[Advaita-l] Re: Advaita-l Digest, Vol 28, Issue 5

[suresh maruthi]

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>   2. Re: Yagnyopaveetam (Jaldhar H. Vyas)
> > 
> 
> 
>> Message: 2
> Date: Fri, 5 Aug 2005 23:42:18 -0400 (EDT)
> From: "Jaldhar H. Vyas" <jaldhar at braincells.com>
> Subject: Re: [Advaita-l] Yagnyopaveetam
> To: A discussion group for Advaita Vedanta
>        <advaita-l at lists.advaita-vedanta.org>
> Message-ID:
>        > yajna + upavita.  Yajna is a sacrifice or Vedic karma in general.  Upavita
> means it is worn draped over the left shoulder.  This is for Deva karya.
> For Pitr karya it is worn prachinavit (over the right shoulder.)
> 
> 
> Because only Brahmanas, Kshatriyas, and Vaishyas and furthermore only
> the boys among them have the adhikara to perform Upanayana samskara.  And
> for the most part Kshatriyas and Vaishyas have abandoned the practice or
> only wear it perfunctorily.  So it is basically only Brahmanas who
> wear it.
> 
> Furthermore in the Advaita tradition, sannyasis even if they have the
> right, do not wear yajnopavit because as I said it is a symbol of karma.
> But in e.g. Vaishnava traditions which believe in jnana-karma samuccaya,
> even the sannyasis wear it.
> 

Sanyasis of all Vaishnava traditions do not wear yajnopavita. For
instance, sanyasis of Dvaita sect do not wear it. Sanyasis of Ekadandi
order (advaita/dvaita) do not wear it. Those belonging to Tridandi
(vishistadvaita) order, in general, wear it.

I have heard that those belonging to the priestly class wear an extra
yajnopavita after mastering Atharva Veda.

Suresh