Upanayana - The Hindu samskara

 The term “samskara” is a Sanskrit word that refers to an individual’s habitual way of thinking, believing and acting. In  Hinduism every ascept of life is important. Each significant stage from conception to cremation is  celebrated as it is the gift of God and it should be respected.

According to Vedas, these set of observance are known as 'Samskara' or 'Sanskara'. In Hinduism there are 16 samskaras.  

Upanayana:

Upanayana Ceremony

Upanayana is one of the traditional samskara in Hinduism. In this ceremony the boy gets to wear a sacred thread called 'Yegnopavitha'. There are many names for yegnopavitha, like it is also called as Janai, Poita , Upavita. 

History of Upanayana:

Centuries ago, it was said that every person has two births. One, when we came out of the womb of our mother and we entered into this new world. Second, when we entered into the world of knowledge. This ceremony was done to both boys and girls. When a boy becomes a part of this ceremony it called as 'Upanayana'. And if a girl becomes a part of this ceremony then it is called as 'Brahmavadini'. Now a days the culture of Brahmavadini is rarely seen.

According to Vedas the perfect age of a boy to perform this ceremony is 7 - 12 years, as it is the right age to gain knowledge.

Gurukul System

In olden days , the education system was Gurukul system. So, if the child wants to pursue his education then, he has to go through this ceremony. Thus it symbolises that a guru accepts a child as his student.

Importance of Yegnopavitha:

The sacred thread worn by the boy in this ceremony is called 'Yegnopavitha'. It comprises of three strings tied with a knot. These strings are made of cotton. There are many references to what they represent.

One of the most popular interpretation, that these three strings are the constant reminders for three debts that a man holds in his lifetime -Rishi Rina,Deva Rina and Pitru Rina. 

Rishi Rina are the debt to sages for imparting knowledge to us. These debts can be cleared by chanting vedic matras.

Deva Rina are the debts to Gods for the life we have today. These debts can be cleared by performing yajnas and sacrifices.

Pitru Rina are the debts to our ancestors for our lives. These debts can be cleared by performing sharddham sincerely.

Gayatri Mantra:

In this sacred ceremony the boy gets to chant the very powerful Gayatri Mantra. Goddess Gayatri is called "Veda-Mata" or the Mother of the Vedas.

Gayatri Mantra was first recorded in the Rig Veda and was written in Sanskrit around 2500 to 3500 years back. Regular chanting of Gayatri Mantra improves concentration and learning. Chanting of Gayatri Mantra calms the mind
It reduces stress and anxiety.

Scientific benefits of Upanayana:

There are many scientific benefits in this sacred tradition of Upanayana.

1. The Yegnopavitha is always worn on the left shoulder only. Because according to science, on our left shoulder there is a nadi called Ida nadi. This nadi is responsible for left side of our body and our right  brain.  Right Brain is responsible for knowledge, emotions,mental ability and analytical skills. Thus this Ida nadi controls all the mental processes and transports energy to nervous system, which calm mind and relaxes the body.
2. There is one more custom followed in this ceremony. The head of the child is shaved off, leaving a tuft of hair on the back. This hair is then tightly knotted. Now the science behind this is that there are many chakras in our body which are energy points. The point where the hair is knotted there we have the seventh chakra, called Sahasrara chakra. This chakra is responsible for wisdom.
3. Many males often do this practice of wrapping the sacred thread around the right ear during urination. The science behind this practice is, there is a pressure point on our right ear. So, when the bladder is full if a person wraps this sacred thread around his right ear then it makes the bladder to function smoothly.

Though these may be old traditions but each tradition has meaning and science behind them.

Jyotirmayi. V