In Hinduism

Dharmashastra (religious law)

Source: Shodhganga: Facts of society in the Manusamhita

Upananaya (उपननय) is the most important sacrament for the twice born classes i.e. dvijātis. The Manusaṃhitā describes that upanayana accomplishes a second birth of a person which is purer than man’s natural birth. In this ceremony, sāvitrī is considered as mother and ācārya as the father.

Upanayana is of two kinds viz. nitya and kāmya. These divisions have been made on the basis of age of the child. The former occurs if brāhmaṇa is of the eighth year after conception of mother, a kṣatriya and a vaiśya are eleventh and twelfth year respectively. The second occurs a brāhmaṇa is in the fifth year after conception, a kṣatriya in the sixth and a vaiśya in the eighth year.

Upanayana ceremony is considered as the entrance of students hip. It is very much connected with the brahmacarya āśrama. After performing upanayana or initiation, one must enter into the house of a teacher (gurugṛha) as a student. While entering into the student’s life, they become dvija or twice born. His indiscipline life ends here.

The life after Upanayana ceremony one is undergo vow of brahmacaryāśrama. Once this stage is over a student enters into the life of a gṛhastha. He is then called snātaka.

context information

Dharmashastra (धर्मशास्त्र, dharmaśāstra) contains the instructions (shastra) regarding religious conduct of livelihood (dharma), ceremonies, jurisprudence (study of law) and more. It is categorized as smriti, an important and authoritative selection of books dealing with the Hindu lifestyle.

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