Baṭu
Baṭu, “a young brahmacārī”
Grammar: masculine noun.
Meaning: the boy under the vrata of upanayana.
In the scriptures: the Brahma Parva of the Bhavishya Purāṇa gives his rules. The brāhmaṇa baṭu wears the skin of the black antelope, the kshatriya the skin of the Ruru deer, the vaiśya a goat skin. The brāhmaṇa baṭu holds a daṇḍa of nereḍu, moduga or juvvi; the kshatriya of majji, caṇḍra or what grows from vetasa; the vaiśya of meḍi, rāvi or pailava. He goes to a guru full of tejas and begs by rule. Bhavat comes at the beginning of the request for a brāhmaṇa (bhavati bhikshāṃ dehi), in the middle for a kshatriya, at the end for a vaiśya. He first begs from his mother, sister or mother’s sister, one who will not slight him, and she gives gold, silver and food. He offers all the bhikshā to the guru without hiding anything, then, pure, sits facing east, does ācamana and eats (Bhavishya Purāṇa, Brahma Parva, Chapter 3).
Related terms: Upanayana · Daṇḍa · Bhikshā · Brahmacārī
Sources
- Bhavishya Purāṇa, Brahma Parva, Chapter 3