WHY THE “SACRED THREAD” CEREMONY (YAJYO PAVEET)
No nation is worth living and would hardly survive which fails to be proud of its past. It is like cutting the main strong deepest cultural roots of society. A tree cannot live on grafted rootlets. The root is called ‘Moola’ in our language which radically means the binding element or the binding force. Root binds the tree strongly to the earth on which it stands proudly and erects. So if a nation goes on cutting down its ancient cultural roots, by not nourishing it, that nation is bound to perish sooner or later. It is very correctly said:-
“NASHTE MOOLE PATRAM NA PUSHPAM”
That is when the root is destroyed, there would be no leaves any flowers.
This ceremony is, in a way, watering our ancient cultural roots. One may say such rituals are out-dated, while the world is advancing in various scientific fields, we are just sticking on to our old meaningless traditions. It is true that time is not a static agent, but does the time travel in a straight line and people like us would be left behind? Our concept of time is different. It revolves, like other cosmic entities as a wheel, and is, therefore, called ‘Kalachakra’. Nobody standing on a circle can say, he is ahead of another, it is only relative. We have also to see if the present concept of social-science is really an advance on our concept of society. One hears so much of “socialism” today, but we fail to realize that society is a composite of individuals. Until the individual is shown the beacon of socialism at an early age, the child will never become a socialist in the real sense, though he or she may cry hoarse, professing himself to be a staunch socialist. After a thorough analysis of Hinduism, one finds that it is based on socialism in the true sense. According to the Aryan or Hindu Socialism, everything belongs to society (not to the State), even the children. The child belongs to the society even before it is conceived because it is the society that permits the garbhaden sanskar, giving the parents sanction to lay the foundation of the child. No parent can rejoice individually, the birth of his child, nobody can give a name to the child. It is the right of society because it belongs to society and its parents are only the custodian. This system is observed even today in our society.
The “SACRED THREAD” Ceremony is a great event for the society, because it, by this ritual lays the foundation of socialism, in each individual. The child so far has been a freelancer, with no much ties on him. By these delicate, but sacramentally very strong thread, the child is tied down to the society and to the social orders. When the child develops an age, when it can understand and develops a little sense of the society, the child is bound down with certain principles and vows. The thread is a symbol of his being tied down to the cause of society for the rest of his life. The thread also gives him status in society, because the society entitles him to join in various social rituals and allows him to take part in responsible social functions. It gives the child, thus, a dignity because he is supposed to be of a certain order, whose every action is to serve the society. He is no more an individual and made to understand that he is a part of a “whole”. Till this feeling or spirit of wholeness or “Oneness” is awakened in the individual at an early stage the society cannot develop social vitality. The same doctrine of Oneness, one finds pervading in each individual cell of our body. Each cell functions for the benefit of the whole body. Similarly, each star, each planet and a satellite is revolving in the cosmos with the same purpose of serving one whole, what is called the “UNIVERSE’. Again, this phenomenon of mutual pervasiveness among the celestial bodies is described in the Vedas a “Vishnu” and the same Vishnu with four arms was personified in the society – as the four sections of society, performing different functions to preserve it. The four arms or sections being, the intellectuals the preachers named as Brahmins the protectors, as the Kshatriyas, the feeders and the nourishing section of the society – the Vaishyas and the sustainer’s purifiers, the Shudras. By thus describing the society as one whole or one body, the principle of mutual gravitation of individual is explained and it was thought necessary that this mutual regard should be installed in the early stage of the development of each child. This mutual bond is symbolized by this sacramental thread and by this auspicious thread one is tied down to the social order and that it is prayed that the Almighty will bestow. His Bliss and Strength to the individuals of our society, so that he may fulfil his obligations to the society with devotion and dedication.
The underlying principle of this ceremony is to permit and bind an individual to social orders. No child could start education, without first binding itself to the society through this ceremony, because it was realized that education without the social bindings was dangerous as one realizes today. The modern science with its by-products has become a liability to man because it has not developed any cohesiveness in man rather has taught a man to break down even the primary form of matter – the atom.
Through this SACRED THREAD which is a symbol of mutual binding, the foundation of a very strong integrated social pedestal can be built and it is only such firm foundation a palatial social monument can be erected and only such society can aspire to have a culture of Satyam (righteous perpetuity), Shivam (happiness and bliss) and Sundaram (benevolent beauty) in human society.
DAKSHA BHARADWAJ
OF DR. SATYKAM BHARADWAJ VEDIC RESEARCH FOUNDATION
Email – dakshbba@rediffmail.com
