SanAtana Dharma placed immense focus on renewing and fresh beginnings. It revers the continuous movement of time and one’s ability to be able to let go of the past hurts, and sorrows and seek forgiveness for offences committed. When we hold on to the past version of ourselves - whether, in our thought or action, we are stagnating. Stagnation is considered extremely inauspicious in the culture. All efforts are made to clear the burden of the past to make space for the inflow of fresh prAna and knowledge.
Today, the day we commemorate the annual Upakarma ritual also referred to as Aavani Avittam (in Southern parts of India) is one such opportunity. The process is to enable the householder to seek forgiveness for all the actions (and inactions), thoughts and offences that he may have knowingly or unknowingly committed over the past year.
These include a detailed list of offences committed such as (and not limited to) offences committed during childhood, youth and adulthood; in the various levels of consciousness, while awake and while dreaming; wittingly and unwittingly, in delusion; by our actions, speech and mind; through all our senses and through our acts of daily living; eating contaminated food, destruction of trees and plants, discussion of unbeneficial literature, disrespecting elders, community leaders and priests, and failing to remain neutral and balanced, committing transgressions knowingly once and unknowingly many times, offences done repeatedly, deeds that have spiritually contaminated us, and made us unworthy of our status as dvijAs (twice-born).
"Misdeeds committed in our minds, thinking badly of others, the bad forms of speech such as lying, slander and gossip; bodily offences such as taking that which was not given, causing injury to other living beings, and not rendering assistance to others in time of need and sexual misconduct."
Source: Online article written by Paṇḍit Srirama Ramanujacari
Just like food loses its life and efficacy after three hours of preparation, we are inspired to give up those objects, thoughts and actions that do not serve us, our society or the larger world, anymore. All of these indicate our need to move towards prAyaschittam (prAyaha - chittam) - or the returning of the mind to its blemishless state.
This festival also marks the re-start of the Veda-adhyAyanam (study of Vedas) after a gap of six months.
“After Upanayanam (or the initiation into Vedic studies through the sacred thread ceremony), the study of Vedas commences on the first Aavani Avittam day. Utsarjana karma is done in the following Pushya (Thai) month when the study of Vedas is halted and in the next six months, as much as possible of the six VedAngas, viz. Siksha, Vyakarana, Chandas, Niruktam, Jyotisham and Kalpasutram is studied. Then in the SrAvana month of the following year, on the day of Upakarma, Upakarma is performed and the study of Veda mantras is commenced again. This karma of starting the study of Vedas is known as Upakarma. Only if Upakarma is performed in this manner, will the meagre store of Veda mantra with us have power. If not, it will become ‘yatayama’ (stale, losing its power and efficacy) like the food described in Bhagavadgita.”
Source: Publication by VEDA DHARMA SASTRA PARIPALANA SABHA, Kumbhakonam
The festival also marks offering gratitude to the Rishis and DevatAs without which our life and sustenance would be impossible on this Earth.
So this Upakarma dinam, let us take the sankalpam to drop our limiting tendencies, seek forgiveness for our deeds and direct our efforts toward our highest potentials and the welfare of the world.
Hari Om!
