[Advaita-l] agniveshya yagnopavIta dhAran VidhI

[subhanu via Advaita-l]

Animesh wrote: “I have posted post about yagnopavita dharan vidhi of this sutra on my blog”

 

Namaste and thank you for the blog. In the texts of
agniveshya sutra I have seen, for example 


http://is1.mum.edu/vedicreserve/kalpa/grihya/agniveshya_grihya_sutram.pdf

 

it seems that the full mantras are given within the sutra
text, with no separate ekāgni-kāṇḍam as in āpastamba, but no svara markings are
given. Also, there appears to be an affinity with kāthaka śākha. For we have in
the sutra text svah, instead of suvah. In addition, the mantra quoted “bʰū́r agníṃ ca pr̥tʰivī́ṃ ca mā́ṃ ca ...” is from
Taittiriya Brahmana 3.10.2, the sāvitra-cayanam of kāthakam that has
been preserved in the taittiriya tradition. These mantras according to the
Srauta sutras are recited when placing the 4 naturally perforated bricks in the
4 directions (ApSS 19.12.16). Now, there is an interesting reference to yajñopavītá-dhāraṇam in
this brahmana section in 3.10.9 that might explain the inclusion of these
mantras in this context in agniveshya sutram. I have given the mantra with a
translation and underlined the relevant reference:


devabʰāgó ha śrautarṣáḥ / 

devabhāga the son of śrautarṣi

sāvitráṃ vidā́ṃcakāra / 

mastered the sāvitram

tám̐ ha vā́g adr̥śyamānā́_abʰyuvāca / 

An unseen voice said to
him:

sárvaṃ bata gautamó veda /



“Indeed Gautama ( devabhāga) has known it
all

yáḥ sāvitráṃ véda_íti / 

As he is one who has known
sāvitram”

sá ha_uvāca /



Gautama said 

kā́_éṣā́ vā́g asī́ti /



“Who is this voice? “

ayám ahám̐ sāvitráḥ /



“I am the sāvitram”
(came the response)

 devā́nām uttamó lokáḥ /



“ (I am) the
supreme abode of the devas 

gúhyaṃ máho bíbʰrad íti / 

That posseses a secret
greatness”

etā́vati ha gautamáḥ / 

yajñopavītáṃ kr̥tvā́_adʰó nípapāta /



Then Gautam put
on his  yajñopavītáṃ and fell prostrate on the ground (saying):

námo náma íti /  

“ Hail, hail!”

sá ha_uvāca /



(The voice) said:

mā́ bʰaiṣīr gautama /



“Do not be afraid

jitó vái te loká íti // 

For you have conquered your (heavenly) world

tásmād yé ké ca sāvitráṃ vidúḥ /



so those who have
known  the sāvitram

sárve té jitálokāḥ /

they have all
conquered the (heavenly) world


By wearing the
sacred thread before saluting indicates that this sacred rite can only be known
by one wearing the sacred thread. We see later in the same section how bharadvāja
learns, having studied the veda for 3 lifetimes, that just by mastering sāvitram,
all is known. This sacred ceremony is of course closely linked with the sāvitrῑ
mantra (gāyatrῑ) prayer to savitā. This very brahmana section straight after
the above mantras states the 8 sacred syllables of the Sun:


sá yó ha vái sāvitrásyāṣṭā́kṣaraṃ padám̐ śriyā́_abʰíṣiktaṃ véda / 

One who has known the 8 lettered
verse, showered with glory, of the sāvitram

śriyā́ ha_evā́bʰíṣicyate / 

He will indeed be showered
with glory

gʰŕ̥ṇir íti dvé akṣáre / 

ghŕ̥ṇi (light) is 2
letters

sū́rya íti trī́ṇi / 

sūrya (sun) is the next 3

ādityá íti trī́ṇi /



āditya is the final 3


These 8 syllable mantras
are referenced in Maharanaya Upanishad also


If anybody has any
further info as to why such sutras maybe follow a different approach to āpastamba,
and why the possible affinity to kāthaka śākha, I would love to learn more


Regards

Subhanu