Upanayana these days is taken as a birth right for people
belonging to few selected caste. But this is far from truth. Upanayana is not
limited to one caste and in our country this thinking is changing and doing so
for past many years.
Let us first know the science behind Upanayana. It is a
scientifically proven fact that a vein passing through the ear regulates the
flow of urine. Applying pressure and acupuncture principle on different points
in our ears is a medically acclaimed remedy for many of our urinary troubles.
Therefore, when one wears the sacred thread around the ear, a pressure is
created at points which in turn help the urinary system to regulate the urine
flow, thus keeping his urinary system, bladder, etc. healthy and free of
problems. Lot many of these scientific practices have been attached to God so
that we get to perform them correctly. To explain them all to people in details
the science behind it is not always possible. A layman might not get the point
and never follow.
Is there really a caste or gender barrier when it comes
to Upanayana? No, this practice is for everyone. Even girls! It is with time
that changes happened and the practice got limited to maybe 1-2 castes.
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| Panini Kanya Mahavidyalaya |
I read an article sometime back telling about a village
in Bihar where girls, irrespective of caste go through Upanayana ceremony. LINKHERE. Not just this, there are schools now who are training women as priests
and these women all go through Upanayana. Sunitee Gadgil, a priest from Pune
herself got janeyu and became a priest more than 10 years back. And currently
she herself initiated more girls. There is an institution for women
Dyanprabodhini in Pune who are training women as priests IRRESPECTIVE of what
caste they belong to. (LINK HERE) Have you all ever heard about Panini Kanya
Mahavidyalaya in Mehmoorganj? This school for past more than 40years is
imparting Vedic knowledge besides training girls as priests. These girls, many
of whom, go through Upanayana ceremony. Quoting the Pricipal of the college
from THIS LINK – “…the college principal teaches the students that anyone who
can read and understand the Vedas are also entitled to wear the janev (sacred
thread).” Besides these let me tell about few temples which have women priests,
all of whom got initiated with the sacred thread. The Shakti temple right next
to Dharmaya temple in Bangalore has a women priest. Many remote temples in
Kerela are served by women priests through generations. There is a place near
Chennai which has the Adi Para Shakti temple. Again that has women priest.
Ongur in Trichy is served again by women priests.
Now let us come to the next point that only Brahmins are
given this thread. Again this is not the complete truth. I agree that is the
most prevalent one, but let us not get into generalizing it. From our Vedic era
itself Upanayana was never for any specific caste. It was taken that anyone who
wants to get started with education would go through this ceremony. Even
Shudras had the rights. The Sanatkumara Samhita tells us about Tantric
Upanayana for Shudras. Even in our Varahapurana it tells in details about
Shudra Upanayana. In Mahabharata, Chapter 131 in the Uma Maheshwar
conversation, the Lord tells his consort “Shudro Paye AgamasampannoDweejo
Bhavati Samskrataha”. Meaning – “By adhering to the agama scriptures (in other
words getting initiated through pancharatric system), a shudra also becomes a
Brahmin.”
And interestingly it is followed even today. Shaivites
even today do initiate Shudras as priests. These people get Upanayana
initiation and become priests. In the Lingaraja temple at Bhuvaneshwar the
worship is done by both Brahmins and Shudra priests. (LINK HERE) The
Durga temple in Dhoopchandi, UP (near Varanasi) does not follow the tradition
of Brahmin by birth priests. It is the boatmen of that area who go through
thread ceremony, learn vedic mantras and become the priests. ISKON also
initiate people and they follow the Pancharatrik system. The thread ceremony
done by ISKON never look into the caste of the seeker. Many other Vaishnavite
organisation also follow the same. They follow Upanayana process as explained
by Sanatana Goswami. He was Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s disciple and he explained
about all such process in his book Hari Bhakti Vilasa. Gaudiya Math people
follow this system and when they perform thread ceremony, never do they ask for
your caste.
So you see it is a wrong fact that in India ONLY Brahmins
(boys) are going through Uapanayana and becoming priests. I agree this ceremony
is done more among Brahmins. People’s perspectives are changing. Society is not
the same. The practice and thought process that janeyu is ONLY for Brahmin is
prevalent in our society. But to say that is the sole thought process is wrong.
I even chatted with three priests known to me. And all of three said they have
no issues if someone from other caste comes forward for Upanayana. What I could
gather from discussion with these priests is that because people of other caste
also take it Upanayana is for Brahmins, they never come forward. One even
chuckled and said this also saves them from another round of financial expense.
The wrong mindset of people, in our country, need to be changed.
Let us show the world how society is changing so that more would come forward and
embrace the same. And this is the reason today for this post of mine!!! Hope
this can change the century old mindset of many and also remove wrong concepts
from the mind of others and we can get a better world to live in.
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