Varäha Gåha Sütras say: “The triple belt symbolises that the brahmacäré is always surrounded by the three Vedas.”

He should make the child say:

oà prajäpatiù viñëu åñiù

gäyatré chandaù

çré viñëuù devatä

upanayane brahmacäri mekhala paridhäpane viniyogaù

oà iyaà dur uktät pari vädhamänä

Varëaà pavitraà punaté me ägät

präëäpänäbhyäà balaà avahanté

svasä devé subhagä mekhalä iyaà

“This belt is the consort of the Lord, pure and auspicious. Like a sister, freeing and protecting one from bad words and acts. It preserves the purity of ones varëa, bringing strength for inhaling and exhaling breath. I have obtained this belt.”

oà åtasya goptré tapasaù parasvé

ghnaté rakñaù sahamänä arätéù

sä mä samantaà abhiparyehi bhadre

dhartäraù te mekhale mä riñäma

“This belt is the protector of truth, the greatest wealth of austerity, which prevents injury, and causes victory over enemies. O secret belt of fortune, please surround me completely. As your wearers may we not bring harm to you.”

The äcärya should take the sacred thread saying:

oà prajäpatiù viñëu åñiù

gäyatré chandaù

çré viñëuù devatä

upanayane yajïopavéta däne viniyogaù

oà yajïopavétaà asi yajïasya tvä yajïopavétena upanahyämi

“You are the sacred thread for sacrifice. I tie you with this thread for the purpose of performing sacrifices.”

He should place the thread on the child’s left shoulder and under the right arm saying:

oà prajäpatiù viñëu åñiù

gäyatré chandaù

çré viñëuù devatä

upanayane mäëavakasya yajïopavétaà paridhäpane viniyogaù

oà yaÀjïoÀpaÀvéÀtam paÀraÀmaà paÀvitraà /

praÀjäpaÁteÀr yat saÁhaÀjaà puraÀstäÁt //

äÀyuÀñyaÁm agryaÀà pratiÁmuïca çuÀbhraà /

yaÁjïopavéÀtam balaÁm astu tejaÁù //

“The sacred thread is most pure, born at the time of the appearance of the Lord, long before. Put on this shining white thread bestowing long life. Let there be strength and energy.”

The äcärya should place the deer skin in the child’s hands and make him say:

@footnote:

The deer skin was of practical use in forest life. It was used by the brahmacäré as an upper garment to keep the rain off, and as an äsana to sit and meditate, as snakes would not disturb him as they dislike the subtle smell of the skin, and the hairs of the skin hurt their scales.

Brähmaëas would wear the skin of the black buck (which is non-different from Brahman), kñatriyas would wear the skin of a spotted antelope, and vaiçyas would wear the skin of a goat. However, some texts substitute the animal skin for a new cloth.

oà prajäpatiù viñëu åñiù

triñöup chandaù

çré viñëuù devatä

upanayane mäëavakasya ajina paridhäpane viniyogaù

oà mitrasya cakñuù dharuëaà baléyaù

tejo yaçasvi sthaviraà samidhaà

anähanasyaà vasanaà jariñëu pari

Idaà väji ajinaà dadhe ahaà

“I am giving you this deer skin, which is the light of the sun, the presiding Lord, strength, energy and fame, eternal and effulgent, chaste, giving valor, giving long life.”

The child should put on the deer skin.

The child, folding his hands, should stand in front of the äcärya and say:

oà prajäpatiù viñëu åñiù

gäyatré chandaù

çré viñëuù devatä

äcärya mantraëe viniyogaù

oà adhéhi bhoù sävitréà me bhavän anubravétu

“Teach me, sir. Please recite to me the Gäyatré mantra.”

The äcärya should make the child recite each phrase three times:

oà prajäpatiù viñëu åñiù

gäyatré chandaù

çré viñëuù devatä

upanayane japopanayane viniyogaù

oà tat savituù vareëyaà (3x)

oà bhargo devasya dhémahi (3x)

oà dhiyo yo naù pracodayät(e) (3x)

The äcärya should make the child repeat the following two phrases three times each:

oà tat savituù vareëyaà bhargo devasya dhémahi (3x)

oà dhiyo yo naù pracodayät (3x)

The äcärya should make the child recite the full mantra three times:

oà tat savituù vareëyaà

bhargo devasya dhémahi

dhiyo yo naù pracodayät (3x)

The äcärya should make the child recite each of the Mahävyähåtis as follows:

oà prajäpatiù viñëu åñiù

gäyatré chandaù

çré viñëuù devatä

mahä-vyährti päöe viniyogaù

oà bhür oà

oà prajäpatiù viñëu åñiù

uñëik chandaù

çré viñëuù devatä

mahä-vyährti päöe viniyogaù

oà bhuvaù oà

oà prajäpatiù viñëu åñiù

anuñöup chandaù

çré viñëuù devatä

mahä-vyährti päöe viniyogaù

oà svaù oà

The äcärya should make the child recite the Gäyatré mantra with the Mahävyähåtis three times:

oà prajäpatiù viñëu åñiù

gäyatré chandaù

çré viñëuù devatä

japopanayane viniyogaù

oà bhür bhuvaù svaù

tat savitur vareëyaà

bhargo devasy dhémahi

dhiyo yo naù pracodayät oà (3x)

Then the äcärya should hand the child a stick of bilva or paläça wood and make him address the stick, saying:

@footnote:

The daëòa is given for protection and for tending the spiritual master’s cattle. Symbolically it represents the symbol of a traveller, in other words, the brahmacäré is a traveller on the road of spiritual life.

The brähmaëa’s daëòa should measure up to his hairline, the kñatriya’s up to the place between eyebrows, and the vaiçya’s up to the tip of his nose.

The daëòa should be unbroken, unscratched and with bark. It should be straight, fine looking and not burnt by fire.

oà prajäpatiù viñëu åñiù

paìkté chandaù

çré viñëuù devatä

upanayane mäëavaka daëòärpaëe viniyogaù

oà suçravaù suçravasaà

mä kuru yathä tvaà suçravaù

suçravä deveñu evaà

ahaà suçravaù suçravä

brähmaëeñu bhüyäsam

“You, being glorious with knowledge, make me glorious with the same knowledge. O glorious one, as you are glorious among the devas, may I be glorious among the brähmaëas.”

Taking the daëòa the brahmacäri should begin begging, by first going to his mother and saying:

oà bhavati bhikñäà dehi

“Oh good woman, please give alms.”

@footnote: