Vedarambha

Vedarambha (Sanskrit: वेदारम्भ, romanized: Vedārambha) is a Hindu rite of passage in which an initiate begins his formal study of the Vedas.^[1] It is generally regarded to be the tenth of the sixteen sacraments known as the samskaras,^[2] though it is sometimes also offered a different position.^[3]

Description

Vedarambha is prescribed to be performed during the ritual of receiving the sacred thread, known as the Upanayana, or up to a year following this occasion. A guru, a preceptor, teaches the Gayatri Mantra to the initiate, and the latter chants it to be blessed with wisdom. The guru offers a Vedic education to the initiate, which may accompany his general education.^[4][5] He is also taught the sandhya, the daily rituals, and a number of religious observances.^[6]

References

1. Dalal, Roshen (2014-04-18). Hinduism: An Alphabetical Guide. Penguin UK. p. 186. ISBN 978-81-8475-277-9.
2. Bose, Manilal (1998). Social and Cultural History of Ancient India. Concept Publishing Company. p. 79. ISBN 978-81-7022-598-0.
3. Pandey, Rajbali (1969). Hindu Saṁskāras: Socio-religious Study of the Hindu Sacraments. Motilal Banarsidass Publ. p. 22. ISBN 978-81-208-0396-1.
4. Pandit, Bansi (2001). The Hindu Mind: Fundamentals of Hindu Religion and Philosophy for All Ages. New Age Books. p. 290. ISBN 978-81-7822-007-9.
5. Mohapatra, Amulya; Mohapatra, Bijaya (1993-01-01). Hinduism: Analytical Study. Mittal Publications. p. 99. ISBN 978-81-7099-388-9.
6. Walker, Benjamin (2019-04-09). Hindu World: An Encyclopedic Survey of Hinduism. In Two Volumes. Volume I A-L. Routledge. p. 321. ISBN 978-0-429-62465-0.