Thread by @anbezhil12

#MahaPeriyava #Sankara_Charithram
Greatness of the Upanayana done in childhood

Acharya’s upanayanam was performed at the age of five itself. When we look at the story of Sambandhar, it is learnt from Periya Puranam that he started singing devotional verses at the age of three,

thereafter undertook pilgrimage to a few kshetrams, when he returned, his Upanayanam was performed. Since it is mentioned “upanayana paruvam eitha” (உபநயன பருவம் எய்த), it hints that the sacred thread ceremony was conducted at the minimum age by which it was appropriate to be

performed. For ‘Nitya Upanayanam it is eight years of age. For ‘Kaamya Upanayanam’ it is only five years of age. There are two types of karmanushtanams. #Nityam and #Kaamyam. For #NityaKarma the fruit (benefit) is only the invigoration of the Atma [Atma shakti] internally. No

other desired gain can be obtained by that. Is there any gain if one speaks the truth always? We see that lucrative profits can be obtained only by speaking lies!  Despite that, is there not a rule that we should speak only the truth?  Why is it so?  Because, it is a sin to speak

lies; that is, the Atma becomes impure.  Nitya karma is also like that. Not doing it is a sin.  If it is done, apart from the cleansing of the Atma -which happens without our knowledge, no visible benefits like wealth, progeny etc. can be shown.  Kaamya karma is done with the

specific intention of attaining a desired objective. The Putra Kaameshti yajna performed by Dasaratha with the specific intention of begetting a son was a kaamya karma. Circumambulating the Navagrahas with the specific desire of getting a promotion is Kaamya karma.  It is not

necessary that these should be done.  Nitya karma must be done. Not doing it is a sin. Nitya Upanayanam should be performed at the age of eight. Eight years is including the period in the womb. That is, seven years and two months after birth. This is the minimum. There is an

opinion in the Sastras that this stipulation is also the ‘maximum’.  However, it is said that it can be done up to sixteen years of age, thus providing a grace of another eight years considering that there could be some unavoidable circumstances.  Should never go beyond that.

It is a sin if it is allowed to go beyond that. We saw that it is a sin to avoid something categorised as ‘Nityam’, isn’t it? According to this [rule], it is a sin if a father does not perform the sacred thread ceremony for his son even by sixteen years of age.  Nowadays many

fathers are committing this sin without any reason or justification. The point is, Gayatri should enter the mind of the Brahmin boy before the emotion of lust enters his mind and only if he chants the Mantra daily to the extent of a thousand times will he attain Mantra siddhi and

purification of mind, and will also radiate positive vibrations to the world. Is it not a sin if a father fails to facilitate his son’s attainment of the wellbeing of his atma and welfare of the society? 8 years of age is what is called as ‘Mukhya’ time. Mukhyam means adhering to

the rules correctly. In an attempt to be lenient,  Sastras have given a second option which is  #Gaunam. The period above 8 and up to 16 is Gauna period for Upanayanam. It is said in the Manu Smriti [and other Sastras] that if a person goes beyond this period without Upanayanam

being performed, he becomes a Vraatya. ‘Vraatya’ means an out-caste. When the age limit for Government service is prescribed as 25 years, do they not try to follow it even by producing false certificates?  But when age limit is prescribed by the Sastras if one decides to act as

per their wish and not follow what is said, is it correct? I am tirelessly saying all these hoping at least one or two will get sensitized and feel responsible. While in the present times we are all so indifferent in this matter, in the olden days parents of children who were

mentally very sharp, observing the child grasp very well whatever was taught even at the age of 4 or 5, used to think “Should we not perform the Upanayanam till the age of eight!” Addressing this very situation, Sastras have prescribed one ‘Kaamya Upanayanam’.  It has given the

minimum lower age as five years for this purpose. It is generally said that ‘Kaamya’ karma which is performed to fulfil one’s own desires, is inferior to ‘Nitya’ karma, which is ordained as one’s duty in the Sastras. However, when we say ‘Kaamyam’ in the matter of Upanayanam,

which desire does it intend to fulfil? As said in the Smritis, “brahma varchasakaamasya panchame” is it not intended that the son should earn Brahma Tejas, purify himself and also facilitate purification of the society? How can this be counted along with the other worldly

desires? If the child is mentally sharp by nature, Gayatri Devi will enter his intellect and ensure that the intellect gets sharper and not get blunted. Also, she will ensure that the intelligence and power do not stray into unrighteousness but remain righteous, leading to

betterment of the individual. Even if the children are dull or of average intelligence, repetitive chanting of Gayatri Mantra sharpens their intellect, makes it shine and enables them follow the path of goodness. That Mantra is a helpful one, whatever be the level one is in.

Acharya, Sambandar, et al. are incarnations endowed with the power of the divine. Even then, they did not show it off externally – did not show it off all the time. They displayed it only when the need arose. When the Divine comes down to act as human – ‘Leela Maanusha Vesham’ in

the material world, this is how it displays its Divinity – only once in a while!  They had incarnated only to show the right path for ordinary human beings. Therefore, they conducted their human lives in such a manner so as to demonstrate to the human beings as to what can be

achieved by using human power in a proper regulated way and also to provide motivation to the humans to live that way. Moreover, Swami takes incarnations with the desire that people should mingle and move with Him. If it is entirely a display of divine power, will others come

forward to mingle and move with him? They will stand at a distance and will only tap their own cheeks (in reverence).  If Acharya had displayed himself as Paramashiva all the time, how could his father and mother have brought him up showing love and affection? This is how in many

incarnations everything is done as if He were a human being. The divine power is exhibited only when there is a need, and these divine deeds are also erased from the memory of those who live with them. Nevertheless, when the world was getting degraded, the compassionate heart of

Acharya, Sambandhar, et al. did not allow them to rectify it in a gradual and human way. Acharya was very anxious to complete the reestablishment of Dharma in the entire country within a span of 32 years; Sambandhar was anxious not to take more than 16 years to reform Tamilnadu

alone. That is why they demonstrated an extraordinary intelligence not found in ordinary human children and completed their studies at a very young age. To show that it was not his own effort but Ambal’s grace, Sambandhar became a Jnani and an erudite scholar after having

consumed the milk of Ambal. I have mentioned earlier itself that there is a similar story about Acharya also. He looked more like a‘prodigy’, something rare among human children; He lived more as a genius child on whom the parents could shower their affection, and not as an

incarnation where the parents and others would stand at a distance and worship him. Having mastered the grammar and literature of the native language and Samskritam by the age of five, Acharya had his upanayanam at that age, went for Gurukula Vasam, completed his adhyayanam-

learning the Vedas and mastered all the Sastras by the age of 8. Acharya has done wonderful things like Upanayana at the age of five, mastering Sastras, etc. within the age of eight, taking up Sanyasam at that age itself and completing the writing of all commentaries [Bhashyam]

by the age of 12 itself. He would have completed his studies even earlier! However, the study of Vedas cannot be undertaken without getting the sacred thread ceremony done; also the Sastras of Saanga and Upaanga of the Vedas cannot be studied; Even if it is Kaamya Upanayana, it

cannot be performed before the age of five – thus with a view to demonstrate that everything should be done according to the Sastras, he studied only the native language, language of the Devas [Samskrit], their ‘Grammar’, literature, etc. by five years of age and postponed the

study of Sastras to beyond 5. Although it would sound good to say ‘Acharya is the only person to have had the greatness of studying and grasping literature and plays even before the performance of sacred thread ceremony’, the thought of another person keeps coming up in my mind!

Let me say who it is. Instead of someone else talking about it, he has himself written about the scholarly traits which were there in him even before his upanayanam was performed. His name is Rajachoodaamani Deekshitar. He had lived around 350 to 400 years back.  He was the

brother-in-law (wife’s brother) of Appaya Deekshitar.  It is learnt that he not only studied literature much before his Upanayanam, but also created them! In the play #Kamalinee_kalahamsam written by him, he has mentioned thus: ‘Even before Gayatri, one of the wives of Brahma,

came to me, that is even before having my Upanayanam, his other wife Saraswati had come to me (mastery in composing literature had been achieved)! To demonstrate that they did everything after their upanayanam at the appropriate age, and only because of the grace of Gayatri,

Acharya and Sambandhamurthy Swami carried out their special tasks only after the upanayana ceremony. It was done as a lesson for all of us. Decimating the other religions and establishment of Sanatana Dharma was the main task of these incarnations. Therefore, instead of holding

protest meetings against conversions, organising conferences, indulging in violence if needed etc., it is enough if we first and foremost conduct the sacred thread ceremony for our children at the age of 8 and persuade and cajole them into doing the Gayathri Japam a 1000 times

daily – all conversions will run away due to the power of the mantra! It is enough if the children start by doing it for a few days, Gayatri will take a hold on them. They will start doing it with interest on their own, without the need for us to persuade, threaten, or compel

them. I am repeatedly banging my head on the same subject only because we are not making use of the huge treasure we have. (Maha Periyava is uttering these words with great concern). There is nothing else that we need to do, for having listened to the life history of Acharya.

1 This is the rule for Brahmins.  The age prescribed for Kshatriyas is 11-22; for Vaishyas 12-24.

Taken from mahaperiyavaa.blog/2023/04/24/122…

Sarvam Sri Krishnarpanam🙏