Essay name: Glories of India (Culture and Civilization)
Author: Prasanna Kumar Acharya
This book, “Glories of India on Indian Culture and Civilization”, emphasizes the importance of recognizing distinct cultural traits across different societies. The historical narrative of Indian civilization highlights advancements in agriculture, medicine, science, and arts, tracing back to ancient times. The author argues for the need to understand the past to meaningfully engage with the present and future.
Page 56 of: Glories of India (Culture and Civilization)
56 (of 510)
External source: Shodhganga (Repository of Indian theses)
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FAMILY LIFE OF SACRAMENTS AND SACRIFICES 27
the yajñopavīta or the "sacred chord of the free man"
and furnishing it with the student's outfit and uniform,
viz, vastra (clothes comprising under garment and scarf),
ajina (skin cover), danda (staff implying self protec-
tion equipments) and mekhalā (girdle) implying strength
the upanayana is, otherwise, known as only the sacred
thread ceremony. This was a common practice among
the other ancient sects also. The Parsees put on sacred
shirt, the Buddhists on yellow cover, and the Christians
on white robe. The Hindus adopted the "thread gar-
ment" probably owing to the hot climate and desire to
prevent the rise of a sense of luxury as stated in one of
the texts (Samskāra Ratnamālā, pp 189, 190). According
to another older text, the laws of Harita, women also
could take a similar course of study with the
accomplishment of the same ceremonies.
The ceremonies of the upanayana proper include
anjali-pūraṇa (filling the joint palm in the form of cup
with water by way of showing the child's desire to
initiation), aśmarohana (ascending a piece of stone to
show the firm stand and determination), dadhiprāśana
(eating of curd in order to clear up the mind), hasta-
grahaṇa or upanayana (bringing the child's hand to
the teacher), paridana (giving over the child by parents)
and svikaraṇa (the mutual acceptation by the pupil and
admission by the teacher). The other ceremonies form
part of the student's vow of learning' and have
been inadvertently mixed up with the upanayana which
should end at handing over the child to the teacher.
This brings the child to his second birth (dvijatva).
At this birth the famous Savitri verse upon which the
twice-born (Brāhmaṇa) have to meditate daily," is
considered to be the mother and the Acharya (teacher) is
the father (Manu, II. 170). This really implies that
henceforward the responsibilities of shaping a career
are transferred from the begetters to the student him-
self and to the teacher under whose charge the child is
placed. Thus with the upanayana or initiation end the
ten principal sacraments for which the parents are
directly responsible.
1 They are referred to under the Brahmacharya.
2 Rig Veda III, 62,10.
