WhyDoSomeHinduMenWearJaneu

BlogbyRohitSharma

1.ThesciencebehindwearingJaneu

Duringthecourseoflifeofanindividual,Hinduismadvocatessixteen
purificationritesknownassamskaras.Upanayanaisoneofthemostimportant
ofsuchritesthataboychildisexpectedtoundergoathisfifth,seventhor
twelfthyear.Janeu,alsocalledassacredthreadiswornbytheboyfromthereon
announcinghimasDvijaorthetwiceborn.

2.GayatriMantra

WearingJaneuispopularpredominantlyamongtheBrahmins.TheUpanayana
ceremonyalsocanbetranslatedastheeventthatgivestheboyanadditional
sightnamelytheinnervisionwiththeinitiationofGayatriMantra.Oncethe
boyundergoesupanayana(GayatriMantraInitiation)andwearsJaneu(sacred
thread),heisexpectedtoengageinregularprayersandchantingofGayatri
Mantraintheprescribedway.

3.Yajnopaveetam

ThesacredthreadorJaneuiscalledbyyetanothernamecalledYajnopaveetam,
suggestingthattheindividualwearingitischaracterizedbyanintensedesireto
doactionsmarkedasthehighestgood(Yajna).Janeuismadeofthreestandsof
cottonthreadknownasvritas.Everythreadhasthreecordstwiningitanda
knot.Janeuisassociatedwithaloftykindofsymbolismthatenjoinstheboyto
liveanideallife.

4.Journeyoflife.

Theknotindicatesthepledgetodoonlygoodacts.Thethreestrandsrepresent
eitherthreekindsofbreathsnamelyida,pingalaandsushumnaorthree
propensitiesnamelySattva,RajasandTamas.Thehumanlifeisallabout
regulatingthesetwoaspectstoperfectionthusachievingthetruepurposeofthe
journeyoflife.

5.Janeuiswornontheleftshoulder

Janeuiswornontheleftshoulderwhichmeansshoulderingtheburdensoflife
withtolerance.Itrunsovertheheartindicatingalifeoffaithand
determination.Ittouchesthebackwhichisthesymbolofcommitment.Thus,
symbolicallyjaneuenjoinsamantoalifeofcommitment,courage,
determination,faith,patienceandtolerance.

6.ThreeStands

Thethreestandsalsoconstantlyremindtheindividualofthethreedebtshe
owestohis1)teachers,2)parentsandancestorsand3)sagesandgods.The
teacherhasimpartedtheknowledgerequiredtocarryonthelifeinasystematic
andmeaningfulwaytheparentsandancestorshavemadehisexistenceonthis
earthpossibleandhavenurturedhimthegodsandsageshaveblessedhimwith
health,wisdomandhappiness.Therefore,heshouldbealwaysgratefultoallof
them.

7.Gainsknowledge

AverseinSanskritstatesthatanindividualwearingthesacredthreadgains
knowledge,shinesbrilliantlylikethesunandcarriesthefinestinstrumentsof
artsandlearning,becomesthemasterinalltheplaceshevisitsandattains
expertiseinallthefieldsofknowledgefinallyattainingsalvationtheultimate
goalofhumanlife.

8.MeaningofJanue

Thus,wearingjanueremindsmanofhisseveralduties,codesofconduct,
responsibilitiesandthepurposeoflife.Inthisregard,itismoresymbolic
enjoiningmantoahighlyperfectorderoflife.Ifthetruemeaningandspiritof
wearingjaneuisreinforced,itshallgivewaytoaspirituallifededicatedto
personalaswellasthesocialwelfare.