Minimal Kṛṣṇa Yajur Veda Upakarma

After morning bath and prātas sandhyā vandanam perform two ācamanas and sit down on an
āsana facing east (or the deities if in a temple). Place two kuśa blades under the middle of
ones crossed legs. Wear a pavitra made of two kuśas on the right ring finger, then fold two
extra kuśas around the right ring finger with the ends facing outward. Perform three
prāṇāyāmas. Discard the two extra kuśas around the right ring finger after the last
prāṇāyāma into the visarjana. Recite with praṇam mudrā:

śuklāmbara dharaṁ viṣṇuṁ śaśi varṇaṁ catur bhujam |

prasanna vadanaṁ dhyāyet sarva vighnopaśāntaye ||

yasya dvirada vaktrādhāḥ pāriṣadyāḥ paraś śatam |

vighnaṁ nighnanti satataṁ viṣvaksenaṁ tamāśraye ||

Saṅkalpa

Make saṅkalpa mudrā then recite:

kāmokārṣīt manyur akārṣīt iti mantra japaṁ kariṣye |

Pour a spoon full of water into the palm of the right hand and pour it through the deva tīrtha
into the visarjana. (Do this after every saṅkalpa.)

Recite kāmo'kārṣīt manyur akārṣīt either 108 0r 1008 times.

Perform mādhyāhnika sandhyā vandanam then perform two ācamanas and sit down on an
āsana facing east (or the deities if in a temple). Place two kuśa blades under the middle of
ones crossed legs. Wear a pavitra made of two kuśas on the right ring finger, then fold two
extra kuśas around the right ring finger with the ends facing outward. Perform three
prāṇāyāmas. Discard the two extra kuśas around the right ring finger after the last
prāṇāyāma into the visarjana. Recite with folded palms:

śuklāmbara dharaṁ viṣṇuṁ śaśi varṇaṁ catur bhujam |

prasanna vadanaṁ dhyāyet sarva vighnopaśāntaye ||

yasya dvirada vaktrādhāḥ pāriṣadyāḥ paraś śatam |

vighnaṁ nighnanti satataṁ viṣvaksenaṁ tamāśraye ||

Saṅkalpa

Make saṅkalpa mudrā then recite:

adhāyopākarma kariṣye | tad aṅgaṁ nava kāṇḍa ṛṣi tarpaṇaṁ kariṣye | tad aṅgaṁ yajñopavīta
dhāraṇaṁ kariṣye | tad aṅgaṁ puṇya tīrtha snānam ahaṁ kariṣye |
Recite with praṇam mudrā:

apavitraḥ pavitro vā sarvāvasthāṁ gato'pi vā |

yaḥ smaret puṇḍarīkākṣaṁ sa bāhyābhyantaraḥ śuciḥ ||

Sprinkle some water on oneself (as in sandyā vandana prokṣaṇa), indicating puṇya tīrtha
snānam.

Perform ācamana and prāṇāyāma.

Soak a new yajñopavīta in water and undo it. Wrap it around the knees. (If you are a
gṛhastha do this with two yajñopavītas.)

Removing one yajñopavīta from your knees hold the its knot the center of the right palm
(palm upwards) with the end of the knot facing right. Raising the right hand hold the bottom
of the yajñopavīta with the left hand palm down.

Recite:

ya̱jño̱pa̱vītaṁ̱ param̍ aṁ pavitraṁ̎

pra̱jāpat̍ eḥ yat sah̍ a̱jaṁ pu̱rastāt̎ |
ā̱yu̱ṣyam ag̍ riyaṁ
̱ prati ̍ muñca śu̱bhraṁ
̍
yajñopavītaṁ ̱ ̍ astu̱ tejaḥ̍ ||
balam

Wear the yajñopavīta.

(Optional: If you are a gṛhastha then repeat the procedure with the second yajñopavīta as
follows:

Do ācamana and prāṇāyāma.

Removing the second yajñopavīta from your knees hold the its knot the center of the right
palm (palm upwards) with the end of the knot facing right. Raising the right hand hold the
bottom of the yajñopavīta with the left hand palm down.

Recite:

̱
ya̱jño̱pa̱vītaṁ param̍ aṁ pavitraṁ̎
pra̱jāpateḥ yat saha̱jaṁ pu̱rastāt̎ |
̍ ̍
ā̱yu̱ṣyam ag̍ riyaṁ
̱ prati ̍ muñca śu̱bhraṁ
yaj̍ ñopavītaṁ
̱ ̍ astu̱ tejaḥ̍ ||
balam

Wear the second yajñopavīta.)

Recite:

upavītaṁ bhinna tantuṁ jīrṇaṁ kaśmala dūṣitam |

visṛjāmi jale brahma varco dīrghāyur astu me ||
Remove the old yajñopavita(s).

Perform ācamana twice.

Perform prāṇāyāma thrice.

Stand facing north wear the yajṇopavīta(s) in the nivīti pose (like a garland). Holding the
pañcapātra in between the right thumb and forefinger, hold the yajñopavīta(s) between the
thumbs and forefingers of the hand palms together (palm up). Taking a small amount of raw
rice and black sesame with the left hand place it in the cupped palms.

Recite:

prajāpatiṁ kāṇḍa ṛṣiṁ tarpayāmi | x 3 |

Tip the pañcapātra in the right hand so that a little water washes onto the rice and sesame
and then open a hole between the two cupped palms and let the water, rice and sesame fall
through into the visarjana.

Repeat this mantra and actions twice more.

Do the same thing with the following mantras, also to be chanted with actions three times:

somaṁ kāṇḍa ṛṣiṁ tarpayāmi | x 3 |

agniṁ kāṇḍa ṛṣiṁ tarpayāmi | x 3 |

viśvān devān ṛṣiṁ tarpayāmi | x 3 |

sāṁhitīr devatā upaniṣadas tarpayāmi | x 3 |

yājñikīr devatā upaniṣadas tarpayāmi | x 3 |

vāruṇīr devatā upaniṣadas tarpayāmi | x 3 |

brahmāṇaṁ svayambhuvaṁ tarpayāmi | x 3 |

(These last three tarpaṇas, for Brahmā, must be expelled by tipping the two cupped palms
backwards so that the water, rice and sesame flows out between the base of the two palms
into the visarjana.)

sadas patiṁ tarpayāmi | x 3 | (Again these three tarpaṇas are released by opening a hole
between the two cupped palms and let the water, rice and sesame fall through into the
visarjana.)

If not performed standing then offer the tarpaṇas using a spoon to offer the water onto the
palm of the right hand only.

Wear the yajñopavīta(s) in the normal upavīti way.

Perform ācamana twice.

Recite whatever Vedic mantras that one knows, starting with the Vedārambha mantras (i.e.
brahma yajña or if you don't know it fully just gayatrī and the first four mantras, one from
each Veda Saṁhita)

Gāyatrī Japam

The next day

After morning bath and prātas sandhyā vandanam perform two ācamanas and sit down on an
āsana facing east (or the deities if in a temple). Place two kuśa blades under the middle of
ones crossed legs. Wear a pavitra made of two kuśas on the right ring fingerinto, then fold
two extra kuśas around the right ring finger with the ends facing outward. Perform three
prāṇāyāmas. Discard the two extra kuśas around the right ring finger after the last
prāṇāyāma into the visarjana. Recite with praṇam mudrā:

śuklāmbaradharaṁ viṣṇuṁ śaśi varṇaṁ catur bhujam |

prasanna vadanaṁ dhyāyet sarva vighnopaśāntaye ||

yasya dvirada vaktrādhāḥ pāriṣadyāḥ paraś śatam |

vighnaṁ nighnanti satataṁ viṣvaksenaṁ tamāśraye ||

Saṅkalpa

Make saṅkalpa mudrā then recite:

gāyatrī mantra japaṁ kariṣye |

Chant gāyatrī 108 or 1008 times.

Perform ācamana twice.