Upakarma Procedure for Chitrabanu Year

(Artcle by Sri Anbil Ramaswamy)

First, do nityakarmas including sandhyAvandanam as usual

Kamokaarsheeth Japam

(1) Acamanam (Twice)
(2) prANAyAmam (Once)
(3) guru-paramparA anusandhAnam.

        SrImAn venkaTanAthAryaH kavitArkika kesarI/
        vedAntAchArya varyO mE sannidhattAm sadA hRidi//

        gurubhyas tad gurubhyaS cha namo vAkam adheemahE
        vRNImahE cha tatra Aadhyou dampatee jagatAm pati//

        sva-sesha-bhUthena mayA svIyai: sarva paricchadai:/
        vidhAtum preetham AthmAnam deva: prakramatE svayam//

(4) Vighna nivAraNam / ViSvaksena dhyAnam

        SuklAmbara dharam vishNum Sasi varnam chatur bhujam/
        prasanna-vadanam dhyAyEth sarva-vighnopaSAntaye//
        yasya dvirada-vaktrAdyA: pAriShadyA: para: Satam /
        vighnam nighnanti sathatham viSvaksEnam UpASraye //

(5) Sankalpam

        Hari: om tath (Don’t say ‘Tath Sath’)
        SrI govinda govinda govinda!

        asya SrI-bhagavata: mahA purushasya
        vishNor AgjnayA pravartamAnasya
        aadhya brahmaNa: dviteeya-parArdhE SrI-SvEtha-varAha-kalpE
        vaivasvatha-manvantarE kaliyugE prathamE pAdE

        “Jamboo dveepE, BhArata varshe, Bharata: khaNDE,
        SakAbde:, merO: dakshiNE pArSvE**
    ---------------------------------------------------
  (NOTE: Some priests in the USA say the following instead of the above:
  “krouncha dweepE, RamaNaka VarshE, Andra KhaNDE,
  Prasaantha SaagarE, Puskara KshEtrE, Raakkee-Mickelnee ParvatayO:

  MadhyaPradEsE, Missipi- missouri ithyaadhi anEka shOdasa jeeva nadheenaam smaapa sthitha samastha

  dEvataa gO braahmaNa, Hari-guru CharaNaaravinda Sannidhou MerO: Uttara PaarsvE”

   

This does not seem necessary because the whole Bhoo lokam (of which USA is only a part) lies South to the legendary Meru mountain, the Sankalpam as  mentioned for INDIA would hold good to all places on earth}
    -----------------------------------------------------------------------
 

    Then, Continue:

        asmin vartamAnE vyAvahArikE
        PrabhavAdi shashTi samvatsarANAm madhyE
        CHITRABANU nAma samvatsarE
        DakshiNAyaNE, Varsha Ritou, SIMHA mAsE, Sukla pakshE,
        Guru-vAsara-sravishTA-nakshatra yuktAyAm,
        PourNamAsyAm Subha-tithau,


        SrI-vishnu-yOga SrI-vishnu-karaNa Subha-yOga Subha-karaNa
        Yevam guNa-viSeshaNa viSishTAyAm, asyAm Subha-tithou,

        SrI-bhagavad-AjnayA
        [SrIman-nArAyaNa-prItyartham OR
        Bhagavat-kainkarya-roopam OR
        Bhagavat-prItyartham, (depending on your sampradAyam ]

        TaishyAm paurNamAsyAm adhyAya-utsarjana-akaraNa-prAyaS chittaartham,
        ashTottara-sahasra (1008)OR [ashTottara-Sata (108)] sankhya:
        "kAmo'kArshIt manyur akArshIt" mantra-japam karishye.

(6)    sAttvika tyAgam

        “BhagavAn eva svaniyAmya sva-Sesha-bhUtena mayA
        sva-ArAdhana-eka-prayojanAya idam
        "kAmo'kArshIt manyur akArshIt mahAmantra-japam"
        Svasmai SvaprItaye Svayam eva KAARAYATHI”.

(7)   Japam proper:
 

        Do japam of "kAmo'kArshIt manyur akArshIt"
        1008 or 108 times as per your Sankalpam

(8) SAttvika tyAgam

        “BhagavAn eva svaniyAmya sva-Sesha-bhUtena mayA
        sva-ArAdhana-eka-prayojanAya idam
        "kAmo'kArshIt manyur akArshIt mahAmantra-japam"
        Svasmai SvaprItaye Svayam eva KAARITHAVAAN.

Upakarma

        Sit facing east, wear a pavitram,if available.

        (1) Achamanam (Twice)
        (2) PrANAyamam (Once)
        (3) Sankalpam
 

                Hari: om tath (Don’t say ‘Tath Sath’)
                SrI govinda govinda govinda!
                asya SrI-bhagavata: mahA purushasya
                vishNor AgjnayA pravartamAnasya
                aadhya brahmaNa: dviteeya-parArdhE SrI-SvEtha-varAha-kalpE
                vaivasvatha-manvantarE kaliyugE prathamE pAdE

               Jamboo dveepE, BhArata varshe, Bharata: khaNDE,
               SakAbde:, merO: dakshiNE pArSvE**


               SrAvaNyAm PourNamAsyAm AdhyAya-upAkarmam karishye,
 

(1)tadh angam snAnam karishye
(2)tadh angam yajnopavIta-dhAraNam karishye
(3)tadh angam kAarshi-tarpaNam karishye

Brahmacharis add:

[tadh angatayA maunji-ajina-daNDa-dhAraNAni karishye]

(1) First, do SnAnam'. At least, do mAnasika snAnam

(2) Wear the new poonool as per the following procedure:

Sit in squatting position facing east.
(i)     Achamanam (Twice)
(ii)    PrANAyAmam (Once) (wearing pavitram if available)
(iii)   Sankalpam

(2A)    For all (i.e BOTH Brahmacharis and Grihatas)

adya pUrvoccarita evam guNa-viseshaNa-viSishTAyAm,
asyAm Subha-tithau,
SrI-bhagavad-AjnayA
SrIman-nArAyaNa-prItyartham
(or with variations as per your Sampradayam)

Srauta-smArta-vidhi-vihita-nitya-karma-anushThAna-
yogyatA-siddhyartham yajnopavIta-dhAraNam karishye

Hold the yajnopavItam with both hands, with your right palm facing up over
your head, and your left palm facing the ground. The top of the brahma-mudi
(knot) should be on your right palm and should be facing right.
Then say the following mantra, while holding the sacred thread:

YagjnOpaveetha – dhAraNa - mantrasya
BrahmA Rishi:
AnushTup chanda:
Vedas TrayO devatA
yajnopavIta dhAraNe viniyoga:

yagjnOpaveetham paramam pavithram,
PrajApatE: yat sahajam purasthAth |
Ayushyam Agriyam Prati munca Subhram
YagjnOpaveetham balam asthu TEja: ||

Wear the yajnopaveetham and do Achamanam once.

(2B)     FOR GRIHASTAS ONLY (married) for the second Poonool:
 

PraNAyAmam
Sankalpam to the mantra
 

“Poorvoccharita evam guNa-viseshaNa-viSishTAyAm, asyAm Subha-tithau,
SrI-bhagavad-AjnayA
SrIman-nArAyaNa-prItyartham
(with variations as per your Sampradayam)

“gArhasthya arham dvitIya yajnopavIta-dhAraNam karishyE”

Wear the second yajnopaveetham as before.

(2C)     Discarding the old Poonool (for all):

“Upaveetham Bhinnantu jeerNam kassmala-dooshitham /
VisRjAmi punar brahman varcho deerghaayur asthu me //

Remove the old Poonools and discard them under a tree, in a river, or some
other natural place where they will not be stamped upon. Don't throw them in
the trash!

Then do Acamanam again

SAttvika thyAgam.

“BhagavAn eva svaniyAmya sva-Sesha-bhUtena mayA
sva-ArAdhana-eka-prayojanAya idam
YagjnOpaveetha DhArANAkhyam karma
Svasmai SvaprItaye Svayam eva KAARITHAVAAN.

 

Special Procedure for Brahmacharis
 

        Brahmacharis should recite mantras for
 

            (1) Wearing the darbha belt (maunji)
            (2) Wearing krishNAjina (a piece of deer skin), and
            (3) Wearing PalAsa daNDam

        Mantra for (1) Maunji

            Iyam duruktAth parih bAdhamAnA Sarma
            varUtham punatI na AgAt/
            PrANa apAnAbhyAm balam aabharantI
            SriyA dEvAnAM subhagA mEkhalE ayam //
            Rutasya gOptree tapasa: parasvee ghnatir
            aksha: sahamAnA arAtee:/
            SAna: samanta manu pareehi bhadhraayA
            bhartArastE mekhale mA rishAma//

        Mantra for (2) Ajina

            Mitrasya chakshur dhaRuNam baleeyas
            tejO yaSasvi sthaviram samiddham/
            anAhanasyam vasanam jarishNu pareedham
            vAjya jinam dadhEham//

        Mantra for (3) DaNDa
 

            SuSravas SuSravasam mA kuru yathA tvaM
            suSrava: sucharavA asi Yevamaham/
            SuSrava: SuSravA bhooyAsam yathA tvaM
            suSravO devAnAm nidhigOpOsi
            Yevam aham brAhmaNAnAm nO nidhi gOpO bhooyAsam//

        Then, do Achamanam

        (3)   Nava kANDa Rshi tarpaNam

               (a) Acamanam twice
               (b) Face north
               (c) walk knee-deep water, if possible. Otherwise see that your clothes are be wet.
               (d) Wear the Poonool as a necklace (nivItam).
               (e) Hold both palms cupping them together, having the yajnopaveetham's Brahma-mudi (knots) resting on your right            

                     palm and with the threads going between your thumb and forefinger of each hand. The water should be released along

                    with the sesame seeds (Black Til or ELLU in Tamil) and rice BETWEEN THE TWO HANDS, AT THE BASE OF THE

                    LITTLE FINGER.
               (f) Release the water mixed with rice and black sesame seeds as you say 'tarpayAmi' in each of the following lines.

                    Each line should be said three times.

(i) prajApatim kANDarshim tarpayAmi
(ii) sOmam kANDarshim tarpayAmi
(iii) agnim kANDarshim tarpayAmi
(iv) viSvAn devAn kANDarshim tarpayAmi
(v) sAmhitIr devatA upanishadas tarpayAmi
(vi) yajnikIr devatA upanishadas tarpayAmi
(vii) vAruNIr devatA upanishadas tarpayAmi
 

    (g) Now, still nivItam, the mixture should be released towards yourself, AT THE BASE OF THE HANDS NEAR

           THE PALMS (i.e) AWAY FROM THE FINGERTIPS.
 

            (viii) BrahmANaM svayambhuvam tarpayAmi

    (h) Water mixture should then be poured OFF THE TIPS OF THE FINGERS saying:
 

            (ix) sadasaspatim tarpayAmi

    (i) After the kANDa-rishi tarpaNam, some people add:
 

“Rug-VEdam tarpayAmi
yajur-VEdam tarpayAmi
sAma-VEdam tarpayAmi
atharvaNa-VEdam tarpayAmi
itihAsam tarpayAmi
purANam tarpayAmi
kalpam tarpayAmi”

 

    (j) Some also now recommend PitRu TarpaNam (with Poonool in the reverse  direction (i.e) prAcIna-veetham)

         THIS IS FOR ONLY FOR THOSE WHOSE FATHERS ARE NO LONGER ALIVE.

    (k) Return to upaveetham, i.e., your Poonool in its normal position.

    (l) Do Achamanam and

    (m) SAttvika tyAgam
 

Upakarma Homam

                (a) The Rishis and DevatAs mentioned above are again invoked through the sacred fire.

                (b) VEda aarambham, in which the first four anuvAkas of the Yajur veda samhita are taught to the sishyas. This is the most

                       important part of the upAkarma.

                (c) jayAdi homam.

            If anyone or more of the above is not possible due to circumstances – You may recite one anuvAkafrom your veda on this

            day or “Purusha Suktam” or AT LEAST “GAyathri Japam” as many times as possible.