begins with the Upanayana ceremony and the boy is committed to the care of a teacher with whom he lives as long as his pupilage continues. 
• Great stress was laid on chastity, cleanliness and purity during this period as vigor and strength of manhood, freedom from disease, health and long life depended more on this one virture of complete continence than any other thing.
• The word ‘Upanayana’ means ‘bringing near’ – to whom? – To the Acharya or Guru who initiates the boy by giving him the sacred manthra called Gayathri. 
• The boy is dressed ceremoniously and invested with ‘Yajnopavitham’ or the sacred thread. After reciting certain mantras and some questions and answers between the two, the Acharya sprinkles water on him and placing his hand on the pupil’s heart says, “Under my will I take thy heart. My mind shall thy mind follow. In my words shall thou rejoice with all thy heart? May Brahaspathi join thee to me.” 
• Life as a curious, teenager provides ample opportunities for one to develop vices and self-abuse being the most fertile breeder of disease and pre-mature decay. The old legislators and teachers, therefore, made vow of celebacy a part of student life. 
• Hence the very word ‘Brahmacharin’ has become synonymous with one who is under a vow of celibacy. 
• Upakarma is now a Varshika, i.e. an annual function and conducted during the rainy season on the full moon day of Sravana month. 
• It was in the plains of North India that the Vedic culture developed in those days. With the onset of monsoon over greater part of the country, the weather becomes pleasant and cool during this season, and the rains severely restrict movement. Persons of other ‘Varnas’ or vocations during this time will be busy with their respective occupations like agriculture, cattle grazing etc. All these are conducive for the Brahmin to engage himself in serious study.  Also, during this time, the preceptors would be in their Asrams observing their spiritual retreat (Chaturmasya). 

The process

The Investiture	Ideally, this Samaskara is to be performed when the boy is just past seven. In any case, the investiture with the sacred thread should not be delayed beyond the sixteenth year. Before the onset of adolescence, and before the dormant primordial biological urges in an individual surface, he must be initiated into the Gayathri.
The Gayathri Mantra	Literally, Gayathri means which protects him who chants it. She is the mother of all the mantras, and when chanted with devotion and single pointed concentration and purity, takes the chanter to the ultimate bliss - the knowledge of the Supreme Truth, called the Brahman. The Gayathri is a mantra praying for divine guidance to inspire and illumine the intellect so that the Jiva may know his real self - the Atman. Universal in its approach, it does not seek any personal benefit for the chanter. The venerable Bhisma, while extolling the greatness of the Gayathri from his bed of arrows declares - Where the Gayathri is chanted, ultimately deaths, involving the performance of obsequies for children by their elders will not occur. Thus it is a prayer for universal welfare which the brahmin must perform as a sacred trust enjoined on him.
Method to perform the Gayathri Mantra	The Gayathri, must be chanted in the prescribed manner, at least twice a day, as a part of the religious duty called the Sandhyavandanam, ordained for all brahmins. The Sandhyavandanam is an excellent daily exercise in quitening the mind and rendering it fit for meditation on the highest truth epitomized by the Gayathri. Because of its great importance as a spiritual practice, the sastras have proclaimed its primacy of place in unequivocal terms, to the extent that no exceptions are provided. It has to be definitely performed thrice daily, throughout one's life. All the good things a brahmin may do are of no avail, if he fails to perform his Sandhyavandanam and Gayathri Japa regularly. The scriptures are unanimous on this point. The immense benefit accruing from regular and assiduous practice of the Sandhyavandanam and chanting of the Gayathri, is something that each individual can corroborate by his own experience.
The Sacred Thread	The sacred thread with which the Vatu is invested on the holy occasion of Upanayanam, may be compared to an electric circuit. Even as any leakage point in an electric circuit will result in a drain of precious electrical energy, any object, like key or coin, tied to the sacred thread, serve as leakage points through which the carefully garnered spiritual power of the Gayathri is frittered away. The sacred thread must therefore be kept free from association with any other object.
Bhikshakaranam	In the days of the past, the brahmachari went out into the streets to beg for alms from various houses - Bhikshakaranam. This is being done symbolically today. While it may be very difficult to practice Bhikshakaranam daily in today's conditions, we would do well at least keep in mind the spirit underlying the Bhikshakaranam and try to imbibe the virtues it inculcates. The practice of Bhikshakaranam will induce humility and quell the ego - it will root out all difference of high and low, wealthy and poor, as every brahmachari, regardless of his family's standing, has to practice it. Above all, it will enable the young Vatu to overcome the craving of the tongue, and induce the restraint of the senses so very necessary for properly imbibing the Vedic Knowledge.

The rites

The rites prescribed to be performed during the Upakarma are the following: -

1.  Samitha Dhanam(For the new initiates only)

2.  Kamokarsheet Japam

3.  Brahma Yagnam

4.  Mahasankalpam

5.  Yagnopavedharanam

6.  Khandarishi Tharpanam

7.  Sravana Homam

8.  Gayathri Japam (On the following day)

Samithadanam	·        The initiate performs this part of the rite to invoke the blessing of Agni and also to get a feeling of security.  He prays to Agni to bestow him with vigor, brilliance, clear intellect, memory etc. As he offers the twigs of Aswatha tree (Samith) to the fire, he says, ·        “Oh Fire! Just as you glow with effulgence by consuming these twigs, so also let my brilliance, lustre, knowledge etc glow by thy grace. Bless me with life, wealth, progeny, vigor, energy and power. Let me become the best among the benefactors, best among the twice-born, best among the householders, best among the students and so on.  Let me have everything in life in abundance”. ·        Finally he takes a little of the ashes from the Homa Kunda and mixing it with a little water to form a paste applies it on the different parts of the body with the conviction that it will act as an armor or talisman against all possible evils. ·        Here it should be appreciated that this was meant to act as a psychological factor in boosting the morale and self confidence of the youngster who is required to stay away from home in a new environment [old time Gurukula] amongst strangers.
Kamokarsheet Japam	·        This rite was not part of the prescribed rituals of Upakarma during the Vedic period, but appears to have been introduced later, necessitated possibly due to decline in morals and discipline in the Gurukulas, to remind the students that they should be alert against temptation to ward off evils. ·        The repetition of the mantra is to remind the student that it is lust and anger that are the root cause of all sins and the need to be ever vigilant against becoming prey to temptation and losing one’s composure.
Brahma Yagnam	·        Learning and teaching the scriptures is Brahma Yagna. (“Adhyapanam Brahma Yagnam uchyate”).  ·        Unfortunately, it has become a rite done only in a vestigial form now. But in early days the Brahmins were engaged both in learning and teaching the scriptures. Hence the reciting the first line of each of the four Vedas as token of having started the study is also to remind him of the obligation to teach the same to others in the society. ·        This is followed by a solemn resolve to do only those actions that are noble and great.
Mahasankalpam	·        In this, the participants after affirming the place, time and their identity makes solemn resolve to complete study of certain chosen texts during the particular semester. It also constitutes specifying the syllabus they wish or intend to cover during this semester. ·        A purification process precedes this ‘Great Resolution’, as the very name of this part of the rite signifies. This entails asking for forgiveness for possible sins committed in the (immediate) past, i.e. the previous year, followed by a bath, which is symbolic of the cleanliness he obtains, both internally and externally. ·        Surprisingly, this part of the rite has got so corrupted over the ages that now the participants are made only to ask forgiveness or pardon for possible sins he might have done, knowingly or unknowingly. He is made to narrate a list of these sins and the syllabus to be covered is conveniently forgotten or left out!
Yagnopaveetha Dharanam	·        This is the part of the ceremony where the participants put on new ‘Sacred Thread’. The ‘Sacred Thread’ bestowed on them the necessary authority and also served as an external sign of having the required authority as well as competence to carry out the duties assigned to and expected of the Brahmins as prescribed in the scriptures, namely, the Srutis and the Smrtis. ·        It was something similar to the uniform worn by the police officer or the gown worn by the lawyers in the present day, signifying both competence and authority. ·        It also added to the personality of the Brahmin in the society. The wording of the Mantra is very clear and specific in denoting this: - ·        Srautha Smartha vihita nithya karma anushtana yogyatha siddhyartham – To have the competence and authority to perform the duties prescribed in the scriptures, namely, the Vedas and Smritis. ·        Brahmatejo abhivrthartham - To enable the satisfaction (one gets as a result of the Study of the Vedas and observance of the regimen prescribed in the scriptures) to develop in me.. ·        yagnopaveedha dharanam karishe - I put on this (symbolic) upper garment. ·        The old thread worn till then is discarded saying,"I discard hereby this worn-out, the decayed and despicable thing, (i.e. the old thread worn till then) but not the “effulgence in me nor the long life I aspire for”.
Kandarishi Tharpanam	·        Before commencing any auspicious or meritorious undertaking, in ancient days, it was customary to invoke the blessings of the Gods or the divine and the ancestors. ·        So, the acharya and the students together perform a tharpana to invoke the blessings of those rishis who are the authors of the various khandas of the Vedas and also the ancestors. Hence the name ‘Khandarishi Tarpanam’ for this part of the ritual.
Sravana Homa	·        In Hinduism, all functions commence with ritual prayer and invocations. The Sravana Homa is the principal rite wherein the teacher and the disciples together perform the ritual worship of Homa wherein they offer oblations to the Gods to invoke their blessings so that the intended program of study goes through without any impediments. ·        The teacher then initiates the study of Vedas saying, “Upakrta vai Veda”, meaning, ‘the study of Vedas has begun’. Here again the first lines of the four Vedas and the Vedangas are recited as token of having started the study. ·        After the performance of Homa, the students offer to the teacher their contribution (Dakshina) commensurate with their resources or capacity. The prasadam is distributed and the students disburse with his permission and his blessings.
Gayathri Japam	·        Gayathri is a Manthra (Spiritual and/or Mystical chant) for invoking the blessings of the God or Supreme Reality to grant intellectual competence or brilliance. ·        The Brahmin is required to recite this twice a day with his prayers. The Sandhya which, as the very name implies, is to be done during the twilight hours of each day – dawn & dusk. ·        The Grahya Sutras prescribe recitation of Gayathri 108 times during each Sandhya Vandhana. ·        The Japa of Gayathri 1008 times on the day following Upakarma serves two purposes.       Firstly, as a long or protracted prayer to the Divine to illumine the intellect and      secondly, as an exercise in concentration and contemplation very essential for one taking up study of serious subjects like religion and philosophy.

Relevance of upakarma in the present age

·    The Brahmin, by and large, have abandoned primary or the prescribed occupations, namely, studying and teaching the scriptures, and have, for various reasons, taken to different occupations and diverse ways of life. Hence, the brahmin community is undergoing a ‘Diaspora’ (i.e. a great dispersion) necessitated by several factors.

·   The Asrama and Varna Dharma have become totally unacceptable to the present social as well as political setup. Consequently, the rites and ceremonies relating to the above concept of Dharma are also becoming redundant.

·   From a pragmatic approach or a purely commercial point of view, these rites may be irrelevant and hence they certainly could be dispensed with. But, the question arises,

o   “Is everything in life to be reduced to purely temporal level and valued only from a commercial point of view or on monetary basis only?

o   Is it prudent for a community to dispense with its traditions, culture and its very ethos overnight?

o   Though these rites appear quaint today and do not produce any tangible gains, can it be said with certainty they will be so in the future too?  That posterity will not need them!

·   One should not forget the fact that, the world, though undergoing rapid changes and is evolving new paradigms of behavior and concepts of values, these phenomena are cyclic in nature.

·    Doctrines, theories and practices denounced as absurd, baseless and even potentially harmful to the community or humanity at one time, not only got credence but also acceptance subsequently in light of new discoveries, changed conditions and concepts. 

·    This may give rise in the days to come, again to a new class of ‘custodians of knowledge’ and its dissemination to the rest of the community, which is the very essence as well as the root of the Brahminic culture and ethos. This being so, by giving up totally our traditions and practices, will not we the Brahmins end up in a cultural vacuum without any roots?

·    We see in every other religion, community and ethnic group a conscious and consistent effort to assert their identity, revive what little they have as their culture and even what has gone into disuse. They also take every effort to preserve and resuscitate their own culture and traditions and take pride in them.

·    This being so, are Brahmins going to obliterate their very identity especially when the members of this community are being marginalized and even ostracized for misdeeds committed in the past by their ancestors, as people are trying to obliterate the very identity of the community?