Janeu (sacred thread)
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- Brahmopanishad
- Padma Purana
| Janeu | |
|---|---|
| जनेऊ | |
 Sacred thread Janeu worn by Brahmins | |
| Type | Sacred thread in Hinduism |
| Classification | Hinduism |
| Scripture |
|
| Structure | Cotton thread |
| Region | Indian subcontinent |
| Founder | Lord Brahma |
| Other names |
|
Janeu (Devanagari: जनेऊ) refers to the sacred thread worn by a Hindu on the occasion of the upanayana sanskar in Hinduism. It is made from cotton fabrics. It has a great respect among Hindu adherents.[1][2][3][4] In the tradition of Hinduism, it symbolises power, knowledge and activism.[5] It is worn by several communities in the Indian subcontinent. The Brahmins, Bhumihars, Kshetriyas, Kayastha, Vaishya and Sonar communities, etc are the major communities in the subcontinent who wear the sacred thread of Janeu.[2][6][7] A person who wears the sacred thread Janeu is also called as Janeudhari.[8]
The structure of the sacred thread Janeu varies from region to region. It is prepared from cotton fibres. First of all a thin thread is made by the cotton fabrics. Using three threads, a trisuta is made. A pair of tirsuta is known as jori.[5]
Description
The sacred thread of Janeu is also known as Yagyopavit. The importance of the sacred thread Janeu is discussed in the Indian philosophical text Brahmo Upanishad. According to the text, the sacred thread Janeu represents that the heart is the abode of the Supreme Brahman in three forms.[9]
"हृदिस्था देवताः सर्वा हृदि प्राणाः प्रतिष्ठिताः।
हृदि प्राणश्च ज्योतिश्च त्रिवृत्सूत्रं च तद्विदुः ।
हृदि चैतन्ये तिष्ठति ॥"
— Verse 4, Brahmopanishad
In the fourth verse of the Brahmopanishad, it is mentioned as Trivrutsutram.
Similary, in the text Padma Purana, there is mention of the importance of the sacred thread Trivrutsutram (Janeu) in the chapter 51 of the 3rd section known as Swarga Khanda, for the Yagyopavit of Brahmins. It also describes its construction materials cotton or silk thread provided by Lord Brahma to the Brahmins.
कार्पासमुपवीतार्थं निर्मितं ब्रह्मणा पुरा । ब्राह्मणानां त्रिवृत्सूत्रं कौशं वा वस्त्रमेव वा ॥
— Shloka 10, Chapter 51, Section 3, Swarga Khanda, Padma Purana
The devotional hymns of the Hanuman Chalisa composed by the Avadhi poet Tulsi Das, mentions that Lord Hanuman adorns the sacred Janeu of Munj on his shoulder. It is mentioned in fifth chaupai as
हाथ बज्र औ ध्वजा बिराजै। काँधे मूँज जनेऊ साजै॥
— Tulsi Das, Fifth Chaupai, Hanuman Chalisa
The sacred thread Janeu is given to a male child to wear for the first time during his upanayana sanskar. The male child receives the sacred thread Janeu by reciting Gayatri Mantra, which is taught by his father and a priest or his designated acharya for the sanskar rituals. After the upanayana sanskar, the child wears janeu for the entire rest of his life.[12] The Gayatri Mantra to be recited during the receiving of the sacred thread Janeu is
ॐ भूर्भुवः स्वः ।
तत्सवितुर्वरेण्यं । भर्गो देवस्य धीमहि ।
धियो यो नः प्रचोदयात् ॥
— Vishwamitra, Gayatri Mantra, Mandala 3, Rigaveda
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