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Education in Ancient India c15: Appendix II. Yajñopavīta or the So-called Sacred Thread

Education in Ancient India c15

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Appendix II. Yajñopavīta or the So-called Sacred Thread

c15.2

Introduction :—Yajñopavīta is at present understood to be the Sacred Thread, that is to be worn by the twice-born classes from the time of the Upanayana ceremony onwards. The popular belief is that the Upanayana ceremony is primarily intended for investing the boy with this mysterious thread, and the Śrāvaṇī ritual for the purpose of renewing it annually. We have already shown how both these conceptions are wrong (App. I, B and C). Here we propose to trace briefly the history of Yajñopavīta.

c15.3

Yajnopavita, the upper Garment :—Later writers explain Yajñopavīta thread as a symbol of the Guṇamayī Māyā, as it was visualised by the Creator at the time of creation ;¹ but its original significance was entirely different. Grammatically, Yajñopavīta is an adjective and refers to something that was worn at the time of the sacrifice ; यज्ञाय उपवीतं यज्ञोपवीतम् । Hindu notion of decency required that the upper part of the body should be properly covered when one was engaged in sacred functions like sacrifices, charity

c15.4

1. सिसृक्षुरेकाग्रे समासीनः शिवः स्वयम् । दृष्ट्वा गुणमयीं मायां सूत्ररूपामिवाकरोत् ॥ तया तदात्मकं विष्णुं सृष्ट्वा पालं दिवौकसाम् । स्वयं ब्रह्माभवद्रुद्रो रुद्रश्चास्य जयाय सः ॥ ज्ञानात्मकन हरिणा ब्रह्मात्मनि शिवेऽव्यये । तत्सूत्रपवीतत्वाद्ब्रह्मसूत्रमिदं कृतम् ॥ Āśvalāyana quoted in VMS, p. 419.

c15.5

or *svādhyāya*.¹ *Yajñopavīta* denoted the upper garment when it was worn in the proper manner prescribed for sacred occasions. *Taittirīya Saṃhitā* is explicit on the point; it says that *Yajñopavīta* means wearing the garment in a particular manner; when the garment is passed under the right and over the left shoulder, it becomes *Yajñopavīta* according to the authority of *Brāhmaṇa* works.² The same garment was called *Prāchīnāvīta* when it was worn exactly in the reverse way, and *Nivīta* when it was allowed to hang down like a garland.

c15.6

¹ उत्तरं वासः कर्तव्यं पञ्चस्वेतेषु कर्मसु । स्वाध्यायोत्सर्गदानेषु भुक्ताचमनयोस्तथा ॥ Baudhāyana in *SCS*, p. 299.

c15.7

² वासो विन्यासविशेषो यज्ञोपवीतम् । दक्षिणं बाहुमुद्धरतेऽवधत्ते सव्यमिति यज्ञोपवीतमिति ब्राह्मणम् ।

c15.8

Its prehistoric Form :—The upper garment that was thus used was normally a piece of cloth. But in prehistoric times when the art of spinning and weaving was not known, it was a piece of deer-skin. *Taittirīya Āraṇyaka* states that it should be a piece of deer-skin, rather than a piece of cloth.³ In the course of time when clothes became common, the upper garment also became a cotton product, but earlier tradition of the deer-skin was in a way preserved by continuing the use of a small patch of deer-skin on such occasions. In later times when *Yajñopavīta* as a piece of cloth was replaced by *Yajñopavīta* in the form of the thread, this piece of deer-skin was strung into it. This custom still obtains at the time of *Upanayana*.

c15.9

³ अजिनं वासो वा दक्षिणत उपवीय । II.

c15.10

When and How the Thread came in :— In the early period, Yajñopavīta was normally in the form of a full upper garment like the *Dupaṭṭā* of northern India or the *uparaṇe* of Mahārāṣṭra. *Āpastamba Dharma Sūtra* states distinctly that Yajñopavīta should be normally in the form of the upper garment; wearing a thread instead is only the second alternative.¹ *Jātukarṇya* quoted in the *Smṛticandrikā* distinctly declares that Yajñopavīta in the form of the thread is permissible only when the upper garment of the normal size is not available.² The view of *Ṛṣyaśṛṅga* is the same.³ Yajñopavīta was to be worn on sacred occasions like the sacrifice or the prayer. In the course of time the conception of the sacrifice changed; the whole life came to be viewed as a kind of sacrifice when everything that one does should be dedicated to the Creator. If then the Yajñopavīta was to be continuously used during the time one is engaged in sacred duties, it must be worn all the twenty-four hours. This could be feasible only if the Yajñopavīta assumed a more manageable form. It was probably on this account that Yajñopavīta was allowed to dwindle in form into the modern Sacred Thread. The alternatives placed before society were many. Some were in favour of the continuance of the old custom; they held that it was sufficient if the Yajñopavīta was worn as long as practicable; it need not be worn continuously for 24 hours¹. Others were in favour of substituting a Kuśa rope for the unmanageable upper garment². But Kuśa rope was not pleasant in touch and so some others advocated that cotton thread should be preferred for the purpose³. The reason in recommending the new substitutes was convenience and nothing else. For a long time they were not popular; hence we find that in the Upanayana ceremony, as it is described in most of the Gṛihya-sutras, there is no mention of the boy being invested with the Sacred Thread. In stead, we have the description of the boy being offered the dupaṭṭā or uparaṇe i. e. the upper garment at one stage of the ritual,

c15.11

¹ नित्यमुत्तरं वासः कार्यम् । अपि वा सूत्रमेवोपवीतार्थे । II, 2, 4, 21-22.

c15.12

² वस्त्रोत्तरीयाभावे द्वयंगुलं त्र्यंगुलं चतुरंगुलं वा सूत्रैवस्त्राकृति परिमण्डलं तदुत्तरीयं कुर्यात् । p. 84.

c15.13

³ अपि वा वाससा यज्ञोपवीतार्थं कुर्यात्तदभावे त्रिवृता सूत्रेण । *Ibid*, quoted in *SCS.*, p. 84.

c15.14

¹ कार्पासक्षौमगोबालशणवल्कतृणोद्भवम् । सदा संभवतो धार्यमुपवीतं द्विजातिभिः ॥ *Nigamaparisishṭa in SOS., p. 84.*

c15.15

² यज्ञोपवीतं कुरुते सूत्रं वस्त्रं वापि कुशरज्जुमेव वा । *Go. Gr. S., I. 2. 1.*

c15.16

³ अपि वा सूत्रमेवोपवीतार्थे । *Āp. Dh. S., II. 2. 4. 22.*

c15.17

The Number of Sacred Threads increases, why :— In the course of time, however, owing to its obvious convenience, the innovation of the Sacred Thread became popular and its original significance was gradually forgotten. Brahmachārī was to wear only one Sacred Thread, but Snātaka was to wear two, one for the under garment and the other for the upper garment⁴. It was clearly forgotten by this time that Yajñopavīta was intended to be the upper garment. If Snātaka was to wear two Yajñopavītas, the Gṛihastha must wear three, for he was one stage higher. The Gṛihyā-sangraha however thinks that this third Sacred Thread was in lieu of the upper garment¹. Devala also holds the same view; an upper garment, he says, is not always at hand, hence the recommendation to wear the third Sacred Thread².

c15.18

⁴ स्नातकानां द्वितीयं स्यादन्तर्वासस्तथोत्तरम् । *Vasishṭha in VMS., p. 421.*

c15.19

¹ तृतीयमुत्तरीयार्थे वस्त्राभावे तदिष्यते । *Ibid*, p. 21.

c15.20

² तृतीयमुत्तरीयार्थे वस्त्रालाभे तदिष्यते । *SCŚ*., p. 801.

c15.21

Mysterious efficacy of Yajñopavīta:—In the course of time Yajñopavīta came to be invested with mysterious efficacy. The Āditya Purāṇa declares that it has the power of destroying demons. When such notions began to prevail in society, it is no wonder that the view began to be advocated that the greater the number of Sacred Threads, the better would be our spiritual and material welfare. Kāśyapa would recommend 2, 3, 5, or 10 Sacred Threads for the house-holder;³ an anonymous text quoted by Mitramiśra is in favour of as many Sacred Threads as possible.⁴ All this vividly shows how the original significance of the Yajñopavīta was completely forgotten by this time. When Yajñopavīta assumed the form of the thread, the custom gained ground of making each of its thread a constituent product of nine smaller threads. Oṅkāra, Agni, Bhaga, Soma, Pitṛis, Prajāpati, Vasu, Dharma, and Sarva-devas were taken to be the presiding deities of the nine threads of the Sacred Thread.

c15.22

³ त्रीणि चत्वारि पञ्चाष्ट सूत्रिणः स्मृतदोष वा ॥ *VMS*., p. 421.

c15.23

⁴ अयुष्कामैः सह धार्यं बहुयज्ञोपवीतकम् ॥ ‘अन्यत्रापि’ in *Ibid*.

c15.24

Can Yajñopavīta be removed? :—Even when the Yajñopavīta dwindled into the Sacred Thread, it could be occasionally removed in the course of the day. The Taittirīya, Kaṭha, Kaṇva, and Vājasaneya schools were in favour of permitting the removal of the Sacred Thread at the time of the daily bath;¹ the Ṛigvedins and the Sāmavedins, however, advocated the doctrine that the Sacred Thread should never be separated from one's person. The latter view eventually prevailed and still obtains in Hindu society,

c15.25

¹ तैत्तिरीयाः कठः काण्वाश्चरका वाजसेयिनः । कण्ठादुत्तार्य सूत्रं तु कुर्युर्वै क्षालनं द्विजाः ॥ बह्वृचाः सामगाश्चैव ये चान्ये यजुःशाखिनः । कण्ठादुत्तार्य सूत्रं तु पुनरर्हन्ति संक्रियाम् ॥ मृग in VMS., 421.

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