उपनयनम्

Forms

  • The vaidika upanayanam was available to kSatriyas, vaishyas & rathakAras.

pAncharAtra-Agama

the sanatkumAra saMhitA gives two forms of upanayanaM, the vedic form for dvijas and tantric agnimukhaM version for women and shUdras. On recieving that they may perform several rites, but the pAncharatric brahmin is still supposed to perform vaidika rites to various deities in addition to the internal pAncharatric sacrifices to vedic deities given in the rudra rAtra. - MT

परम-संहिता

शूद्रं तु तन्त्रजैर् मन्त्रैर्
दासान्तं नाम च स्मृतम् ।
उपवीतं च वस्त्रं च
गुणमन्त्रेण योजयेत् ॥

उत्तरीयोपवीते च
पूजाकाले तु नान्यदा ।
न शूद्रस्य परं बीजं
जपे ध्याने च कल्पयेत् ॥

न मन्त्रोच्चारणा दोषः
कर्मयोगस्य सम्मतः ।
तीव्रभक्तो भवेद्यस्तु
विद्या धर्मरतः शुचिः ॥ …

shaivAgamas

kAmikAgama gives adhikAra for upavIta for all 4 varNas, including all shUdras initiated into the shaiva religion.

jAtyutkarSha in shaiva-siddhAnta

  • Anyone who is a Paśu but has received Śaktipāta is qualified for it.
  • Vaidika-Dvijatvam confers on one born in an appropriate body, the ability to become a Brāhmaṇa, Kṣatriya & Vaiśya. Śaiva-Dvijatvam on the other hand transforms anyone born in a human body from a paśu to a muktiyogya.

वैदिकार्हता

स्त्र्य्-उपनयनम्

  • हारितः - “तत्र ब्रह्मवादिनीनाम् उपनयनम्, अग्नीन्धनम् वेदाध्ययनं स्वगृहे च भिक्षाचर्येति।”
  • Women got the upanayana initiation (as a symbolism before marriage or as a serious initiation depending on the case) well into the gRhya-sUtra and early dharma-shAstra ages (काणे-विचार-सारो ऽत्र।)

“पुरा कल्पेषु नारीणां
मौञ्जीबन्धनमिष्यते ।
अध्यापनं च वेदानां
सावित्रीवचनं तथा ॥”

बृहद्धर्मपुराण में स्त्री और शूद्र को दो जन्म (शौक्र और सावित्र) धारण करने वाला द्विज बताया गया है।-

“शौक्रं तथा च सावित्रं दैक्षं च जन्म सम्मतम्।
जन्मत्रयं ब्राह्मणानां स्त्रीशूद्राणां द्विजन्मता॥” (४.२१)

आधुनिक काल के कुछ धर्मशास्त्रज्ञों ने भी इस मत का समर्थन किया है। जयपुर राज्य के १७-१८ वीं शती के विद्वानों द्वारा सङ्गृहीत व्रात्यताशुद्धिसङ्ग्रह में स्त्रियों के उपनयन का समर्थन किया है। १८ वीं शताब्दी में याज्ञिक रामकृष्ण शर्मा कृत संस्कारगणपति में स्त्रियों के अमन्त्रक उपनयन का समर्थन है।

स्त्रीणाम् आचार्यता

Patanjali gives some examples in स्त्रीप्रत्ययप्रकरणम्–

काशकृत्स्निना प्रोक्ता मीमांसा काशकृत्स्नी तामधीते काशकृत्स्ना ब्राह्मणीति

That means काशकृत्स्ना was a Vedic scholar .

औदमेय्याः छात्राः औदमेयाः

There were good and great women scholars .

“उपेत्याधीयतेऽस्या उपाध्यायी उपाध्याया” (पा॰सू॰ ३.३.२१ इत्यपुरि महाभाष्यात्)

“आचार्या स्वयं व्याख्यात्री” (पा॰सू॰ ४.१.४९ इत्युपरि सिद्धान्तकौमुद्याः)

Practice

  • kShatriya-s
    • The upanayana initiation is commonly practiced across many kShatriya jAti-s (“urs” or arasu-s of karNATaka, kShatriya-s [and occassionally even sAmanta-kShatriya-s] of keraLa, rAjputs/ rAjaputra-s).
  • rathakAra-s
    • vishvakarma/ vishvabrAhmaNa community
  • shUdra-s
    • “Some of the villagers came to the Jeeyar and wondered if they could also wear the poonool (sacred thread) like the Jeeyar. The Jeeyar unhesitatingly assured them that they could but advised them about following a code of practice and applauding them for their interest. He even affirmed them that if they were very keen he would perform the ritual for them.” vsk16

Women

  • “इदानीमप्यौत्कल्यदेशे विवाहकाले कन्या धारयत्येव चतुर्थीकर्म-पर्यन्तम्। स्वयमेव दृष्टम्मया।” इति मोहितः।
  • Woman wearing yajnopavIta TW16.