the upakarma rules.

the upakarma rules.

( about what we nowadays celebrate as avani avittam)

The celebration we observe as Avani Avittam is technically called upakarma..

In fact it is a very vital functin in our lives as Dvijas or brahmins.. We are supposedly starting the study of our own ordained Sakhas of Vedas from that day..

The rules as prescribed by Manu and Apastamba are given below.

श्रावण्यां प्रोष्टपद्यां वा उपाकृत्य यथाविधि।

युक्तश्चन्दाम्स्यधीयेत मासान्विप्रोऽर्धपञ्चमाम्।

पुष्ये तु छन्दसां कुर्याद्बहिरुत्सर्जनं द्विजः।

माघशुक्लस्य वा प्राप्ते पूर्वाह्णिप्रथमेऽहनि॥

मनु

Manu says.. The dvijas should do upakarma in Shravan or proshtapada months ( roughly corresponding to Chingam and Kanni .. often overlapping Karkidakam too) and should study the vedas prescribed for them for five and half month..

And in Pusha month ( corresponding to Thai, or Makaram..) they should stop their studies and stir out of their villages or static stations.. This stoppage of studies ( adhyaaya utsarjanam can be done on the Pournamasi of Magha.. thai amavasai.. or the previous or the next day)

The idea is that the dwijas have other functions too to performed and they should not get bogged down to learning Sakhas of Vedas alone..

In fact non stoppage of studies or adhyaya utsarjanam is considered a sin.. and the Apasthambeeya krishna yajurvedis perfoms prayaschittam for non performance of this adhyaya utsarjanam by chanting Kamokaarsheed mantram one thousand eight times on the morning of their upakarma.

श्रावण्यां पौर्णम्यामध्यायमुपाकृत्य मासं प्रदोषे नाधीयत तैष्यां पौर्णमास्यां रोहिण्यां वा विरमेदर्धपञ्चातुरो मासानित्येके॥

आपस्तंबः॥

अध्वर्यूणां श्रावण्यां प्रोष्टपद्यां छान्दोग्यानामिति॥

śrāvaṇyāṁ proṣṭapadyāṁ vā upākṛtya yathāvidhi|

yuktaścandāmsyadhīyeta māsānvipro'rdhapañcamām|

puṣye tu chandasāṁ kuryādbahirutsarjanaṁ dvijaḥ|

māghaśuklasya vā prāpte pūrvāhṇiprathame'hani||

manu

śrāvaṇyāṁ paurṇamyāmadhyāyamupākṛtya māsaṁ pradoṣe nādhīyata taiṣyāṁ paurṇamāsyāṁ rohiṇyāṁ vā viramedardhapañcāturo māsānityeke||

āpastaṁbaḥ||

Apastambha says

A dvija should perforum upakarma in the Srvani month, and continue his studies through the month, excluding the pradosha period ( and anadhyaya periods prescribed too) and should give up such studies on the day when the pushyam star and the full moon.. come together.. that is the pouranami of Makaram of Thai month.. or the preceding day when Rohini month.. This study will go on for five months, five and half months or four and half months as the case may be..

The difference in months is because some texts prescribe the study of Vyakaranam and other Vedgangas too for a month..

अध्वर्यूणां श्रावण्यां प्रोष्टपद्यां छान्दोग्यानामिति॥

adhvaryūṇāṁ śrāvaṇyāṁ proṣṭapadyāṁ chāndogyānāmiti||

The upakarma is in the Sravani month for Adhvaryus and for Chandogas it is in the Proshtapada month..

The Yajurveda Avani Avittam happens on the Pournami.. mostly thiruvonam or avittam also falling on that day.. or avittam.. in Sravana month.. For Rigveda Upakarmam..shravanam or thiruvonam in Shraavanee month is a must.

The Samaveda upakarmam is on the star Hastam in the proshtapada month.. roughly corresponding with Atham Chaturthi..

The exact rules have been prescribed in great detail in texts like Dharma Sindhu, Nirnaya Sindhu, Smritichandrika, Deekshiteeyam etc..