<p>pranav's upanayam [thread ceremony]..an inititation into boyhood [the brahmacharya stage of brahmin life]
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The youngster is taught during the ceremony the secret of life through Brahmopadesam (revealing the nature of Brahman, the Ultimate Reality) or the Gayatri mantra. He then becomes qualified for life as a student or Brahmacharya, as prescribed in the Manusmriti.
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