ARYAN
JANEU AND KUSHTI
1.
History of Aryans :
We
find many things common in Zoroastrians and Vedic Aryans which shows
that somewhere the ancient roots are common.
For
this we have to look into ancient scriptures. One of the oldest
Aryan scripture is Rig Ved which was completed during 1500 and 1200
BC i.e. 3,520 to 3,220 years (calculated from July 2021).
Rig
Ved Mandala 7, Sukt 33, Mantra (Hymn) 5426 by Vashishth - Mitravarun
:
![](rv7.33.5426mantra.jpg)
Translation
![](rv7.33.5426translation.jpg)
Explanation
:
Some
translators have used word white robed is used instead of white-complexioned.
Their interpretation is as follows :
These who wear hair-knots on the right, the movers of holy thought,
white-robed, have won me over.
I warned the men, when from the grass I raised me, Not from afar
can my Vasisthas help you.
Rig Ved Mandala 7, Sukt 83, Mantra (Hymn) 5809 by Vashishth
- Mitravarun :
![](rv.7.sukt83.png)
![](rv7.83.5809mantra.jpg)
Translation
![](rv7.83.5809translation.jpg)
Explanation
:
O
Indra-Varuna, ye gave Sudas your aid when the Ten Kings in battle
compassed him about,
There where the white-robed Trtsus with their braided hair, skilled
in song worshipped you with homage and with hymn.
This
proves that since Vashishth who was a Vedic Aryan Priest of Trtsus
tribe which was a Sub Clain of Bharats he, his descendants and Vedic
Aryan priests used to wear white-Robes.
To
know more about hairlock and white-robes Click
here.
Rig
Ved Dasharajnya or ‘Battle of ten Kings :
Later,
Mandala VII records the full migration story of the Bharats and
their priest Vashishth who came from across the Sindhu, ie. from
eastern Iran (7.33.3).
As
Witzel describes it : The geography of the battle hymn (and later
summaries as in 7.33) clearly reflects a look back at the immigration
of the Bharats. The process began behind the Sindhu, which Vashishth
crosses in 7,33.9.* Then came the battle of the ten kings on the
Parusni (the modern Ravi in Pakistan), near Manusa, a location in
the back (west) of Kurukshetra. Their eventual arrival on the Yamuna
and the defeat of the local chief Bheda are finally chronicled in
7.18.19. The whole process refers to the origins of the Bharats
and Vashishth in eastern Iran; their move into the Subcontinent
is also reflected elsewhere in book 7 (7.5.3, 6) and summed up in
7.33.3: thus he (Indra) transgressed with them (the Bharat) the
Sindhu, thus he soon killed Bheda in (the Yamuna battle), thus,
he helped Sudas in the Ten Kings Battle. Although they reached as
far east as the Yamuna, however, their epi-centre was in the area
around the Sarasvati, previously occupied by the now defeated Puru.
Zoroaster,
Artharvan and Vashishth :
Yasna
9 and 17 cite the Ditya River in Airyanem Vaejah (Middle Persian
Eran Wej) as Zoroaster's home and the scene of his first appearance.
The Avesta (both Old and Younger portions) does not mention the
Achaemenids or of any West Iranian tribes such as the Medes, Persians,
or even Parthians. However, the Atharvan Clan, to which Zoroaster
belonged, is mentioned, along with other Vedic persons, such as
Vashishth and Yam (Yima), the ancestors of Sage Atharvan.
It
is said that Zarathustra belong to the lineage of Vashishth to know
more about it Click
here.
Conclusion
:
Location
of descendants of Angiras and of Vashishth was in Iran especially
eastern Iran of Vashishth.
Since
the Vedic Aryan Priests wore white robes and Zoroaster belonged
to Atharvan caste whose ancestors were Yam and Vashishth, wearing
white robes in also found in Zoroastrianism.
Sage
Atharvan along with Angiras composed Atharv Ved in which Janeu /
Kushti is mentioned. This is how Janeu and Kushti came into Vedic
Aryans and Zoroastrians.
When
we further search for ancestors of Zoroastrians and Vedic Aryans
we get the name Angiras / Ali.
To
know more about Angiras / Ali Click
here.
2.
Introduction of Janeu and Kushti :
The
sacred Yajñopavitam is known by many names (varying by region
and community), such as Bratbandh, Janivaar, Jaanva, Jandhyam, Poita,
Punul, Janeu, Lagun, Yajnopavit, Yagyopavit, Yonya and Zunnar. The
other Sanskrit term for it is Avyanga.
Janeu
is a scared thread which is worn by Aryan Brahmins and Kshatriyas
on their shoulder. Zoroastrians wear Kusti / Kushti / Zonar around
their waist. In Aryan Brahmins and Kshatriyas Yagnopavit ceremony
and in Zoroastrians Navjote ceremony a person is considered as twice
born.
![](300pxjaneu.jpg)
Janeu
![](300pxsudrehandkusti.jpg)
Kushti
3. Kushti :
It
is said that kusti, represents the 72 chapters of one of the holy
Zoroastrian books. It is woven of lamb’s wool and has tassels
on both ends. It is wound around the waist three times to represent
the good thoughts, good words and good deeds to be performed by
the wearer. It is placed around the waist after the sudreh is put
on. It is knotted twice, once in the front and once at the back.
This sets a binding commitment to the Zoroastrian creed.
Bhramins,
Kshatriyas and Zoroastrians are Aryans. Here, we have to go in history
of when and how wearing sacred thread known as Janeu, Kushti / Zonar
started in Aryans. We get a glimpse of this in Atharv Ved. Atharv
Ved is composed by many Sages including Atharv / Atharvan.
Atharv
/ Atharvan Refrences :
Amazons
and Aryans
Interpretation
India
(Bharat) - Iran (Persia) and Aryans Part - 1
Angiras,
Atharvan and Anu in Rig Ved
The
missing links of Veds
History
Part -1
Pre-Zoroastrian
Aryan Religions
Varun,
Ved and Zoroastrianis : Chapter 2
Varun,
Ved and Zoroastrianis : Chapter 3
Varun,
Ved and Zoroastrianis : Chapter 7
There
are total 4 Veds :
Veds |
BCE |
AD
calculated from 5 August 2021 |
Rig
Ved |
1500
- 1200 |
4
days, 7 months and 3,520 years to 4
days, 7 months and 3,220 years
|
Sam
Ved |
1200
- 1000 |
4
days, 7 months and 3,220 years to 4
days, 7 months and 3,020 years
|
Yajur
Ved |
1200
- 800 |
4
days, 7 months and 3,220 years to 4
days, 7 months and 2,820 years
|
Atharv
Ved |
1000
- 900 |
4
days, 7 months and 3,220 years to 4
days, 7 months and 2,920 years
|
|
Above
dates are related to completion of Veds.
Avestan
was completed between 1500-1000 BCE (The Avesta is the scripture
of Zoroastrianism which developed from an oral tradition founded
by the prophet Zoroaster
(Zarathustra, Zartosht)).
Being
an Aryan Brahmin I dont know much about Zoroastrianism and its scriptures
hence, I am quoting Vedic Hymns.
Though
there are many other Aryan scriptures mentioning Janeu here I am
giving example of Atharv Ved because all other scriptures came after
Veds.
4.
Atharv Ved :
In
Atharv Ved Sukt 28 known as Dirghayu (Long life) / A charm to ensure
general protection and prosperity written by Sage Atharv / Atharvan
we get a glimpse of Janeu, Kushti / Zonar.
According
to Atharv Ved Sukt 28 for a lenghty life till 100 years equalized
with 9 aspirations where 3 are in Gold, 3 in Silver and 3 in Iron.
Fire
(Agni), Sun, Moon, Earth, Water, Sky, Air, the quaters and points
between them and parts of years accordant with seasons by 3 threaded
amulet preserve the wearer. In three-threaded Charm rest triple
fulness and Pushan covers it with milk and butter.
This
charm is enriched by Adityas and magnified by fire (Agni). With
strength of Indra there is triple power in it.
The
3 threads of amulets are Gold, Silver and Iron. By Gold protects
Earth, with Iron protects Fire (Agni) and with Silver protects Plants.
This
3 fold is born of Gold which fire (Agni) is most dearly. When it
fell one part injured Som and one part they called seed of sapient
water.
The
Gold brings wearer long life when triple threaded.
It
contains 3 lives of Jamadagni, 3 vital force of Kashyap, 3 sites
of Immortality and these 3 lives are prepared for wearer (3 + 3
+ 3 = 9). With 3 string charm came 3 Eagles (in Sumerian Aryans
Eagle also represents Sun) sharing sacred syllable and mighty. With
immortality they drove off death, obscuring and concealing distress.
The Gold guards person from Sky, Silver from Air and Iron from Earth
and man reaches forts of Gods and the 3 castles of Gods keep person
secure on every side.
Endowed
with strength person becomes master of foes.
The
God who first bound on in the begining the deities immortal golden
castle the 3 stringed charm is bind upon thee.
Aryaman,
Pushan and Brihaspati are binder of 3 stringed charm.
To
read Atharv Ved Sukt 28 Click
here.
Thus,
from the above Atharv Ved Sukt 28 translation we come to know that
Janeu and Kushti is a charm meant for protection and prosperity.
In
India a Bachelor Aryan Brahmin and Kshatriya wears 3 strands Janeu
which was made of Gold, Silver and Iron. Earth protects a person
through Gold, Fire protects a person through Iron and Plants protects
a person through Silver.
Also,
with Gold a person is guards from Sky, Silver guards a person from
Air and Iron guards a person from Earth (earth has magnetic field
which effects human body).
After
marriage 6 strands and the 9 strands (nine aspirations) are also
worn to signify the last 3 strands as a substitute for the Angvastra.
Comparing with the Atharv Ved mantras we can understand the total
of 3, 6 and 9 strands Janeu.
In
Veds come important numbers like 3, 6, 7, 9, etc. are given which
further needs to be studied.
5.
Time Period :
Atharv
Ved was written between 1000-900 BCE
Avestan
was written between 1500-1000 BCE
This
is the time period when all Aryans stayed together. The Sumerians
are Aryans but in Sumerian statues we dont see Janeu or Kushti is
because this concept came during 1000-900 BCE i.e. from July 2021
total years are 3,020 years and 6 months to 2,920 years and 6 months.
Zoroastrianism
:
Zoroastrianism was founded in Persia in the 6th century BCE by the
priest Zarathustra, known to the Greeks as Zoroaster but before
being called Zoroastians Iranians were and still are Aryans.
The Kushti is made of 72 fine, white and woolen threads here again
the question comes in our mind why 72?.
It
takes about 72 years for the Earth’s axis to rotate through
one degree – so it takes nearly 26,000 years to make one 360-degree
circular turn.
In
India Nowruz is celebrated by the name Holika Dahan. In Zoroastrians
Nowruz begins at the spring equinox (vernal equinox), when the sun
crosses the equator and day and night are equal length. It is said
that Nowruz is celebrated for more than 3,000 years. This is the
same time period of Atharv Ved i.e. 1000-900 BCE i.e. from July
2021 total years are 3,020 years and 6 months to 2,920 years and
6 months.
Rig
ved was written during 1500 and 1200 BC i.e. 3,520 to 3,220 years
(calculated from July 2021) thus, the ancient Aryans knew calculation
of Vernal Equinox.
Equinox
is mentioned in Rig Ved having 72 years. The Wheel of Time with
12 spokes to define 12 zodiac signs is mentioned as having 360 sub-spokes
for measuring each day of the year and each degree of movement of
Vernal Equinox in every 72 years.
To
know more about Vernal Equinox as mentioned in Rig Ved Click
here.
6.
Reasons for wearing different style of Janeu and Kushti :
There
are 4 possibilities :
1)
War of 10 Kings :
In
the War
of 10 kings Sudas defeated 10 Kings and casted them out.
In ancient times
a lot of battles and wars took place and there was a mixture of
various tribes both Aryans and Non-Aryans. To differentiate between
Aryans and Non-Aryans the concept of Janeu / Kushti was formed in
Aryans but since the Iranian Aryans were not in good terms with
Vedic Aryan tribes because they sided against Vedic Aryan King Sudas
in Dasharajnya or 'Battle of Ten Kings' also known as Battle of
10 kings they wore Janeu around waist and the Vedic Aryan Yagna
became Zoroastrian Yasna.
2)
Zoroaster
:
It
is said that Zarathustra belong to the lineage of Vashishth hence
it is possible that zoroastrians and Vedic aryans share same concepts.
To know more about Zarathustras Vashishth lineage of Click
here.
Sage
Atharvan along with Angiras composed Atharv Ved.
Zoroastrianism,
was founded by the prophetic reformer Zoroaster in the 6th or 7th
century BCE this is the same time in India when different religions
like Buddhism and Jainism were formed.
Many
scriptures and epics such as Ramanayan were written during this
time period. Hence, it is possible that the base of Sumerian Aryan
civilization and Vedas remained same but with variations in method
and teachings.
To
know more about difference between Aryans and Hinduism Click
here.
3)
Vedic Aryans and Vernal Equinox :
The Vedic Aryans wear Janeu in a cross starting on left shoulder
and ending on right thigh. The reason behind it lies in Astronomy.
When
a person is standing straight on ground he forms a 90° angle
and Janeu is a representation of Epletic Plain. The left shoulder
represents Summer Solstice and the right thigh represents Winter
Solstice.
When
a person wears Janeu in cross from shoulder to thigh the center
of the Janeu becomes Vernal Equinox. In human body the center of
Janeu is Solar Plexus.
![](chakras.jpg)
Solar
Plexus
Solar
Plexus / Manipur Chakra :
Spiritually
Solar Plexus is called Power House of our body. Whatever we eat
or drink digests here. Pran Shakti is diverted from it and circulates
to each and every vein, organ, spinal cord and brain and in turn
gives energy to our body.
Holi
:
In
India Vernal Equinox is celebrated as Holi the arrival of spring,
the end of winter. The festival also celebrates the beginning of
a good spring harvest season. It lasts for a night and a day, starting
on the evening of the Purnima (Full Moon Day) falling in the Hindu
calendar month of Phalgun, which falls around the middle of March
in the Gregorian calendar. The first evening is known as Holika
Dahan (burning of Demon Holika) or Chhoti Holi and the following
day as Holi, Rangwali Holi, Dol Purnima, Dhuleti, Dhulandi, Ukuli,
Manjal Kuli, Yaosang, Shigmo or Phagwah, Jajiri.
Holi
celebrations start on the night before Holi with a Holika Dahan
where people gather, perform religious rituals in front of the bonfire,
and pray that their internal evil be destroyed the way Holika, the
sister of the demon king Hiranyakashipu, was killed in the fire.
The next morning is celebrated as Rangwali Holi (Dhuleti) –
a free-for-all festival of colours, where people smear each other
with colours and drench each other. Water guns and water-filled
balloons are also used to play and colour each other. Anyone and
everyone is fair game, friend or stranger, rich or poor, man or
woman, children, and elders.
Astronomy
:
Ecliptic
Plane :
If
the sun's path is observed from the Earth's reference frame, it
appears to move around the Earth in a path which is tilted with
respect to the spin axis at 23.5°. This path is called the ecliptic.
It tells us that the Earth's spin axis is tilted with respect to
the plane of the Earth's solar orbit by 23.5°. Observations
show that the other planets, with the exception of Pluto, also orbit
the sun in essentially the same plane. The ecliptic plane then contains
most of the objects which are orbiting the sun. This suggests that
the formation process of the solar system resulted in a disk of
material out of which formed the sun and the planets. The 23.5°
tilt of the Earth's spin axis gives the seasonal variations in the
amount of sunlight received at the surface.
![](eclipr.gif)
Ecliptic
The
Ecliptic :
The apparent path of the Sun's motion on the celestial sphere as
seen from Earth is called the ecliptic. The ecliptic plane is tilted
23.5° with respect to the plane of the celestial equator since
the Earth's spin axis is tilted 23.5° with respect to its orbit
around the sun. The ecliptic plane intersects the celestial equatorial
plane along the line between the equinoxes.
Equinoxes
and Solstices :
The points where the ecliptic crosses the equatorial plane of the
celestial sphere are called equinoxes. On those dates there are
12 hours each of daylight and dark. The most northern excursion
of the sun is called the summer solstice and will have the longest
amount of daylight. The winter solstice opposite it is the shortest
period of daylight.
![](eclip4.gif)
Equinoxes
and Solstices
![](solstice.gif)
Solstice
4)
Zoroastrianism and Vernal Equinox :
When
a person is standing straight on ground he forms a 90° angle
the waist becomes the center part of the body and it is possible
that Zoroastrians consider waist as Vernal Equinox.
Sacral
/ Swadhisthan Chakra :
Swadhisthan,
is also known as the creativity and sexual chakra. It is located
above the pubic bone and below the navel, and encompasses the genital
region and the hypogastric plexus. The word Swadhisthan can be translated
as “the dwelling place of the self,” and the element
of the second chakra is water, which equals cohesiveness. A balanced
second chakra leads to feelings of wellness, abundance, pleasure,
and joy.
Nowruz
:
Nowruz
is the Persian New Year. It is also known as Nauryz, Navruz or Nowrouz,
it means "new day." The new year will ring in on Saturday,
March 20.
Nowruz marks the end of the old year and the beginning of a new
one, and it occurs on the day of the vernal equinox.
It's
no coincidence it falls on the first day of spring. The Iranian
calendar is a solar calendar, meaning time is determined, through
astronomical observations, by Earth's movement around the Sun. So,
the first day of the year always kicks off with the natural phenomenon
of the vernal equinox.
Traditionally
celebrated on the vernal equinox, many begin preparations for Nowruz
weeks in advance. The spring festival’s focus is fertility
and new life, so it’s appropriate that many revelers celebrate
with seeds and eggs.
Here
we can find similarity between Holi and Nowruz and its connection
with Vernal Equinox.
7.
Age of wearing Janeu and Kushti :
In
Atharv Ved there is no mention of age limit for wearing Janeu infact
it does not even mention if a Janeu should be on shoulder or waist.
A
Janeu is a protection Amulet and it is possible that in ancient
times when a child went to Gurukul for education he wrote Janeu
made of Gold, Silver and Iron for protection against evil forces
in jungle.
Zoroastrians
:
A
child, of Zoroastrian parentage is initiated into the faith after
he or she completes six years of age. Some perform the initiation
ceremony at the age of 9 years, and in the case of boys, in exceptional
circumstances the ceremony can be performed even at the age of eleven.
In Iran the traditional age for initiation was 15 years. The child
should be at an age where he or she understands the importance of
the ceremony and can learn the prayers by heart. However, it is
incumbent that the ceremony is done before the child reaches puberty.
This
very important Zoroastrian ceremony of initiation is called the
Navjote (Nav= new; jote= initiate), when the new initiate is taken
into the faith through the investiture of the sacred sudreh and
kushti.
Vedic Aryans :
The
sacred thread (yagnyopavit or janeu) is received by the boy during
this ceremony, that he continues wearing from left shoulder to the
right crossing the chest thereafter. Generally this ceremony should
be done before the age of 16.
According
to Manu Smriti the age of wearing Janeu for Bhramins is 8 years
and for Kshatriyas it is 11 years.
To
know about different scriptures mentioning age for Janeu Click
here.
Conclusion
:
There
is a ceremony for wearing Janeu but the purpose behind wearing Janeu
is clearly given in Atharv Ved as stated above and hence I am not
writing about the ceremony as the main purpose is more important.
Moreover,
whenever there is a conflict between Veds and other scriptures only
Veds are considered as authentic because they are the oldest and
most authentic source rest all were written after a long time period
by Aryans as well as Non-Aryans and hence there can be corruption
and errors.