Upakarma "Beginning" is
a Vedic ritual practiced by Hindus of the Brahmin caste. This ritual is also
practiced by the Kshatriya and Vaishya community, who are dvijas and therefore have the rights to do Sandhyavandanam, the daily ablution ritual. Samagopakarma should be
performed on Hasta nakshatra on bhadrapada shukla paksha.
Significance
The learning of the Vedas begins
in the month of Shravana with a Upakarma and is temporarily terminated in Magha
with an Utsarjana ritual, to be
restarted in the next Shravana. However, it was found that six months in a year
results in a very long period to complete the study of Vedas. In order to
overcome this difficulty, Brahmins started skipping the Utsajana ritual and
studied Vedas through all the months of the year.
On this day, a Prayachittam is performed on two counts
- to pardon the sin of learning Vedas in the prohibited period of the year and
a general request to pardon all the sins committed by them during the year.
Homams are held and Janivara, the
sacred thread, is changed on this day.
The first step is a
'prayashchita', A prayer to atone the sins. It says, "For the removal of
all my sins and thereby to secure a divine blessing and for qualifying myself
to perform the essential duties of Brahmanas as prescribed in the vedas and
smritis and adopted by the really good in their conduct I put on this Yagnopavita or Janivara (the sacred thread.
Then a new Yagnopavita is worn. When the thread is worn another mantra is
recited which means -"I put on the sacred thread which is highly pure, is
inseparable from God, is capable of prolonging life and is the foremost in the
accomplishment of a Brahmana. May such pure Yagnopavita bring strength and
dignity."
While removing the old thread, the
mantra means -"I remove with respect, the old broken thread by wear and
tear, may the new one bring on long life and Brahmana's brilliance."
Inner meaning
This day is also auspicious as the
Brahmins offer libations of water to their ancestors to whom they owe their
birth and to the great Rishis to whom they are highly indebted for spiritual
knowledge and the Vedas themselves.