vrAtyopanayanam

Source: TW

Upanayana for Vrātyas

Kavi Gaṅgārāma has stated that Vrātyas are eligible for Upanayana, which is only for the purpose of learning śauca and ācāra. He says that such an Upanayana is simply of the form of going near the Ācārya. He mentions a similar opinion of MM Gāgābhaṭṭa, who in his nibandha text (?) agrees with such an Upanayana of Vrātyas and the like.

Ref.: A portion titled ‘mlecchībhūtānāṃ śuddhi-vyavasthā’ from his nibandha on Dharmaśāstra, commissioned by the former King of J & K Raṇavīrasiṃha. [2/3]

This seems to fit well with the professions/livelihoods mentioned for Vrātya Brāhmaṇas, for example. Had posted about those some time back.

MM Gāgābhaṭṭa does mention a similar Upanayana (samīpaprāpaṇamātra) in his Kāyasthapaddhati.

In it, he includes all the usual procedures involving ajina, vastra, yajñopavīta & so forth, which are to be done without mantras. Seems that Kavi Gaṅgārāma referred to this Image.

Gāgābhaṭṭa mentions non-Vedic mantras for such an Upanayana. Seems like he may have constructed these for amantraka (without Vedic mantras) Upanayana. The mantra in which the boy is to be initiated, also hasn’t been mentioned. GB just calls it ‘svamantra’ of Guru.

अजिनमन्त्रः

चक्षुर्मित्रस्य वरुणं बलीयस् तेज उत्तमम् ।
जरिष्णुं वसनं नित्यमजिनं धारयाम्यहम् ॥

यज्ञोपवीतमन्त्रः

परब्रह्मादिदैवत्यं पवित्रं परमं स्मृतम् । प्रजापतेस् तु सहजम् उपवीतं दधाम्यहम्।।

मेखलामन्त्रः प्रजया पशुभिश् चैव
संनह्यामि घृतेचन (?) ।
ओषधीभिश्च पयसा
दीक्षिता(त?)स् त्वं समेधि माम् ॥

मानसतरङ्गिणीकृत्

gAgAbhaTTa was the famed purohita of the indrAbhiSheka of the great Chatrapati, founder of the last H empire. One can see he has cast the old mantra-s into new anuShTubh-s e.g. the original as per KYV is:

mitrasya chakShur dharuNaM balI yas
tejo yashasvi sthavira.N samiddham |
a̱nA hanasyaM vasanaM jariShNu parIdaM vAjy ajinaM dadhe .aham |

or yajnopavItaM paramaM pavitraM prajApater yat sahajaM purastAt | AyuShyaM agriyaM pratimuncha shubhraM yaj~nopavItaM balam astu tejaH ||

He renders the ancient triShTubh-s as anuShTubh paraphrases that could be used for v4s & the scribal caste. I wonder if he use something similar in the late upanayana of the Chatrapati.