Words on the Way - Muz Murray Mantra Yoga Master
Words on the Way - Muz Murray Mantra Yoga Master
Words on the Way - Muz Murray Mantra Yoga Master
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Bib:<br />
Refs:<br />
1 Kena Upanishad—Commentary by Ramamurti S. Mishra M.D. (<strong>Yoga</strong> Society of Syracuse, N.Y.<br />
1964)<br />
2 In <strong>the</strong> Woods of God Realisati<strong>on</strong>—Swami Rama Teertha (Rama Teertha Pratisthan, Lucknow,<br />
1956)<br />
Yajña — see Yagna.<br />
Var: Yajna, yagnya<br />
Sense: ‘Sacrificial ritual worship, generally by fire.’<br />
Yajñopavita-samskara<br />
(yagj-nyo-pah<br />
pah-vittah-sam-skar<br />
skar-rah)<br />
Syn<strong>on</strong>: Upanayana-samskara<br />
(cf.)<br />
Sense: The cerem<strong>on</strong>y of <strong>the</strong> investiture of <strong>the</strong> sacred thread,<br />
given to young brahmin boys at <strong>the</strong> age of eight (by parents and<br />
priest), at <strong>the</strong> time of initiati<strong>on</strong> into <strong>the</strong> Gayatri mantra. As part of<br />
<strong>the</strong> cerem<strong>on</strong>y <strong>the</strong> mo<strong>the</strong>r ties a new loincloth <strong>on</strong> <strong>the</strong> boy and<br />
enjoins him to lead a celibate and holy life and to look up<strong>on</strong> every<br />
woman as his mo<strong>the</strong>r until <strong>the</strong> age of twenty-four. After this<br />
cerem<strong>on</strong>y <strong>the</strong> boy is c<strong>on</strong>sidered to be ‘twice-born’ (dvija) and is<br />
<strong>the</strong>reby entitled to study <strong>the</strong> revelati<strong>on</strong>s of <strong>the</strong> Vedas.<br />
Root: Yaj — <strong>the</strong> act of sacrificing, worshipping (or <strong>the</strong> sacrificer<br />
himself.)<br />
The sacred thread, known as a Janeu, is composed of three<br />
intertwined strands, offered as a symbol of purity, representing<br />
<strong>the</strong> Holy Trinity, Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva. It also represents<br />
many o<strong>the</strong>r triads, such as <strong>the</strong> feminine deities, Mahasarasvati,<br />
Mahalakhsmi, and Mahakali; <strong>the</strong> three gunas (or qualities of<br />
nature) sattva, rajas and tamas; <strong>the</strong> past, present and future; <strong>the</strong><br />
states of wakefulness, dream and deep sleep; <strong>the</strong> gross, subtle and<br />
causal bodies; <strong>the</strong> three dimensi<strong>on</strong>s, heaven (swarga) earth<br />
(martyaloka) and <strong>the</strong> ne<strong>the</strong>r regi<strong>on</strong>s (patala); <strong>the</strong> three letters A-<br />
U-M forming <strong>the</strong> sound of OM; <strong>the</strong> three ‘feet’ (<strong>the</strong> three lines of<br />
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