1. We shall explain the Upanayana (or initiation of the student).
2. Let him initiate a Brâhmana in the eighth year after the conception,
3. A Râganya in the eleventh, a Vaigya in the twelfth year after the conception. [ p. 271 ]
4. Spring, summer, autumn: these are the (fit) seasons (for the Upanayana), corresponding to the order of the castes.
5. (The boy’s father) serves food to Brâhmanas and causes them to pronounce auspicious wishes, and serves food to the boy. (The teacher?) pours together, with the first Yanus (of the next Anuvâka, warm and cold) water, pouring the warm water into the cold, and moistens (the boy’s) head with the next (verse; M. II, 1, 2).
6. [1] Having put three Darbha blades into his hair (towards each of the four directions) (the teacher [?]) shaves his hair with the next four (verses; M. II, 1, 3-6) with the different Mantras, towards the different (four) directions.
7. [2] With the following (verse, M. II, 1, 7, somebody) addresses him while he is shaving.
8. Towards the south, his mother or a Brahmakârin strews barley-grains on a lump of bull’s dung; with this (dung) she catches up the hair (that is cut off), and puts it down with the next (verse; M. II, 1, 8) at the root of an Udumbara tree or in a tuft of Darbha grass.
9. [3] After (the boy) has bathed, and (the ceremonies) from the putting (of wood) on (the fire) down to the Âsyabhâga oblations (have been performed), he causes him to put a piece of Palâsa wood on the [ p. 272 ] fire with the next (verse; M. II, 2, 1), and makes him tread with his right foot on a stone to the north of the fire, with (the verse), ‘Tread’ (M. II, 2, 2).
10. Having recited the next two (verses; M. II. 2, 3. 4) over a garment that has been spun and woven on one day, and has caused him, with the next three (verses; M. II. 2, 5-7), to put it on, he recites over him, after he has put it on, the next (verse; M. II, 2, 8).
11. [4] He ties thrice around him, from left to right, a threefold-twisted girdle of Muñña grass with the next two (verses; M. II. 2, 9. 10), and (gives him) a skin as his outer garment with the next (verse; II, 2, 11).
12. [5] To the north of the fire (the teacher) spreads out Darbha grass; on that he causes (the boy) to station himself with the next (verse; M. II. 3, 1), pours his joined hands full of water into (the boy’s) joined hands, makes him sprinkle himself three times with the next (verse; M. II, 3, 2), takes hold of his right hand with the next (formulas; M. II, 3, 3-12), gives him with the next (formulas; M. II, 3, 13-23) in charge to the deities (mentioned in those Mantras), initiates him with the next Yagus (M. II, 3, 24), and murmurs into his right ear the (Mantra), ‘Blessed with offspring’ (II, 3, 25).
1. The boy says, ‘I am come to be a student’ (II, 3, 26). [ p. 273 ]
2. The other (i.e. the teacher) has to ask; the boy has to answer (II, 3, 27-30).
3. The other murmurs the rest (of the Anuvâka),
4. And causes the boy to repeat (the Mantra) which contains wishes for himself (II, 3, 32).
5. [6] (The rites) down to the Âgyabhâgas have been prescribed.
6. Having then caused him to sacrifice the oblations (indicated in the) next (Mantras; M. II, 4, 1-11), he enters upon (the performance) of the Gaya and following oblations.
7. Having performed (the rites) down to the sprinkling (of water) round (the fire), he puts down, to the west of the fire, a bunch of northward-pointed grass; on that (the teacher) who performs the initiation, sits down with the next Yagus (M. II, 4, 12).
8. The boy, sitting to the east (of him), facing the west, seizes with his right hand (the teacher’s) right foot and says, ‘Recite the Sâvitrî, Sir!’
9. He recites (the Sâvitrî) to him, ‘That (glorious splendour) of Savitri’ (Taitt. Samh. I, 5, 6, 4; M. 4, 13);
10. Pâda by Pâda, hemistich by hemistich, and the whole (verse).
11. (When repeating the Sâvitrî Pâda by Pâda, he pronounces) the Vyâhritis singly at the beginning or at the end of the Pâdas;
12. In the same way (the first and the second Vyâhriti at the beginning or at the end) of the hemistichs; the last (Vyâhriti, when he repeats) the whole verse.
13. With the next Mantra (M. II, 4, 14) the boy touches his upper lip; [ p. 274 ]
14. With the next (II, 4, 15) both his ears;
15. With the next (II, 5, 1) he takes up the staff.
16. [7] The staff of a Brâhmana is made of Palâna wood, that of a Rânanya of a branch of the Nyagrodha tree, so that the downward-turned end (of the branch) forms the tip (of the staff), that of a Vainya of Bâdara or Udumbara wood.
17. Some state (only), without any reference to caste, that the staff should be made of the wood of a tree:
18. After (the teacher) has made him repeat (the formula), ‘My memory’ (M. II, 5, 2), and he has bestowed an optional gift on his teacher, and (the teacher) has made him arise with (the formula, M. II, 5, 3), ‘Up, with life!’ (the student) worships the sun with the next (Mantras; II, 5, 4).
19. If (the teacher) wishes, ‘May this (student) not be estranged from me,’ let him take (the student) by the right hand with the next (verse; II, 5, 6).
20. They keep that fire (used at the Upanayana) three days,
21. And (during that time) salted and pungent food should be avoided.
22. Having wiped (with his hand wet) around (the fire) with (the formula), ‘Around thee’ (M. II, 6, 1), he should put (twelve) pieces of wood on that (fire) with the next Mantras (II, 6, 2-13).
23. In the same way also on another (fire, when the Upanayana fire is kept no longer),
24. Fetching fuel regularly from the forest.
25. With the next (formula—M. II, 6, 14—the teacher) instructs (the student in his duties). [ p. 275 ]
26. [8] On the fourth day (after the Upanayana the teacher) takes the garment (of the student) for himself with the next (verse; M. II, 6, 15), having made him put on another (garment).
271:6 10, 6, 7. The difference which Haradatta makes between the teacher who begins to shave him (pravapati) and the barber who goes on with shaving (vapantam) seems too artificial. ↩︎
271:7 Haradatta: The teacher addresses the barber, &c.—Sudarsanârya: The mother of the boy or a Brahmasârin [comp. Sûtra 8] . . . addresses the teacher who shaves him. ↩︎
271:9 Comp. above, II, 4, 3. ↩︎
272:11 Comp. Âpast. Dharma-sûtra I, I, 2, 33; I, 3, 3 seq. ↩︎
272:12 As to the words, ‘he initiates him’ (upanayati), comp. Sâṅkhâyana II, 2, 11. 12; Âsvalâyana I, 20, 4 &c. ↩︎
273:5 11, 5. See above, Section 10, Sûtra 9. ↩︎
274:16 16, 17. These Sûtras are identical with Dharma-sûtra I, 1, 2, 38 (S.B.E., vol. ii, p. 9). ↩︎
275:26 The garment which the teacher takes for himself is that mentioned above, IV, 10, 10. ↩︎