Holy cord

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A young man receives the sacred cord on his initiation

The sacred cord or sacred sacrificial cord ( Sanskrit : यञ्जोपवीत yajñopavīta, Hindi : जनेऊ janeū ) is the mark of initiation in Hinduism that male members of the upper castes ( brahmins , kshatriyas and vaishyas ) go through. It is awarded during the initiation ceremony ( upanayana ) and entitles its wearer to participate in the sacrificial ritual . The sacred cord is made of cotton and consists of three intertwined strands. It is usually worn over the left shoulder and under the right arm. The symbolic meaning of the yajnopavita is diverse.

literature

  • Axel Michaels : Hinduism. History and present. Munich: CH Beck, 1998. pp. 105-107.
  • Axel Michaels: The Holy Cord and "Hindu" asceticism. In: Journal of the German Oriental Society, Volume 144, No. 2, 1994, pp. 330-344