[Advaita-l] prayAshchitaM for sAvitribhraShTAH

[Praveen R. Bhat]

Namaste Rajeshji,

On Sun, Nov 5, 2017 at 6:45 PM, Rajesh Benjwal via Advaita-l <
advaita-l at lists.advaita-vedanta.org> wrote:

> ​​
> Thanks, Venkatraghavanji for your suggestion.
>
> I just checked Apasthambha sUtra and found अतिक्रान्ते सावित्रया: काल ऋतुं
> त्रैविद्यकं ब्रह्मचर्यं चरेत्।Means If the proper time for Savitri has
> passed, one shall observe the duties practiced by students familiar with
> tri-vidyA for a whole Ritu.
>
> Looks convincing, let me check it with some Acarya, if I am taking the
> right meaning, who follows Apasthambha sUtra.
>

​It appears that the above solution in Apastamba of following all of
Brahmachari's vows​ (except for agnikArya, vedAdhyAyana and gurusuSrUSha)
synchronising with a Rtu is valid only if upanayana is done immediately
afterwards, before 19 years of age is attained! There is more to be done
after the upanayana too, but its not applicable since your prospective
students are 23 yrs old.

Other than above for 18-19 age range, following seems the solution, which
is how you too seem to have landed on vrAtyastomayajna in your
dharmashAstra too.
19-20: 3 rounds of cAndrAyaNavrata.
20-21: uddAlakavrata.
21-22: avabhRtasnAna in ashvamedhayajna (and in Kaliyuga, uddAlakavrata as
well as 17-day yAvakavrata).
22+: vrAtyastomayajna.

That said, I am sure you will not give up on the students since people
wanting to study Vedas is rare and should be encouraged. To that effect, I
do feel that some simpler solution will definitely come to light when you
talk to some traditional scholar, HH Shankaracharya​ or with a Vedic
assembly.

s
​hubhaM bhUyAditi prArthaye​
,
--Praveen R. Bhat
/* येनेदं सर्वं विजानाति, तं केन विजानीयात्। Through what should one know
That owing to which all this is known! [Br.Up. 4.5.15] */​