History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v2.c24.s1.53

v2.c24.s1.53

It is not possible for want of space to show how the greatest possible confusion prevails as to the order of the various components of the ceremony of upanayana. But a few striking examples may be given. Āśvalāyana gṛ. treats of the tying of the girdle and the giving of the staff almost at the end of the ceremony, while Āp. gṛ. puts this after homa and immediately before añjalipūraṇa ( filling the folded hands of both with water ); Āśvalāyana puts ādityadarśana after the boy's hand is held by the teacher and before paridāna ( handing the boy over to the deities ), but Bhār. ( I. 9 ) puts it after the instruction in the observances of brahmacarya. The Bhār. gṛ. ( I. 9 ) treats of ādityadarśana almost at the end of the rites, while Āśv. places it among the earlier ones after homa. Besides the same mantras are employed by different sūtras for different purposes; for example, the mantra 'suśravaḥ &c.' is employed by Āp. at the time of taking the staff by the boy ( XI. 14 and Mantrapāṭha II. 5. 1 ), while Āśv. gṛ. ( I. 22. 19 ), Bhār. gṛ. ( I. 10 ), Mānava gṛ. ( I. 23. 17 ) employ it in 'medhājanana' ( on the 4th day after upanayana ) and Pār. gṛ. (II. 4) employs it at the time of putting a fuel stick on fire. Āśv. employs the verse 'yuvā suvāsāḥ' ( Ṛg. III. 8. 4 ) for making the boy turn round ( first half ) and for touching the region of the boy's heart ( latter half ), while the same verse is employed at the time of tying the girdle round the boy's waist by the Mānava gṛ. ( I. 22. 8 ) and Pār. gṛ.( II. 2 ).