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340
TILAKAMANJARĪ OF DHANAPĀLA
teachers.”' This easily conforms to the dicta enunciated by the ancient lores that when the child became competent to understand the preliminary exercises in alphabet, he was put in charge of the learned teachers in order to bring him trained in the world of wisdom. This Saṁskāra was actually merged with the Upanayana which trained the child in all the proceedings connected with the study of Sanskrit scriptures, which hardly needed a preliminary training in the alphabet because Sanskrit was the lingua franca of the time. But as this language became a monopoly of the learned and subsidiary dialects came into being the necessity for the special Samskāra of vidyārambha arose. This Samskāra is conspicuous by its absence in the Grhyasūtras and Dharmaśāstras whereas modern paddhatis, vīramitrodaya (Saṁskāra prakāśa Vol. I, p. 321 ff), the Smrti-candrikā (Saṁskārakāņda) (p. 67 ff), the Saṁskāraratnamālā of Gopinātha Bhatta and the commentary of Aparārka on the Yājñavalkya Smrti mention it accordingly. According to Vīramitra the age for the performance of this Samskāra was five while an anonymous Smộti quoted in the Sodaśa, Saṁskāravidhi, has extended it up to the seventh year. Dhanapala has conformed to the dictum of Viramitra and illustrated the point of Vidyārambha in case of Harivāhana at the age completing its fifth year and commencing the sixth.
The Upanayana
"34fe From '34 + + faz is a technical form referring to the terminology proper 'The Upanayana has been mentioned by Dhanapāla who describes this Samskāra pertaining to Harivāhana.
The version refers to the king (349f74fa) (Meghavāhana) who performed the 'Upanayana' of his son through them (i.e. the Vidyāgurus) on an auspicious day and in an auspicious Muhūtta (moment) having accomplished all that deserved to be undertaken-the son, who had taken his bath and had donned an upper-scarf formed out of pure silk-yarn; who had his frame anointed with fragrant sandal paste; who had a cluster of pearls (i.c. a necklace) worn over his chest; who had a forehead mark applied out of rocanădye on his forehead; who had borne a crest chaplet made out of the sprouts of mälatī; who had shown special reverence on account of his spruce attire; who was glamorous with the lustre of his frame white like the bright
1. अवतीर्णे च षष्ठे किच्चिदुपजातदेहसौष्ठवस्य व्यक्तवर्णवचनप्रवृत्तेर्विनयारोपणाय राजा राजकुलाभ्यन्तर एव
afahaufare: Rihan.............. FETIL UTEZE: TEC TM Vol. II pp. 187-188. 2. Hindu Saṁskāras pp. 106-110.
