Rg Upakarma Procedure, 2000
IMPORTANT NOTE: I am a yajur vedI. I have never witnessed or performed
a Rg Veda upAkarma, so I do not know any details about
its performance. All I write is taken from Sri Uttamur T.
Viraraghavacharya's published summary of the Rg vedIya
procedure. In all probability, there are gaps and/or erros
in my presentation. Please consult knowledgable elders
if you are unsure.
(1) Do morning nityakarmas including sandhyAvandanam as one
would do on any other day.
(2) kAmo'kArshIt manyur akArshIt japam
(first time upAkarmins skip this)
(I am including this because I think this part is the same as for
yajur veda. Please fix or skip if I am mistaken.)
(a) Acamanam twice
(b) prANAyAma
(c) mahA-sankalpam, including sAttvika tyAgam:
adhyAya-utsarjana-akaraNa-prAyaScitta-artham,
ashTottara-sahasra (1008) [ashTottara-Sata (108)] sankhyayA "kAmo'kArshIt
manyur akArshIt" mahAmantra-japam karishye.
(e) Do japam of "kAmo'kArshIt manyur akArshIt" 1008 or 108 times
as one has resolved.
(f) Acamanam once, followed by sAttvika tyAgam
(3) Perform mAdhyAhnikam, including mAdhyAhnika snAnam if one is
accustomed.
(4) Preparing for the upAkarma
Seated facing east, wearing a pavitram if available,
after Acamanam twice, prANAyama, and mahA-sankalpa, including
sAttvika tyAgam:
SrAvaNyAm SravaNa-nakshatre
adhItAnAm chandasAm ayAta-yAmatvAya
vIryavattA-siddhyartham adhyAya-upAkarma karishye,
tad angam tarpaNAdi karishye,
tad angam snAnam karishye.
(a) Bathe once again (at least mAnasika snAnam:
apavitra: pavitro vA sarvAvasthAm gato'pi vA |
ya: smaret puNDarIkAksham sa bAhyAbhyantara-suci: ||
Think of Lord as the lotus-eyes Pundarikaksha and
sprinkle a little water (prokshaNa) on the place
where you will sit/squat. )
(5) maNDala-deva-tarpaNam, etc.
(a) Acamanam twice
(b) sankalpa specifically for the tarpaNam:
SrAvaNyAm SravaNa-nakshatre adhItAnAm vIryatA-siddhyartham
svAdhyAya-Atmaka-deva-rshi-pitR-prItyartham sAvitryAdi-
nava-pradhAna-devatAnAm agnyAdi-vimSati-maNDala-devatAnAm
brahma-yajna-devatAnAm ca tarpaNam karishye
(c) tarpaNam done upavItI (yajnopavItam in standard position)
(I can't give you any more details about how it
is to be done. Probably this should be deva-tIrtham)
sAvitrIm tarpayAmi
brahmANam ''
SraddhAm ''
medhAm ''
prajnAm ''
dhAraNAm ''
sadasaspatim ''
anumatim ''
chandobhya Rshibhya: ''
agnim ''
aptRNasUryam ''
agnim ''
Sukantam ''
agnim ''
Apa: tRpyantu
agnim tarpayAmi
maruta: tRpyantu
agnim tarpayAmi
varmANam tarpayAmi
agnim tarpayAmi
mitrAvaruNau tRpyetAm
agnim tarpayAmi
indrAsomau tRpyetAm
indram tarpayAmi
agnimarutau tRpyetAm
pavamAnasomau tRpyetAm
somam tarpayAmi
agnim tarpayAmi
samjnAnam tarpayAmi
viSvadevA: tRpyantu
devatA: tRpyantu
agnis tRpyatu
vishNus tRpyatu
prajApatis tRpyatu
brahmA tRpyatu
vedA: tRpyantu
devA: tRpyantu
Rshaya: tRpyantu
sarvANi chandAmsi tRpyantu
omkAra: tRpyatu
vashaTkAra: tRpyatu
vyAhRtaya: tRpyantu
sAvitrI tRpyatu
yajnA: tRpyantu
dyAvA-pRthivI tRpyetAm
antariksham tRpyatu
aho-rAtrANi tRpyantu
sankhyA: tRpyantu
sAnkhyA: tRpyantu
siddhA: tRpyantu
sAdhyA: tRpyantu
samudrA: tRpyantu
nadya: tRpyantu
gAva: tRpyantu
giraya: tRpyantu
kshetroushadhi-vanaspati-gandharva-apsarasa: tRpyantu
nAgA: tRpyantu
vayAmsi tRpyantu
viprA: tRpyantu
yakshA: tRpyantu
bhUtAni tRpyantu
(d) tarpaNam done nivItI (yajnopavItam like a necklace/garland.
tarpaNam should probably be done Rshi-tIrtham)
Satarcina: tRpyantu
mAdhyamA: tRpyantu
gRsnamada: tRpyatu
viSvAmitra: tRpyatu
vAmadeva: tRpyatu
atri: tRpyatu
bharadvAja: tRpyatu
vasishTha: tRpyatu
pragAthA: tRpyantu
pAvamAnya: tRpyantu
kshudra-sUktA: tRpyantu
mahA-sUktA: tRpyantu
(e) tarpaNam done prAcIna-vItI (yajnopavItam on opposite side.
tarpaNam should probably be pitR-tIrtham)
jaimini-vaiSampAyana-paila-sUtrabhAshya-bhArata-mahAbhArata-
dharmAcAryA: tRpyantu
jAnanti-bAhavi-gArgya-gautama-Sakalya-bAbhravya-mANDUkya-
mANDukeyA: tRpantu
gArgI tRpyatu
vAcaknavI tRpyatu
baDabA: tRpyatu
prAtitheyI tRpyatu
sulabhA tRpyatu
maitreyi tRpyatu
kahoLam tarpayAmi
kaushItakam tarpayAmi
mahAkaushItakam tarpayAmi
bharadvAjam tarpayAmi
paingam tarpayAmi
mahApaingam tarpayAmi
suyajnam tarpayAmi
sAnkhyAyanam tarpayAmi
aitareyam tarpayAmi
mahaitareyam tarpayAmi
bAshkalam tarpayAmi
gArgyam tarpayAmi
gautamam tarpayAmi
sujAtavaktram tarpayAmi
audavAhim tarpayAmi
mahaudavAhim tarpayAmi
saujAmim tarpayAmi
Saunakam tarpayAmi
ASvalAyanam tarpayAmi
ye ca anye AcAryA: te sarve tRpyantu
(f) If one's father is no longer alive, now pitR tarpaNam
(e) Return to upavItam, i.e., your poonool in its normal position.
Finish with Acamanam and sAttvika tyAgam, and change into dry clothes.
(6) yajnopavIta dhAraNam (listed in Notes for Yajur Veda but probably the same
for Rg Veda)
(a) Wear the new yajnopavItam (poonool-s) with appropriate mantras
(b) Brahmacharis should recite mantras for the darbha belt (maunji),
krishNAjina (a piece of deer skin), and palAsa daNDa
and if possible wear them
(7) Traditionally there is now a upAkarma homa, where the rishis
and devatAs mentioned above are once again saluted using the sacred
fire. The there is vedArambha, where the beginning of the Rg Veda
is taught to the sishyas.
These may not be available if one is away from one's elders and
acharyas. At minimum, it is recommended that you recite one anuvAka
from your veda on this day.
[ It is often erroneously thought that upAkarma or AvaNi aviTTam is
primarily the changing the yajnopavItam (poonool). This cannot be
further from the truth. Changing the poonool happens very often,
whenever a significant vedic karma is performed. UpAkarma, however, is
a rededication of oneself to the study of one's Veda, along with a
salutations to the rishis who perceived and revealed the Vedic mantras
to the world. This is the significance of the tarpaNam and the
anuvAka recitation. ]
(7) Next is bhagavad-ArAdhanam, as you would do on any normal day.
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Notes
(a) On the UpAkarma day, complete fasting is observed at night and a small
meal is eaten during the day. This meal typically consists of idli or
something similar, but excludes rice. Please also remember that you
are not supposed to eat anything until after bhagavad-ArAdhanam.
(b) The mantram for the kAmo'kArshIt japam is "kAmo'kArshIt manyur akArshIt".
It is not followed by "namo namaH".
(c) sankalpa details
The following is said for any major sankalpa (mahA-sankalpa).
What is specified below is for Rg upAkarma this year (1999).
After acharya vandanam and vishvaksena dhyAnam,
hari om tat SrI govinda govinda govinda!
asya SrI-bhagavato mahApurushasya
vishNor AjnayA pravartamAnasya
adya brahmaNe dvitIyaparArdhe SrI-Sveta-varAha-kalpe
vaivasvata-manvantare kaliyuge prathamapAde
jambudvIpe, bhAratavarshe, bharatakhaNDe,
SakAbde, meror dakshiNe pArSve
asmin vartamAnAnAm vyAvahArikANAm
prabhavAdi shashTi samvatsarANAm madhye
vikrama nAma samvatsare
dakshiNAyane, varsha Rtau, SrAvaNa mAse, Sukla pakshe,
paurNamAsyAm Subha-tithau, soma-vAsara-SravaNa-nakshatra yuktAyAm,
SrI-vishnu-yoga SrI-vishnu-karaNa Subha-yoga Subha-karaNa
evam guNa-viSeshaNa viSishTAyAm,
asyAm Subha-tithau,
SrI-bhagavad-AjnayA
[ SrIman-nArAyaNa-prItyartham OR
bhagavat-kainkarya-rUpam OR
bhagavat-prItyartham, depending on sampradAya ]
followed by the sankalpa for the particular karma.
(e) sAttvika tyAgam details
sAttvika tyAgam means dedicating the act one is performing
or has performed entirely to Bhagavan, and that Bhagavan is
performing it through you entirely for Himself. It is said
before and after performing the karma. In an abbreviated form,
here is one version:
Before doing the karma:
bhagavAn eva svaniyAmya sva-Sesha-bhUtena mayA
svasmai svaprItaye svayam eva [name of the act] kArayati.
After doing the karma, say the same thing, except replace the
last word "kArayati" with "kAritavAn".
(f) procedure for wearing the yajnopavitam (poonool)
(1) Sit squatting (kukkuTTAsanam) facing east. Acamanam twice
(2) prANAyAmam, wearing pavitram if available
(3) sankalpam, with sAttvika tyAgam:
Srauta-smArta-vihita-nitya-karma-anushThAna-
yogyatA-siddhyartham yajnopavIta-dhAraNam karishye
(4) Put one yajnopavItam on at a time. To do this,
hold the yajnopavItam with both hands, with your right
palm facing up over your head, and your left palm facing
the ground. The top of the brahma-mudi (knot) should be
on your right palm and should be facing right. Then say
this mantra, while holding the sacred thread this way:
yajnopavIta-dhAraNa-mantrasya
brahmA Rshi:
trishTup chanda:
trayIvidyA devatA
yajnopavIta dhAraNe viniyoga:
yajnopavItam paramam pavitram, prajApater yat sahajam purastAt |
Ayushyam ugryam pratimunca Subhram yajnopavItam balam astu teja: ||
Now wear the yajnopavItam. Acamanam once.
If you are married, repeat this procedure for the second yajnopavItam,
from the praNAyAmam and sankalpa to the mantra, and wear the thread.
Acamanam.
Then, after saying
upavItam chinnantu jIrNam kaSmala-dUshitam |
visRjAmi punar brahman varco dIrghAyur astu me ||
remove the old yajnopavItams and discard them under a tree or some
other natural place. Don't throw them in the garbage!
Acamanam again followed by sAttvika tyAgam.
(5) mantras for maunji, ajina, and daNDa dhAraNam
(a) maunji
prAvepAmA bRhatA mAdayanti pravA tejA hariNe vavRtAnA: |
somasyeva maujavatasya bhaksho vibhIdako jAgRvirmahyamacchAn ||
(b) ajina
RRk-sAmAbhyAm-abhihitau gAvau te sAma nAvita: |
Srotram te cakre AstAm divi panthAS carAcara: ||
(c) daNDa
esha ksheti rathavIthir maghavA gomatIranu ||