Dear Bhagabatas: The Saastras prescribe that Upanayanam should be performed at "GarbhaashTamam". That is at 7 years of age (including Garbha vaasam, it will be 8 years). In the case of Brahmins, it can be done upto 16 years at the latest. For other two in the Traivarnikas (Kshatriyas and Vaisyas) there is some relaxation in the upper age limit. There is, however, no prohibition like odd years and even years etc. for performing Upanayanam. In any event, the earlier, the better. This is the position that I have been told in the "anushTaanam classes" in India. Hope this helps. Dasoham Anbil Ramaswamy ======================================================================= --- In SriRangaSri@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx, "Vijay & Lalitha Venbakkam" <vijaylalli@xxxx> wrote: > I'd. like to find out if there's an appropriate age for performing Upanayanam & Brahmopadesam, for Srivaishnava brahmachari's. Kindly advise. I have heard the term "ottrai padai" (meaning only during 'odd' years) mention by some friends and I wanted to clarify if that's applicable for Srivaishnavas also. *************** Dear member, Many years ago I had the same question in respect of performing my son's 'upanayanam'. I consulted the revered U.Ve. Sri Mukkur Lakshminarasimhachariar and I still vividly remember his simple but logical advice: (1) The child should be old enough so as to be able to articulate clearly and repeat the 'gAyatri mantra' as it is ceremoniously uttered into his ear i.e. the child should have overcome lisping. (2) The child should also be so young that it is evident even incipient feelings of 'kAma' (i.e. the dawning of sexual awareness) have not yet taken seed inside his tender mind. Some boys do have a child's lisp ("mazhallai", in Tamil) even upto the age of 7 or 8. It is better to wait a while for him to outgrow the physical condition before performing "upanayanam". Some boys however, even at the age of 5 speak clearly. It's better the "upananayam" is performed at the earliest in such a case. In any case, however, the "upanayanam" should be performed well before the dawning of sexual awareness... whatever be the age. In the modern age, the very environment in which we live (movies, TV shows, books, magazines, billboards etc.) arouses vague sexual curiousity, even if not real awareness, amongst boys at a very tender age even. This is rather unfortunate indeed, but we can do little about it. Hence, it is all the more urgent that the "upanayanam" ceremony must be performed as early as possible in order to heed the 'sAstra' that says the 'gAyatri' must enter into a child's mind well before 'kAmA' takes root there. I performed my son's 'upanayanam' when he was 11 years of age. Hope my own experience is of some use to you. Thanks and regards, dAsan, Sudarshan ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor --------------------~--> Has someone you know been affected by illness or disease? Network for Good is THE place to support health awareness efforts! http://us.click.yahoo.com/UwRTUD/UOnJAA/i1hLAA/VkWolB/TM --------------------------------------------------------------------~-> Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/SriRangaSri/ <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: SriRangaSri-unsubscribe@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
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