AGE
FOR JANEU
Manusmriti
with the Commentary of Medhatithi :
Verse
2.36 [Initiation (upanayan)] :
parent
: Section XIII - Initiation (upanayan)
Sanskrit
text, Unicode transliteration and English translation by Ganganath
Jha :
![](manusmriti36.jpg)
Medhatithi’s
commentary (manubhashya) :
Counting from the year that one spends in the mother’s womb,
when the child reaches the eighth year;—the term ‘garbh’
stands for the year spent in the womb; this indication being due
to the presence of the term ‘year,’ ‘abda’;
certainly the ‘year’ could never be the ‘eighth’
from ‘garbh,’ if this latter were taken in its direct
sense;—in this year one should perform the Initiation of the
Brahman.
The
term ‘aupanayanm’ stands for ‘upamyanam,’
the ‘an’ affix having the reflexive sense; and the lengthening
of the vowel in the latter term (‘nayanam’) being in
accordance with (Panini 6.3.198); or the lengthening of the vowels
of both terms (‘upa’ and ‘nayanam’) may
be regarded as a Vedic anomaly.
‘upanayan,’
‘Initiation,’ is the name of a sacrament described in
the Grhyasutras and well-known to Vedic scholars, its other name
is ‘Mauñji-bandh,’ ‘Girdle-Investiture.’
That ceremony in which the child is taken over to—made over
to—(upaniyate)—the teacher, for the purposes of teaching—and
not for any such other purpose as the building of a Avail, or the
making of a mat—is what is called ‘upanayan.’
It is the name of a particular sacramental rite.
‘Of
the King in the eleventh year from conception’;—for
the Kshatriya the ceremony should be performed in the eleventh year
‘from conception,’—i.e., ‘beginning from
conception,’ or ‘after conception.’
The
term ‘king’ ‘rajan’ (in ‘rajñah’)
should he taken as standing for the Kshatriya caste; and does not
necessarily mean one who is a duly anointed king; firstly because
such is the sense in which the word is generally used in books;
secondly because in the present context it occurs along with the
terms ‘Brahman’ and the rest (which are all denotative
of castes); and thirdly because we find the term ‘Kshatriya’
used in the rules that follow regarding the details of the ceremony;
e.g., it is raid that ‘the girdle of the Kshatriya should
consist of the bow-string’ (below, Verse 12). It is true that
the term ‘king’ is sometimes used in the sense of the
‘rulers’ of ‘countries,’ and as such applied
to Vaishya and other castes also; but such usage is purely figurative
and indirect. And the figurative meaning of a word can be accepted
only when the original direct meaning is found inapplicable. That
the term ‘king’ in the text stands for the Kshatriya
is shown by the following words of the author of the Ghhya-sutra—‘One
should initiate the Brahman in the eighth year, the Kshatriya in
the eleventh and the Vaishya in the twefth.’ It is on this
understanding that the revered Panini derives the word ‘rajya’
(‘Kingship’) from the word ‘rajan’ (King),
explaining it as ‘the function the King,’ and hence
used in the ordinary sense of ‘lord of country’ [ i.e.,
the ‘function of ruling a country’ really belongs to
the Kshatriya caste, and when persons of other castes arc called
‘King’ their title is based upon their doing ‘the
work of the King’].
Of
the Vaishya, the ceremony should be performed in the twelfth year
from conception.—(86)
Explanatory
notes by Ganganath Jha :
This verse is quoted in Hemadri (Parisesa, p. 745);—in Gadadharapaddhati
(Kalasara, p. 220), which explains that “upanayan is to be
derived as ‘Nayanam evanayanam’ and then the prefix
‘Up’ added;—in Samskaramayukh (p. 32);—and
in Smrticandrika (Samskar, p. 68), which adds that in the case of
the Kshatriya and the Vaishya also the years are to be counted from
the one spent in the womb.
It
has been quoted in Madanparijat (p. 17); and in Parsarmadhav (Acara,
p. 446).
Viramitroday
(Samskar, p. 344) explains the reason for the eighth, eleventh and
twelfth years being regarded as the best for the Brahman, the Kshatriya
and the Vaishya respectively. The Gayatri mantra is sacred for the
Brahman and its foot contains eight syllables; the Tristup for the
Kshatriya contains a foot of eleven syllables, and the Jagati for
the Vaishya has a foot of twelve syllables.
Comparative
notes by various authors :
Gautam-Dharmasutra, 1-7, 8, 13. :
‘For
the Brahman, the upanayan daring the eighth year;—for the
Kshatriya and the Vaishya, during the eleventh and twelfth years,
respectively.’
Gautam
(Aparark, p. 32). :
‘Initiation
during the eighth, fifth or ninth year; the eighth year from conception
is the time fixed for all, the ninth or the fifth only for those
with distinct motives.’
Baudhayan-Dharmasutra,
2.8-10. :
‘The
years in this connection being computed from conception,—the
upanayan of the Brahman should be performed during the eighth year;—three
years after the eighth, of the Kshatriya;—and after one more
year, of the Vaishya.’
Vashishth-Smmti,
11.44. :
‘The
upanayan of the Brahman should be done during the eighth year from
conception, of the Kshatriya during the eleventh year from conception,
and of the Vaishya during the twelfth year from conception.’
Visnu, 27.15-17.—‘The upanayan of the Brahman during
the eighth year from conception; of the Kshatriya during the eleventh
year from conception; of the Vaishnav during the twelfth year from
conception.’
Yajñavalkya,
1.14. :
‘The
Brahman’s upanayan should be performed either during the eighth
year from conception, or during the eighth year (from birth); the
Kshatriya’s during the eleventh year; the Vaishya’s
during the twelfth year; according to some, it is to be done in
accordance with the practice prevailing in the family.’
Asvalayan
- Grhyasutra, 1.19.1-4. :
‘The
Brahman’s, upanayan should be done during the eighth year,
or during the eighth year from conception; the Kshatriya’s
during the eleventh year; the Vaishya’s during the twelfth
year.’
Paraskar-Grhyasutra,
1-2.1-3. :
‘The Brahman’s upanayan should be performed during the
eighth year, or during the eighth year from conception; the Kshatriya’s
during the eleventh year; the Vaishya’s during the twelfth
year.’
Gobhila-Grhyasutra,
1.10.1-3. :
‘The
upanayan of the Brahman should be done during the eighth year from
conception; of the Kshatriya, during the eleventh year; of the Vaishya,
during the twelfth year.’
Apstamb-Dharmasutra,
1.19. :
‘The
upanayan of the Brahman should be done during the spring, of the
Kshatriya during the summer, and of the Vaishya, during the autumn.
Of the Brahman during the eighth year from conception, of the Kshatriya,
during the twelfth year from conception.’
Sruti
(Viramitrodaya, Samskara, p. 339). :
‘The
upanayan of the Brahman should he performed when he is eight years
old.’
Asvalayan-Smrti
(Do., p. 340). :
‘The
Brahman should acquire the ‘twice-born’ state during
the eighth year from conception, or during the eighth, or the tenth
year; the Kshatriya during the eleventh year: and the Vaishya during
the twelfth year.
Narad
(Do., p. 31-1). :
‘For
the Brahman, the upanayan should be performed during the eighth
year, either from conception or from birth; for Kshatriyas, during
the eleventh year, and for Vaishya during the twelfth year.’
Paithinasi
(Do., p. 310). :
‘The
upanayan of the Brahman should he performed during the fifth year
from conception or during the eighth year from conception; of the
Kshatriya during the eleventh year from conception; of the Vaishya,
during the twelfth year.’
Laugaksi
(Do., p. 311). :
‘The
Brahman’s upanayan during the seventh year; of the Kshatriya
during the ninth year, and of the Vaishya, during the eleventh year.’
Budha
(Apararka, p. 31). :
‘The
Brahman should get himself initiated in his eighth year from conception,
during the spring.'
Shannak
(Do.). :
‘One
should initiate the Brahman in his eighth year, or in his eighth
year from conception; the Ksattnya in the eleventh and the Vaishya
in the twelfth year.’
Source
:
https://www.wisdomlib.org/hinduism/
book/manusmriti-with-the-commentary
-of-medhatithi/d/doc145623.html