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Monday, May 15, 2017

POONAL Notes to follow..by Brahmachari and parents.......

A Brahmin child's upanayana must be performed when he is eight years old from conception that is when he is seven years and two months old from birth. A Katrina’s is to be performed at the age of twelve. Krsna Paramatman who belonged to the clan of Yadus (Yadavas) was invested with the sacred thread at that age. The corresponding age for a Vaisya is sixteen.
According to the sastras, the lower limit of Brahmin youngsters is eight years and the upper limit is sixteen which means a grace of eight years. It is sinful in the not to have performed upanayanam of a Brahmin boy before his passing the upper age limit.
Uttarayana is the right period to perform upanayanam- from the Tamil month Thai to Ani. when the sun journeys northwards. While this is the right time for marriages also, the season of spring(Chithirai to Vaikasi)is considered particularly auspicious. For upanayana the month specially favoured is Masi. Upanayana and marriage are not favoured during Dakshinayana(from the Tamil month Adi to the end of Margazhi).
Nowadays, for various reasons, the upanayana and marriage ceremonies are delayed for as long as possible and celebrated in any month other than Margazhi. The results are there for you to see. But one must be happy perhaps that a function called marriage is still performed somehow. So long as people perform it, let them perform it at any time. If we take this attitude, marriages may be permitted in any season as a desperate step. But upanayana is a different matter. It should never be permitted in Dakshinayana. If it is for some reason celebrated during this period, I would ask for its performance again in Uttarayana. Money is the main problem in conducting an upanayana or a marriage. Parents postpone the upanayana because they want to perform it at the same time as the marriage of their daughter so as to minimise the expenses.
The upanayana is sometimes performed when the boy is only five years old. This is called "kamyopanayana", "Kamya" meaning in pursuance of desire. Such early upanayana is all right if you want the child to develop inwardly at an early age. But seven years is the proper age for the child to be invested with sacred thread because by now he would have learned enough Sanskrit to chant the mantras clearly. Nowadays, the "thread ceremony" is conducted together with the marriage that is when the "boy" is 30 or 35 years old. So to suggest that the upanayana needs to be performed only when the child is seven years old - and not at five - would be taken as a joke. Joke or no joke, it [the delay in performing the upanayana] should make you uneasy deep within if you have some concern for the Vedic dharma.
Adi Sankara's upanayana, it is believed, was performed when he was five years old. If the child is extraordinarily intelligent and can articulate words properly, his upanayana may be performed at five years.
In some Hindu families the Sacred Thread ceremony is performed when a boy is growing up. He is given three strands of the What is a thread ceremony?
A boy receives during this ceremony a sacred thread called Yajñopaveetam that he wears. The Yajñopavita ceremony announced that the child had entered into formal education. In the modern era, the Upanayana rite of passage is open to anyone at any age.
sacred thread which represent three promises (vows) he makes: to respect the knowledge, the parents and the society.
So that is about Upanayanam etc copied from some websites,,
In our families Upanayanam is not held as stipulated within the age gap etc for various reasons, The older the boy becomes his desire towards worldly attachment increases and may not like to learn and practice duties of a Brahmachari. When the child is below 12 years he listens to parents and likes to learn about Vedas, our duties etc including being a Brahmachari observing certain daily requirements as a Brahmachari including wearing Poonal performing Sandhyavandanam, Madhyanikam and Sayam etc…
The wearing of poonal or initiation into brahmacharya by having Poonal mantras etc uttered by the Gurus and many mantras taught to the new Brahmachari are important in one’s life.
Upanayana, sometimes known outside India by the name, "sacred thread ceremony," is a Hindu rite-of-passage ritual. Traditionally, the ceremony was performed to mark the point at which male children began their formal education. Brahmins, Kshatriyas and Vysyas are called dvijas meaning "twice born."
After becoming a Brahmachari or say after wearing Poonal in the divine Poonal function given or worn by the parent or elder it becomes imperative to follow the need of saying Abhivadaye whenever the Brahmachari meets an elder person as stated below..
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 ABHIVADAYE Note...
ANGIRASA BHARGASPATHIYA
BHARADWAJA GOTHRA Vikram to change the variables
APASTAMBA SUTRA
YAJUSH HAHA ADHYAMAYI
SRI KRISHNAN SARMA NAMAH
AHAM ASMI BHO...
This traditional style of introducing oneself that is in practice while seeking blessings from elders is the one that entices me and gives me immense pleasure because of its own Sanskrit verses and ethnic style.
I believe that "ABHIVADAYE" is just an ethnic social practice for a perfect introduction of oneself.
THE STAGES OF LIFE SYSTEM IN HINDU SOCIETY
There are four stages of life viz. Brahmachari (student), Grihastha (Householder) Vanaprasta (forest dweller or Hermit in semi retirement) Sannyasa (the renounced one in full retirement) and the Dharma of each is different. The four stages may be said to represent periods of Preparation, Production, Service and Retirement.
"People do not have to be taught to want to be happy, to want to be secure or to want the respect and admiration of their friends and associates - though often they need instruction 'how' to secure these things.
Deeper Hindu thinking suggests, however, that there is also a natural progression of these values so that one should grow toward more fundamental interests.
This movement toward more enduring and satisfying values has been institutionalized in the understanding of the four stages of life known as 'Ashramas".
BRAHMACHARYA (Celibate)
BRAHMACARYA means Student, usually between 12 and 24 years of age.The first stage is Brahmacharya. The duty of a student is to study. On initiation into Brahmacharya by means of the Upanayana rites, he becomes a 'Dvija' (a twice born). 'Upanayana' means 'bringing near'- the disciple is brought near the Guru for receiving the initiation of mantras.
For the Brahmachari, celibacy is his forte, discipline is his norm, devotion to his Guru is his duty and concentration in studies is his vocation.
In "Gurukula Vasam"( or staying with the preceptor) he learns the nuances and intricate renderings and interpretations of Vedas, Upanishads and Sastras though by means of rote so that when he comes of age the significance of what he learnt would be realized by him in real life situations, which he would be facing in his next Ashrama.
Thus, it is a period of probation, a period of training, in a practical manner without prejudice to the injunctions of Sastras he had so studiously learnt as a Brahmachari. Only when someone consoles we feel relief; only the 'Guru Upadesa' can change our mental attitude. The first lesson of the student is the performance of 'Sandhya Vandanam' at morn, noon and evening, Ablutions, recitation of Gayatri, breath control, sipping and sprinkling of water, pouring libations of water to the Sun-God etc. were enjoined on the twice-born and they could never be missed.
Kutta”s son Venkatakrishnan:s son Vikram will have to remember the name of Gothra, star, name etc and also of the forefathers etc in continuing various activities wearing poonal.
Karthik Sundaramoorthy was requesting for a note on this Upanayana and I prepared it..
Again my poonal and that of Sundaram was done along with marriage of our sister Bhagavathy in Bangalore…Of course I was studying in second year BSC and Sundaram was studying in Engineering at Tata Institute Bangalore. About Narayanan it was in 1971 along with marriage of our sister Lakshmi at Madras .About other elder brother I do not know the years but must have been when they were below 12 years. Mohan poonal was along with marriage of Sundaram at Chennai in 1974. Others in the list Karthik, Sridhar, Ram, Rajesh, Kutta , Velu Vipin, and other sons in law wtc.....I don’t know the dates but hope they wear poonal as all of them are married and Poonal was a license for getting married.
Note..Parents are also requested to wear poonal along with sons to strengthen them and not throw it away and take it or get it during Aavani avittam every year...
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Venkata Krishnan Thank you mama for this narration
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