Why is silk dhoti and uparana worn on religious occasions?

Contents

• 1. Batu and about his clothes
  • 1.1 Clothes of a batu on whom Samavartan Sanskar is performed
• 2. Clothes of a householder
• 3. Appropriate clothes for wearing during a religious ritual
  • 3.1 Silk dhoti tucked at five places associated with the five cosmic elements
  • 3.2 Benefits of doing ritualistic worship after wearing a dhoti, a silk dhoti or a pitambar
  • 3.3 Subtle effects of wearing a kaushey and an uparana
  • 3.4 Benefits of wearing a silk dress (kaushey)
  • 3.5 Importance of wearing the punyakarma vastra on religious occasions
• 4. Appropriate clothes for wearing at the time of cooking and consuming a meal
• 5. Why is a dress without kachha, that is, a lungi worn in some states?
• 6. Science underlying taking a gamachha, an uparana or a towel on the shoulder along with a dhoti, a kaushey or a lungi

1. Batu and about his clothes

One on whom the Upanayan Sanskar is performed is called a ‘batu’. In earlier times, after the Upanayan a batu went to his Guru’s house or ashram for the purpose of acquiring knowledge. He is a celibate. So there should be a loin cloth, an uncut cloth like gamachha on the waist and a cloth on his shoulder. A batu should not wear a dhoti till a Samavartan Sanskar is performed on him. It is not necessary for a batu to wear a silk dhoti at a Deity-poojan or even at a religious ritual. This silk dhoti is also called Kaushey or Pitambar.

1.1 Clothes of a batu on whom Samavartan Sanskar is performed

For the purpose of getting permission for marriage, the batu is liberated from the Upanayan Sanskar as per religious scriptures; this Karma is called ‘Samavartan’. The batu liberated in this manner does not need to wear a loin cloth. He should wear a shatkachha, that is, a dhoti and an upavastra on the shoulder. The cloth to be worn on a shoulder like uparana, shawl etc. is called ‘upavastra’, that is, a small cloth and the cloth worn on the waist is called the main cloth.

2. Clothes of a householder

After the marriage a person enters the stage of a householder. He is now required to wear a shatkachha, that is, a dhoti and an upavastra. If it is not possible to do so for some reason, he should wear a dhoti-kurta. In the present times the householders wear a pant or a pyjama instead of a dhoti. A pyjama is loose in shape and is normally made of cotton. A hook or a button is stitched on a pant; however a pyjama is tied with a string.

As compared to a pyjama it is more beneficial to wear a dhoti; but if for some reason this is also not possible, instead of a pant, wearing of a kurta-pyjama is more beneficial.

Subtle effects of wearing a kurta and a pyjama

• Chaitanya frequencies and particles of Energy flow in a kurta and pyjama.

• A protective sheath of Chaitanya is created around the kurta.

• Raja frequencies are emitted from the kurta.

• Particles of Chaitanya and Energy are emitted from the pyjama in the atmosphere.

• Chaitanya frequencies and particles of Energy flow in a kurta and pyjama.

• A protective sheath of Chaitanya is created around the kurta.

• Raja frequencies are emitted from the kurta.

• Particles of Chaitanya and Energy are emitted from the pyjama in the atmosphere.

It is clear that a pyjama is less sattvik than a dhoti; but the benefit sof Chaitanya and Energy are available from it in some proportion. This is not possible with a pant and jeans. As a pyjama is more sattvik as compared to a pant and jeans, it is appropriate to wear it as an alternative.

3. Appropriate clothes for wearing during a religious ritual

As per the religious scriptures, it is appropriate for men to wear a silk dhoti and an uparana at the time of a religious ritual or festivals.

The silk dhoti used at the time of a ritual of worship is called ‘kaushey’. The yellow-coloured silk dhoti is called ‘pitambar’. The kausheys are also available in blue, pink, red etc. colours. Of them, it is more appropriate to wear a dark red coloured kaushey. Some people also wear a washed cotton dhoti of white colour during ritualistic worship. This is a cloth to be worn daily; but they wear this dhoti only at the time of worship karmas or religious rituals etc. It is not used regularly.

3.1 Silk dhoti tucked at five places associated with the five cosmic elements

In some regions, a silk dhoti is tucked at five places on the waist. These five places are the symbols of the five cosmic elements, the Absolute Earth, the Absolute Water, the Absolute Fire, the Absolute Air and the Absolute Ether. The folds of a silk dhoti are tucked at the place of the navel. With tucking of the folds of a dhoti, the five vital energies solidified at the centre of navel region are activated. They are related to the five cosmic elements. The folds tucked at the place of a navel emit the frequencies associated with the Universe and the five cosmic elements in the environment as per the need.

3.2 Benefits of doing ritualistic worship after wearing a dhoti, a silk dhoti or a pitambar

• As the mind experiences the sanctity and sattvikta of the ritualistic worship through these clothes, seriousness is created in mind for the ritualistic worship.

• It helps awaken the spiritual emotion faster.

• As these clothes are made of cotton or silk yarn, the Jiva gets more benefit of the Divine Chaitanya.

• Sanskar of customs and traditions of Hindu Dharma are imbibed in the person doing the worship.

• As the sattvik frequencies are absorbed, a protective sheath of sattva particles is created around the Jiva’s body.

• With this, the mind of the worshipper remains joyful, he gets the satisfaction of doing worship and the Jiva becomes sattvik.

• The possibility of distress of negative energies is reduced.

3.3 Subtle effects of wearing a kaushey and an uparana

• Because of the folds of the kaushey, spirals of Anand are created near the navel and they are emitted in the environment.

• Because of the folds, Chaitanya frequencies near the navel are emitted in the upward direction.

• Chaitanya frequencies generated in the kaushey are emitted from its shape at the lower end.

• The spirals of Shakti are activated in the kaushey. Through these spirals, the frequencies of Shakti are emitted in the environment.

• Chaitanya frequencies are emitted from the upavastra or uparana worn on the shoulder.

• Similarly the frequencies of Shakti are also emitted.

In order to provide necessary strength to the karma-predominance in the region whose culture is karma-predominant, the support of dresses like the silk dress kaushey, which enhances the sattva guna, was sought. On this support the sattvik karma-predominant culture of Vedic mantras was sustained. The environment of such regions is warm which is conducive for the task of the Sushumna nadi. When the Sushumna nadi is activated, it provides strength for doing the karma of Vedic mantra.

3.4 Benefits of wearing a silk dress (kaushey)

• Mind becomes steady.

• Through the learning of Vedas consisting of mantras, it becomes possible to do sattva-predominant karmas.

• It becomes easily possible to abide by the difficult achars of Dharma.

When a dhoti is used only at the time of ritualistic worship, religious rituals etc., it is called a ‘punyakarma vastra’, that is, a dress for holy karmas. By wearing such a dress, a subtle circular protective sheath is created around the body of the Jiva and it becomes easy for him to absorb both the saviour-destroyer and Sagun-Nirgun principles of Deities.

3.5 Importance of wearing the punyakarma vastra on religious occasions

• Protection from raja-tama-predominant vibrations: In everyday life we come in contact with many persons with different temperament and different schools of thought. This also affects the clothes worn by them. Such clothes are charged with the raja-tama vibrations. By wearing a punyakarma vastra, the person is not affected by the raja-tama vibrations emitted by other persons and he is protected. He gets the benefit of sattvikta.

• Getting the benefit of Divine Chaitanya emanating from mantras: The recitation of mantras on religious occasions affects a person’s pysical body and his mind and intellect too. He gets the benefit of Divine Chaitanya. If a person wears clothes charged with raja-tama vibrations on such occasions, he is deprived of this benefit. If it is not possible to wear such clothes on religious occasions, the punyakrma vastra should be worn daily at the time of ritualistic worship at home. By wearing clothes with a kachha like a dhoti, the religious sanskars are very well imprinted on a person’s mind.

4. Appropriate clothes for wearing at the time of cooking and consuming a meal

Similar to mantras, the food also influences our body, mind and intellect. In earlier times, while cooking food a punyakarma vastra of white colour was worn. This dress was not used at other times. At the time of cooking, wearing of an uncut cloth like a gamachha, a dhoti or a kaushey and an uparana is beneficial. The clothes to be worn at the times other than cooking should be kept separately.

5. Why is a dress without kachha, that is, a lungi worn in some states?

In order to activate the action-predominance in the region whose culture is action-predominant, the support of a dress which enhances raja component was sought. The environment in such regions supplements the action-predominant activities. A lungi has the ability to attract and emit raja frequencies. By wearing a lungi, the right Kundalini nadi which is favourable for doing a destroyer task is activated. Mind remains enthusiastic. The Divine frequencies necessary for taking actions are obtained.

6. Science underlying taking a gamachha, an uparana or a towel on the shoulder along with a dhoti, a kaushey or a lungi

There are three reasons for wearing of a gamachha, an uparana or a towel on the shoulder

• The first is that through them the Shakti frequencies of the Deity principles are available to the person who wears it in a required proportion and he is also not distressed by the Shakti source.

• The second reason is that the Shakti frequencies of the Deity principles are tied to the upavastra. Because of these Shakti frequencies, a protective sheath is created around the person and he is protected from the negative energies.

• And the third reason is that by keeping the uttariya or the upavastra on the left shoulder, the Chandra-nadi of the person is activated. The destroyer Chaitanya is activated through the upavastra. With this, if there are attacks of distressing energies from the left side, these attacks are prevented.

By wearing a dhoti, a kaushey, that is, a silk cloth or a lungi and an uparana as per the science mentioned in the Sanatan Hindu Dharma, benefits on spiritual level are available to a person.