Excellent elucidation by sudarshan swamin. For those of us who couldn't go through the upanayana samkAra at the right age for some reason or the other, it is indeed comforting to know that all is not lost if only the thrikala sandhyavandanm is done with redoubled vigour and reinforced conviction as enjoined upon us by sashtras. The point however to be noted is that there shall be no conscious violation of dharmic rules and it very much applies to the rules of observance of UpanaYana samsKara too. Dasan Dorairajan R(anganathan) --- sudarshan madabushi <mksudarshan2002@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote: > > --- SriRangaSri@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx wrote: > > Message: 3 > > Date: Sat, 5 Feb 2005 04:06:04 +0800 > > From: "S Rajalingam" <s.rajalingam@xxxxxxxxxx> > > Subject: Upanayam > > > Dear Vaishnavas > > > I agree with all the input but what is the case > on > > Devotee like myself who> only got Upanayam at the > age of 39.> I would very much appreciate if the > bhagavathas on this list can throw some light. > Thank You > ************** > > Dear Sri S Rajalingam, > That's a really good question! Besides the obvious > humour laced in it, it is thought-provoking! I > commend > your candidness in raising it openly. > > Many members have given their inputs on the subject. > They are quite right in pointing out age-old > 'sAstra', > the traditional convention we all abide by, sets the > age for 'upanayanam' very early in life. But Sri > Anbil > svAmi is right in asking for the actual 'pramANam' > to > support members' view that says the ceremony must be > performed at ages 7, 9, 11, 13 or 15 and that > thereafter performance of 'upanayanam' is actually a > "waste of time and money". > > We also need to know the actual "pramANam" for the > other view which holds after a boy turns 16 without > undergoing 'upanayanam', it is just as well he goes > all his life without the sacred thread. > > (Perfunctorily, of course, later in life, in order > to > duly solemnize such a boy's wedding, say at age 25 > or > 30, just before the main wedding-rites, a separate > and > hurriedly arranged ritual is usually performed for > the > purpose of investiture of "yagnyOpavItam" (sacred > thread) on the poor young groom. The purpose of this > rite is really to ensure the officiating priest is > not > inconvenienced, that he is not incapacitated from > performing due processes of Vedic wedding-ritual. It > is to enable the priest to go ahead, without let, > hindrance or embarrassment, and ceremoniously > proclaim > the blessed couple as Man and Wife). > > Be that all as it may, the question of Sri > Rajalingam > is pertinent enough to warrant scrutiny and a > serious > response. My views given below are NOT to be taken > as > authoritative. It comes with the caveat to members > they are entering uncharted waters. > > The "sAstrA" is unambiguous a boy's "upanayanam" > must > be performed ASAP in life. Very little room is > provided in the "sAstra" by way of concessions > extended to the timing or performance of this > important Vedic rite. There are few circumstances in > life under which lapses relating to performance of > "upanayana" may be condoned or extenuated. But that > does not mean persons like Sri Rajalingam have no > hope. On one hand, our Vedic "sAstrAs" are, no > doubt, > strictly inviolable, but then, on the other hand, > the > 'sAstra' also does not totally abandon or damn > trangressors. It shows them a way out too to somehow > redeem themselves. The Vedic faith is a > compassionate > one. It always seeks to hold everyone in its > embrace. > > ****************** > > "Upanayana" is a Vedic "samskAra". If we understood > what "samskAra" truly means in the Vedic faith, we > will not fail to understand why "upanayana" must be > performed at the appropriate time pre-ordained by > 'sAstra'. Equally, we will also not fail to > appreciate > why even those who, unfortunately, have transgressed > the "sAstra" in this regard, cannot be held wholly > irredeemable. > > The Sanskrit word "samskAra" is extremely difficult > to > translate into any other language. Usually, > "samskAra" > is translated by English-speaking persons as "rite > of > passage", implying threby that the "upanayana > samskAra" is something akin to the "baptism" of the > Christians, the "bar mitzvah" of the Jews or the > "sunnat" (circumcision ceremony) of the Muslims. The > latter are all indeed "rites of passage" marking as > they do solemn initiation into adulthood. When a > Christian, Jew or Muslim boy "comes of age", he is > said to be ready to cross a major calendar-milestone > in the voyage of life. > > A Vedic "samskAra" is far, far more than mere rite > of > passage. For a Vedic adherent, the whole course of > human life is like a flowing river of "samskArAs". > There are something like 40 different Vedic > "samskArAs" beginning with the "seemantham" > performed > for the human foetus beginning its great journey of > life within a mother's womb. On the 10th day after > birth, there is the "samskAra" of "nAma-karana" or > "punyAvachanam" for the infant. Thereafter, there is > the "chaula samskAra", the first tonsuring for the > toddler. Childhood is also marked by other > "samskArA-s" like "anna-prasnam", "aksharAbhyAsam" > etc. When the child reaches the age of 7 or 8, there > is the "upanayana samskAra" about which we are all > now > discussing. The boy who has undergone "upanayana > samskAra", when he matures into a young man, becomes > ready for the "vivAha samskAra", the wedding-rite > which ushers him into the "gruhastAshrama" > (householder) phase in life. Then there are other > various "samskArA-s" a full-grown man undergoes in > the > onward voyage of life. There are the SriVaishnava > "samskArA-s" collectively called "pancha-samskArA". > In > ripe old age, there is also the "samskArA" of > "shashtiabdapoorthi" (60th birthday) which a > "gruhastA" undergoes... > > At the end of life too, when a man sheds his mortal > coils, there is a "samskAra" to which he is finally > subjected. It is called "antima samskAra", > "prEta-samskAra" etc. -- the last Vedic rites by > which > a human soul departs into the beyond... > > If it is not really a rite of passage, we may now > ask, > what then is Vedic "samskAra"? > > In his book of discourses, "deivattin kural" ("The > Hindu Dharma"), the Sage of Kanchi, PujyaSri > Chandrasekharendra Saraswati has explained it all > very > beautifully. > > When we sit down to eat a typical south Indian meal, > we should, for once, take a moment to ponder over > the > plentiful rice served. Before we tuck into the meal > with gusto, we should ask ourselves, "From where > does > this wonderful "annam" come? And where does it go?". > > > No one needs enlighten us where the rice goes. It > goes > right down our throat into the belly, of course. But > if we reflect a little more deeply upon the fact, we > realize that the "annam" ultimately transforms > itself > into vital "prANa" or Energy. And it is mysterious, > ethereal, vital Prana that sustains the life-force > within us. In a metaphysical way of speaking, (as > indeed the Taittiriya Upanishad does in a very > famous > passage), we are ourselves, body, mind and soul, > comprised of nothing but the essence of "annam". > > What then, we should hence ask, is this "annam" made > of? How did it get to become the vital source of > life > and the hi-octane energy that it verily is? > > If we ponder upon that question, we will be led into > a > grave contemplation of the various processes (or > "samskArAs") through which the grain that we are > about > to eat had to serially undergo before arriving as > steamingly wholesome "annam" upon on our meal-plate. > > > First, there was the process of "seeding" which the > === message truncated === __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com ------------------------ Yahoo! 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