This is the
first major phase in the religious life of a Hindu. It basically serves
as a preparatory stage for every individual, providing him a platform for
equipping himself physically, emotionally, intellectually with
fundamental arts and science of life. In simple terms, it is a period demanding
rigorous learning and strict compliance to celibacy.
Thus, spiritual education and self discipline are the
principle objectives in this phase.
Education
here does not refer to ordinary academic learning focusing on
material pursuits. Education here has a much broader and nobler
perspective. To borrow Swamy Vivekananda’s expression, “Education is the manifestation of the
perfection already in man”. Similarly, the self-discipline or
chastity does not merely refer to the physical discipline alone, as explained
by Mahatma Gandhi, “Brahmacharya does not mean mere physical
self control,. It means much more. It means complete control over all the
senses.” The
noble saint, திரு அருட்பிரகாச இராமலிங்க
வள்ளலார் (tiru aruṭpirakāca irāmaliṅga vaḷḷalār), for example, has
prescribed such disciplining to be practiced at four levels
viz. இந்திரிய ஒழுக்கம் (indhriya
ozhukkam – sensual/physical discipline), கரண ஒழுக்கம் (karaṇa oḻukkam -
mental discipline), ஜீவ ஒழுக்கம் (jīva oḻukkam – vital discipline) & ஆன்ம ஒழுக்கம் (āṉma oḻukkam - spritiual discipline)
In हिन्दुधर्म (hindudharma - Hinduism), an individual is formally inducted
(initiated) as a मानव (mānava – student), by
performing specific religious संस्काराः (saṃskārāḥ - sacraments) viz. the विद्यारंभ संस्कार (vidyāraṃbha saṁskāra – knowledge inception sacrament), and the उपनयन संस्कार (upanayana saṁskāra – investiture
sacrament) addressing the empirical and spiritual aspects
of learning respectively. While the former focuses on the basic
preliminaries for education, the actual ब्रह्मविद्या (brahma vidyā - divine wisdom) begins only with the उपनयन संस्कार (upanayana saṁskāra – investiture sacrament).
उपनयन संस्कार (upanayana saṁskāra – investiture sacrament)
Etymologically,
the term उपनयन (upanayana - investiture) can be split as उप (upa- near) + नयनम् (nayanam - eye), which
symbolises ‘the bringing together’ of all knowledge into
one’s focus, thereby getting a clearer (closer) दर्शन
(darśana - insight) into the ब्रह्म विद्या (brahma vidyā - Divine Wisdom).
Alternatively, the term उपनयन (upanayana) can be split
as उप (upa- near)
+ नयन (nayana - leading),
which symbolizes, the process of getting closer to आचार्य
(ācārya - preceptor),
the leader of ज्ञान (jñāna
– wisdom).
In fact, उप (upa- near)
is a common root for many important terms in हिन्दुधर्म (hindudharma - Hinduism) including उपनिषद् (upaniṣad – metaphysical scripture), उपन्यास (upanyāsa- spritual contemplation),
उपवासं (upavāsaṁ
- religious
fasting) etc.
In the western
world, such rites of spiritual induction are technically called ‘Rites
of Passage’
as it typically inducts a spiritual seeker (pilgrim) into the spiritual passage
(pilgrimage). For example, the Bar Mitzvah is an important initiation sacrament in Judaism.
Etymologically, the Aramich term technically means ‘Son of the Commandments (scriptures)’; simply
stated, it refers to the spiritual rite of inducting one into as a citiizen into the The
Kingdom of God. Similarly, Baptism and Sedreh Pushi are
corresponding sacrament rituals in the Catholic Christian and Zorastrian
cultures respectively.
Such an initiation ceremony is considered to be one of the most important milestone in the life of an
individual and in fact, the वतु (vatu - novice child) taking up
the उपनयन संस्कार
(upanayana saṁskāra – investiture sacrament)
is considered to be reborn afresh after that initiation
because his spritual journey begins from here. In हिन्दुधर्म (hindudharma - Hinduism), such a अभिसंस्कृत आत्मन (abhisaṃskṛta ātman - consecrated soul) is technically called द्विज (dvija – twice-born), as explained in
the following verses of मनुस्मृति (manusmṛti)
Similarly, in the orthodox schools of तान्त्रिक संप्रदाय (tāntrika saṃpradāya – tantric tradition), such a spiritual initiation ritual is technically called दीक्षा (dīkṣā - consecration) and is considered as a साधन (sādhana - process) by which the otherwise dormant कुण्डलिनीशक्ति साधकस्य (kuṇḍalinīśakti sādhakasya – biomagnetic enegy of practitioner) is kindled. Obviously, such a दीक्षा (dīkṣā - consecration) should only be given by a highly proficient आचार्य (ācārya – preceptor) who is a subject matter expert in that domain. श्रील सनातनगोस्वमिन् (śrīla sanātanagosvamin) an eminent आचार्य (ācārya - preceptor) belonging to श्री गौडीयवैष्णव मतसंप्रदाय (śrī gauḍīyavaiṣṇava matasaṃpradāya – sacred gaudiya vaishnava theological tradition) in the following verse from हरिभक्तिविलास (haribhaktivilāsa), further explains the conscept of दीक्षा (dīkṣā - consecration) thus:
That is why, the आचार्य (ācārya – preceptor) who thus illumines the मानव (mānava – student) is revered with highest esteem and is considered his गुरु (guru). Etymologically, the term गुरु (guru) is derived from गु (gu - darkness) & रु (ru - light or fire). Hence, the term गुरु (guru) refers to a spiritual preceptor who the ‘dispells darkness by the light of wisdom’. This fact is very categorically testified in the following verses from the गुरु गीता (gurugītā)
