Some people think that they
should not put on Yagyopaveet as they will not be able to observe its rules.
This amount to saying one should not worship unless he has devotion to God. God
is worshipped so that we may be able to develop devotion. Similarly,
Yagyopaveet should be put on so that conscious attempt could be made to observe
its rules. Only a sick person needs medicine.
People have strange misgivings
about observance of rules. Some think that Yagyopaveet relates only to
fulfillment of certain rules, just as not taking food without taking bath or
not taking food which is not fresh or which is cooked by a person belonging to
a different caste. These are all false beliefs. The object of Yagyopaveet is to
promote all-round human development which includes development of health and to
do so, it is necessary to follow carefully all rules relating to food also. But
if there remains any flaw in observing certain rules regarding food, it should
not be considered that the right to put on Yagyopaveet has been forfeited on
that account.
Some people do not put on
Yagyopaveet or abandon it on account of fear that they are likely to forget
putting Yagyopaveet around their right ear while going to urinal or latrine. Is
is true that this rule should be strictly observed but the beginners deserve
some leniency till the routine becomes a habit. In the beginning, Yagyopaveet
may be wrapped round the neck so that it may climb up above the waist. The main
purpose in putting Yagyopaveet round the ear is that it may go up above the
waist so that there may not be any possibility of its being touched by any sort
of impurity. If perchance one fails to wind it up around the ear it is not
necessary to change the Yagyopaveet. Putting on Yagyopaveet around the neck can
be dispensed with as soon as habit is formed to wind it around the right ear.
For children of tender age and
other forgetful persons, Yagyopaveet of one-third size, known as kanthi, can be
used by putting it around the neck. Small children and insufficiently
refined/uncouth people often neglect to clean Yagyopaveet daily which gives badly
smell on account of perspiration, dirt etc. It was to take case of such cases
that wearing of kanthi consisting of a string of small beads of tulsi,
rudrakhaa or some other sacred material around the neck came in vogue.
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