Question: I am born in a brāhmaṇa family and has undergone the thread ceremony in the presence of Lord Bālājī and the brāhmaṇa thread was offered to me by our family priest in our native place. Guru Mahārāja, my question is that whether I am qualified to chant Gāyatrī mantra on the basis of the thread ceremony or wait until I get my second initiation in ISKCON? Please guide me in this matter.

Author: Anonymous
Date: 2022-01-05
Jayapatākā Swami: The sacred thread ceremony is called upanayanam.
Those who are not born in dvija family,
we give them upanayanam,
plus the Pāñcarātrika mantras.
So you can chant your smṛti Gāyatrī
which is you received with your upanayanam
and at the time of second initiation,
you will receive your Pāñcarātrika mantras.
You will get seven mantras.
One is the Vedic, which is the upanayanam
and six Pāñcarātrikas.
So many of my disciples those who are from India, they already had their upanayanam.
So they can continue to chant the smṛti Gāyatrī.
And when they receive the second initiation,
that is when they receive the Pāñcarātrika mantras.
Since in Western countries, or the non-dvijas, they call it brahmanical initiation.
Actually, it is brahmanical plus Pāñcarātrika.
You already have the brāhmaṇa thread,
when you take second initiation, you will receive the Pāñcarātrika mantras.
Hare Kṛṣṇa!
Category: [Saṁskāras / Upanayanam]

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