Part of a series on Hinduism
History · Deities
Denominations · Mythology
Beliefs & practices
Reincarnation · Moksha
Karma · Puja · Maya
Nirvana · Dharma
Vedanta ·
Yoga · Ayurveda
Yuga · Vegetarianism
Bhakti
Scriptures
Upanishads · Vedas
Brahmana · Bhagavad Gita
Ramayana · Mahabharata
Purana · Aranyaka
Shikshapatri · Vachnamrut
Related topics
Hinduism by country
Leaders · Mandir
Caste system · Mantra
Glossary · Hindu festivals
Murti
This box: view • talk • edit

Upanayanam perhaps better known outside India by the name "Sacred thread ceremony", is a Hindu rite-of-passage ritual. Traditionally, the ceremony was performed to mark the point at which male children began their formal education. Hinduism {Sanskrit - HindÅ« Dharma, also known as Sanātana (eternal) Dharma and Vaidika (of the Vedas) Dharma} is the religion based on the Vedas as well as other traditional scriptures and beliefs. ... Image File history File links Aum. ... Hinduism (सनातन धर्म; also known as Sanātana Dharma, and Vaidika-Dharma) is a worldwide religious tradition that is based on the revealed knowledge of the Veda and the direct descendant of the Vedic religion. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Hinduism encompasses many movements and schools fairly organized within Hindu denominations. ... Hindu mythology is a term used by modern scholarship for a large body of Indian literature that details the lives and times of legendary personalities, deities and divine incarnations on earth interspersed with often large sections of philosophical and ethical discourse. ... Hindu philosophy (one of the main divisions of Indian philosophy) is traditionally seen through the prism of six different systems (called darshanas in Sanskrit) that are listed here and make up the main belief systems of Hinduism. ... Past Lives redirects here. ... Moksha - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia /**/ @import /skins-1. ... Karma is a concept in Hinduism, based on the Vedas and Upanishads, which explains causality through a system where beneficial events are derived from past beneficial actions and harmful events from past harmful actions, creating a system of actions and reactions throughout a persons reincarnated lives. ... A small prayer setup This article is about Hinduism. ... Maya (illusion) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia /**/ @import /skins-1. ... This article is about a Buddhist philosophy concept. ... Dharma (Sanskrit धर्म) or Dhamma (Pāli) means Natural Law or Reality, and with respect to its significance for spirituality and religion might be considered the Way of the Higher Truths. ... Vedanta (Vedānta, वेदान्त, pronounced as ) means the anta or culmination or essence of the Vedas. ... Yoga is a family of ancient Hindu spiritual practices that originated in India, where it remains a vibrant living tradition and is seen as a means to enlightenment. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Vegetarianism is the practice of not eating meat, including beef, poultry, fish, and their by-products, with or without the use of dairy products or eggs. ... Bhakti - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia /**/ @import /skins-1. ... Hindu scripture is overwhelmingly written in Sanskrit. ... The Upanishads (उपनिषद्, Upanişad) are part of the Hindu Shruti scriptures which primarily discuss meditation and philosophy and are seen as religious instructions by most schools of Hinduism. ... The Vedas (Sanskrit वेद) are an extremaly large series of writings originating in Ancient India. ... The Brahmana (Sanskrit ब्राह्मण) are part of the Hindu Shruti; They are composed in Vedic Sanskrit, and the period of their composition is sometimes referred to as the Brahmanic period or age (approximately between 900 BC and 500 BC). ... Bhagavad Gīta भगवद्गीता, composed ca the fifth - second centuries BC, is part of the epic poem Mahabharata, located in the Bhisma-Parva chapters 23–40. ... The Rāmāyaņa (Sanskrit: रामायण (a sandhi form of rāma-ayana = march or journey (Ä€yana) of Rāma) is part of the Hindu smriti, written by Valmiki. ... The Mahabharata (Devanagari: महाभारत, phonetically Mahābhārata - see note), is one of the three major ancient Sanskrit epics of India, the others being the Ramayana and the Bhagavatam. ... The Puranas are part of Hindu Smriti; these religious scriptures discuss devotion and mythology. ... The Aranyakas (Sanskrit आरण्यक, Forest Books, Forest Treatises) are part of the Hindu Shruti; these religious scriptures are sometimes argued to be part of either the Brahmanas or Upanishads. ... The Shikshapatri is a text of two hundred and twelve verses, and was written by Shree Swaminarayan, a reforming Hindu from the Vaishnava tradition, who lived in Gujarat from 1781-1830 and who was recognised by his followers as a deity during his lifetime. ... Please wikify (format) this article as suggested in the Guide to layout and the Manual of Style. ... The percentage of Hindu population of each country was taken from the US State Departments International Religious Freedom Report 2004. ... These are some of the most noteworthy Gurus and Saints of Hinduism: Shankara Ramanuja Amritanandamayi Paramahansa Yogananda Madhvacharya Raghavendra Swami Ramakrishna Vivekananda Sree Narayana Guru Aurobindo Ramana Maharshi Sivananda Chinmayananda Yogaswami Sivaya Subramuniyaswami Swaminarayan Shriram Sharma Acharya A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada Satya Sai Baba Shirdi Sai Baba Bhakti Vaibhava... The Gopuram of temples, in south India, are adorned with colourful icons depicting a particular story surrounding the temples deity. ... This article or section is in need of attention from an expert on the subject. ... In Tibet, many Buddhists carve mantras into rocks as a form of devotion. ... Glossary of terms in Hinduism - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia /**/ @import /skins-1. ... The Nataraja is one of the most famous images of Lord Shiva Murtis (singular Murti, also spelled Murthi or Murthy) refers to deities or images used by Hindus and also by some Mahayana Buddhists during worship as points of devotional and meditational focus. ... Image File history File links Hindu_swastika. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ...

The ceremony is performed to young boys of 7+ years of age (and girls in some sects) from the three varnas of brahmin, kshatriya, vaishya. The youngster is taught during the ceremony the secret of life through Brahmopadesam (revealing the nature of Brahman, the Ultimate Reality) or the Gayatri mantra. He then becomes qualified for life as a student or Brahmacharya, as prescribed in the Manusmriti. To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Kshatriya is the title of the princely military order within the Hindu varna system. ... In the Hindu caste system, a Vaishya (Sanskrit वैश्य vaiśya) is a member of the third of the four major castes of the varna system of traditional Indian society. ... Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Brahm (ब्रह्म in devanagari script) in the Vedantic (and subsequently Yogic) forms of Hinduism, is the signifying name given to the concept of the unchanging, infinite, immanent and transcendent reality that is the Divine Ground of all being in this universe. ... Gayatri (Sanskrit: , IAST: ) is the feminine form of gāyatra, a Sanskrit word for a song or a hymn. ... In Tibet, many Buddhists carve mantras into rocks as a form of devotion. ... Brahmacharya is a Sanskrit word. ... The Manu Smriti or Laws of Manu, is one of the eighteen Smritis of the Dharma Sastra (or laws of righteous conduct), written c. ...

The Sanskrit word Upanayanam is believed to be derived from the word nayanam meaning "eye", prefixed with upa- ("auxiliary"), making for the interpretative meaning: bringing (the ultimate truth nearer in sight) ^{[citation needed]} Sanskrit ( संस्कृतम् ; pronunciation: ) is an Indo-European classical language of India and a liturgical language of Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism. ...

Yajñopaveetam - the "Sacred Thread"

The hallmark of having gone through the Upanayanam ceremony is the wearing of a Sacred Thread on the body. The thread is circular, being tied end-to-end; it is supported on the left shoulder and wrapped around the body, falling underneath the right arm. At the time of the ceremony, a thread consisting of three strands is conferred upon the novitiate. Later, at the occasion of his wedding, a further three strands are added to make for a 6-strand bunch. In some communities, the custom exists of one thread more being added at the birth of every child. In some interpretations, these threads are intended to constantly remind the man of his worldly responsibilities.

The sacred thread is supposed to be worn for the rest of one's life after the ceremony has been performed. A new thread is worn and the old thread discarded every year; the change-over ceremony is held on a specific date calculated as per the hindu lunar calendar. Among brahmins, this date varies depending on which of four Vedic Shakhas one belongs to. To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ...

Both the sacred thread and the Upanayanam ceremony are known by different names in different languages.

We see that the ceremony is called Munja in the state of Maharashtra, where the Marathi language is spoken. According to one theory, the ceremony and custom find their origin in the worship of Munja, a deity resident on Pipal trees. This deity is a bachelor and is worshipped throughout Maharashtra. In Hindu folk tradition, the Pipal tree represents knowledge. Upanayana has got one more meaning, derived from Marathi words: Upa na (over/above)+yan am (it is), making for the meaning "that which is above (the shoulder)". Sanskrit ( संस्कृतम् ; pronunciation: ) is an Indo-European classical language of India and a liturgical language of Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism. ... Tamil (தமிழ் ) is a classical language and one of the major languages of the Dravidian language family. ... Telugu (తెలుగు) (also Telegu) belongs to the Dravidian language family but with ample influence from the Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European family and is the official language of the state of Andhra Pradesh, India. ... Kannada - aptly described as sirigannada (known to few as Kanarese) is one of the oldest Dravidian languages and is spoken in its various dialects by roughly 45 million people. ... Hindi (हिन्दी or हिंदी in DevanāgarÄ«), an Indo-European language spoken mainly in Northern and Central India is the official language of the central government of India. ... Malayalam (മലയാളം) is the major language of the state of Kerala, in southern India. ... Marathi is one of the widely spoken languages of India, and has a long literary history. ... Konkani is a term used to refer both to a language and to an Indian ethnic group. ... Maharashtra (Devanagari: महाराष्ट्र, literally: Great Nation)( ) is Indias third largest state in terms of area and second largest in terms of population after Uttar Pradesh. ... Marathi is one of the widely spoken languages of India, and has a long literary history. ... Binomial name Ficus religiosa L. The Sacred Fig Ficus religiosa, also known as Bo (from the Sinhalese Bo), Pipal (Peepul) or Ashwattha tree, is a species of banyan fig native to India, southwest China and Indochina east to Vietnam. ...

See also

Samavartanam Samavartanam refers to the ceremony performed after the completion of the brahmacharis stay in the Gurukul. ...

Varnas To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ...

Brahmin To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ...

Hinduism {Sanskrit - HindÅ« Dharma, also known as Sanātana (eternal) Dharma and Vaidika (of the Vedas) Dharma} is the religion based on the Vedas as well as other traditional scriptures and beliefs. ... Åšruti (Sanskrit श्रुति, what is heard) is a canon of Hindu scriptures. ... The Vedas (Sanskrit वेद) are an extremaly large series of writings originating in Ancient India. ... The Upanishads (; Devanagari ) are part of the Hindu Shruti scriptures which primarily discuss meditation and philosophy and are seen as religious instructions by most forms of Hinduism. ... Åšrauta refers to the tradition of the Åšruti in Hinduism. ... Smriti (Sanskrit स्मॄति, that which is remembered) refers to a specific canon of Hindu religious scripture. ... Itihasa (Sanskrit: इतिहास - itihāsa in IAST notation, literally meaning that which happened) is the word for History. ... The Rāmāyaņa (Sanskrit: रामायण (a sandhi form of rāma-ayana = march or journey (Ä€yana) of Rāma) is part of the Hindu smriti, written by Valmiki. ... The Mahabharata (Devanagari: महाभारत, phonetically Mahābhārata - see note), is one of the three major ancient Sanskrit epics of India, the others being the Ramayana and the Bhagavatam. ... Bhagavad Gīta भगवद्गीता, composed ca the fifth - second centuries BC, is part of the epic poem Mahabharata, located in the Bhisma-Parva chapters 23–40. ... The Puranas (Sanskrit पुराण, purāṇá ancient, since they focus on ancient history of the universe) are part of Hindu Smriti; these religious scriptures discuss varied topics like devotion to God in his various aspects, traditional sciences like Ayurveda, Jyotish, cosmology, concepts like dharma, karma, reincarnation and many others. ... Sutra (सूत्र) in Sanskrit is derived from the verb siv-, meaning to sew (these words, including English to sew and Latinate suture, all derive from PIE *syÅ«-). It literally means a rope or thread, and more metaphorically refers to an aphorism (or line, rule, formula), or a collection of such aphorisms... Agama (Sanskrit, IAST Ä€gama) literally means that which has come down, i. ... Tantra (Sanskrit: weave), tantric yoga or tantrism is any of several esoteric traditions rooted in the religions of India. ... Yantra literally means loom, instrument or machine. ... Vedanta (Vedānta, वेदान्त, pronounced as ) means the anta or culmination or essence of the Vedas. ... Look up avatar in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... According to Advaita Vedanta, a philosophical branch of Hinduism, ātman is the all-pervading soul of the universe. ... Brahm (ब्रह्म in devanagari script) in the Vedantic (and subsequently Yogic) forms of Hinduism, is the signifying name given to the concept of the unchanging, infinite, immanent and transcendent reality that is the Divine Ground of all being in this universe. ... Kosas are five cases or sheaths which cover the Atman in Hinduism. ... Dharma (Sanskrit धर्म) or Dhamma (Pāli) means Natural Law or Reality, and with respect to its significance for spirituality and religion might be considered the Way of the Higher Truths. ... Karma is a concept in Hinduism, based on the Vedas and Upanishads, which explains causality through a system where beneficial events are derived from past beneficial actions and harmful events from past harmful actions, creating a system of actions and reactions throughout a persons reincarnated lives. ... Moksha - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia /**/ @import /skins-1. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Maya (illusion). ... Ishta-Deva, or Ishta Devata is a term from Hinduism that means chosen Deity or revered aspect of God by a devotee and is a widely held concept in Smartism. ... The Nataraja is one of the most famous images of Lord Shiva Murtis (singular Murti, also spelled Murthi or Murthy) refers to deities or images used by Hindus and also by some Mahayana Buddhists during worship as points of devotional and meditational focus. ... Past Lives redirects here. ... Illustration depicting the transmigration of the soul. ... According to the Indian school of Samkhya philosophy, the Tattva are a way of directly experiencing the 5 alchemical elements. ... In Hinduism, the Trimurti (also called the Hindu trinity) are three aspects of God, or Parabrahman, in Gods personae as Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva. ... In early Hindu philosophy, turiya (also called caturtha) is a state of pure consciousness, or the experience of ultimate reality and truth. ... The guru-shishya tradition (also guru-shishya parampara or lineage) is a spiritual relationship found within traditional Hinduism which is centered around the transmission of teachings from a guru (teacher, ) to a Å›iá¹£ya (disciple, ). The term shishya roughly equates to the western term disciple, and in some parts of... Hindu philosophy (one of the main divisions of Indian philosophy) is traditionally seen through the prism of six different systems (called darshanas in Sanskrit) that are listed here and make up the main belief systems of Hinduism. ... Hinduism encompasses many movements and schools fairly organized within Hindu sects. ... Early Hinduism is a term used to designate the religious development of India before the historical period. ... Samkhya, also Sankhya, (Sanskrit: सांख्य - Enumeration) is one of the schools of Indian philosophy. ... Nyaya (pronounced as nyα:yÉ™) is the name given to one of the six orthodox or astika schools of Hindu philosophy - specifically the school of logic. ... Vaisheshika, also Vaisesika, (Sanskrit: वैशॆषिक)is one of the six Hindu schools of philosophy (orthodox Vedic systems) of India. ... Yoga is a family of ancient Hindu spiritual practices that originated in India, where it remains a vibrant living tradition and is seen as a means to enlightenment. ... The main objective of the Purva (earlier) Mimamsa school was to establish the authority of the Vedas. ... Vedanta (Vedānta, वेदान्त, pronounced as ) means the anta or culmination or essence of the Vedas. ... Tantra (Sanskrit: weave), tantric yoga or tantrism is any of several esoteric traditions rooted in the religions of India. ... Bhakti yoga is the Hindu term for the spiritual practice of fostering of loving devotion to God, called bhakti. ... ... A ritual is a formalised, predetermined set of symbolic actions generally performed in a particular environment at a regular, recurring interval. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Aarti, ãrti, arathi, or ãrati is a Hindu ritual in which light from wicks soaked in ghee (purified butter) or camphor is offered to one or more deities. ... A bhajan or kirtan is a Hindu or Sikh devotional song, often of ancient origin. ... Darshan is a Sanskrit and Hindu (also used to some extent in Urdu) term meaning sight (in the sense of an instance of seeing something or somebody), vision, apparition, or a glimpse. ... In Hinduism, diksha is the ritual of initiation into the worship of some deity by a guru (diksha guru) who bestows mantra(s) and takes the karma of the initiate - at least in case of Vaishnava diksha, as per Hari Bhakti Vilasa 1. ... In Tibet, many Buddhists carve mantras into rocks as a form of devotion. ... A small prayer setup This article is about Hinduism. ... The company of the highest knowledge and Truth; the company of a Guru; contact with a person or an assembly of persons who listen to, talk about, and assimilate the Truth. ... Stotras are Hindu prayers that praise aspects of God, such as Devi, Siva, or Vishnu. ... Hindu wedding (vivah विवाह or shādÄ« शादी in Hindi, panigrahana पाणिग्रहण in Sanskrit, other terms are also used) ceremonies are traditionally conducted in Sanskrit, the language in which most holy Hindu ceremonies are conducted. ... In Hinduism, Yajña यज्ञ (Sanskrit yajñá worship, prayer, praise; offering, oblation, sacrifice) is a Vedic ritual of sacrifice performed to please the Devas, or sometimes to the Supreme Spirit Brahman. ... Guru - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia /**/ @import /skins-1. ... A saint is a term to refer to someone who is a holy person. ... Adi Shankara with the Four Disciples Adi Shankara (Åšankara, Shri Shankaracharya, Adhi Shankaracharya, Ä€di Åšhankarācārya; the first Shankara in his lineage), reverentially called Bhagavatpada Acharya (the teacher at the feet of the Lord) (approximately 8th century, but see below) was the most famous advaita philosopher, who had a... Sri Ramanuja Acharya (traditionally dated 1017–1137 CE) was an Indian philosopher and is recognized as the most important saint of Sri Vaishnavism. ... Shri Madhvacharya,(1238-1317), was the chief propounder of the Dvaita or dualistic school of Hindu philosophy, one of the three influential Vedanta philosophies. ... Sri Thakur Gadadhar Chattopadhyaya Ramakrishna Paramahamsa (Bangla: শ্রীরামকৄষ্ঞ পরমহংস) (February 18, 1836 - August 16, 1886) was a Bengali saint. ... Swami Vivekananda (whose pre-monastic name was Narendranath Dutta (January 12, 1863 - July 4, 1902) is considered one of the most famous and influential spiritual leaders of the Vedanta philosophy and is considered by millions of Indians as well as non-Indians as a Messenger of God (like Buddha, Jesus... Narayana Guru It has been suggested that the section Sri Narayana Guru from the article Ezhava be merged into this article or section. ... Sri Aurobindo Sri Aurobindo (Bangla: শ্রী অরবিন্দ, Sri Ôrobindo Sanskrit: श्री अरविन्द SrÄ« Aravinda) (August 15, 1872–December 5, 1950) was an Indian nationalist, scholar, poet, Hindu mystic, evolutionary philosopher, yogi and guru. ... Ramana Maharshi (December 30, 1879 – April 14, 1950) was a Hindu mystic of the Advaita Vedanta stream, who lived on Arunachala hill near Tiruvannamalai. ... Swami Sivananda Saraswati (1887-1963), as he is known under his monastic name, was born Kuppuswamy in Pattamadai, Tamil Nadu, India. ... Swami Chinmayananda (स्‍वामी चिन्‍मयानन्‍द) (1916 - August 3, 1993) was born Balakrishna Menon (Balan) in Ernakulam, Kerala in a very devout Hindu family. ... Sivaya Subramuniyaswami (1927 - 2001), affectionately known as Gurudeva, was born in Oakland, California on January 5th, 1927. ... Bhagwan Shree Swaminarayan Bhagwan Swaminarayan (April 2, 1781 - 1830) was born Ghanshyam Maharaj to a brahmin family in the village of Chhapaiya, Uttar Pradesh, India. ... A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada (September 1, 1896–November 14, 1977) was born Abhay Charan De, in Kolkata, West Bengal. ... Baba Lokenath Brahmachari or simply Baba Lokenath was a semi-legendary Hindu saint and philosopher in Bengal. ... Hinduism encompasses many movements and schools fairly organized within Hindu denominations. ... Vaishnavism is one of the principal divisions of Hinduism. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Shaktism is a denomination of Hinduism that worships Shakti, or Devi -- the Hindu name for the Great Mother -- in all of her forms whilst not rejecting the importance of masculine and neuter divinity. ... Smartism, (or Smarta Sampradaya, Smarta Tradition), is a denomination of the Hindu religion. ... Hinduism is going through a phase of regeneration and reform through the vehicle of several contemporary movements. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... This is a List of Hindu deities. ... Hindu mythology is a term used by modern scholarship for a large body of Indian literature that details the lives and times of legendary personalities, deities and divine incarnations on earth interspersed with often large sections of philosophical and ethical discourse. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... The Satya Yuga, also called Sat Yuga, Krta Yuga and Krita Yuga in Hinduism, is the Yuga (Age or Era) of Truth, when humankind is governed by gods, and every manifestation or work is close to the purest ideal and mankind will allow intrinsic goodness to rule supreme. ... The Treta Yuga is the second Yuga in the four yugas. ... Dvapara Yuga is the third out of four yugas, or ages, in the religion of Hinduism. ... Kali Yuga is also the title of a book by Roland Charles Wagner. ... This article or section is in need of attention from an expert on the subject. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Kshatriya is the title of the princely military order within the Hindu varna system. ... In the Hindu caste system, a Vaishya (Sanskrit वैश्य vaiÅ›ya) is a member of the third of the four major castes of the varna system of traditional Indian society. ... Shudra or Sudra is the fourth caste or Jat in the traditional four-section division in Indian society. ... In South Asias caste system, a Dalit; often called an untouchable; is a person outside the four castes, and considered below them. ...

External link

• Some important informations about Upanayanam by Sri Seshadrinatha Sasthrikal