When to Change Your Yajnopavita

उपाकर्मणि चोत्सर्गे सूतकद्वितये तथा । 

श्राद्धकर्मणि यज्ञादौ शशिसूर्यग्रहेऽपि च । 

नवयज्ञोपवीतानि धृत्वा जीर्णानि च त्यजेत्॥

• During Upakarma

• During the ritual of Utsarga  (done on Pausha Purnima)

• After impurity due to birth or death in the family

• Before performing Shraddha

• At the beginning of Yajna

• After solar or lunar eclipse

In all these cases, one should wear a new Yajnopavita and discard the old one.

वामहस्ते व्यतीते तु तत् त्यक्त्वा धारयेत् नवम्।  

If the Yajnopavita slips from the left shoulder and falls below the left hand, then it should be changed.

पतितं त्रुटितं वापि ब्रह्मसूत्रं यदा भवेत् ।

नूतनं धारयेद्विप्रः स्नात्वा संकल्पपूर्वकम् ॥   

If yajnopavita falls down or its threads get broken, it should be discarded and a new one worn.

मलमूत्रे त्यजेद् विप्रो विस्मृत्यैवोपवीतधृक्। 

उपवीतं तदुत्सृज्य दध्यादन्यनवं तदा ॥ 

If you forget to wear the yajnopavita like a garland and around the ear at the time of attending to nature’s call, it should be changed.

चितिकाष्ठं चितेर्धूमं चण्डालं च रजस्वलाम्। 

शवं च सूतिकां स्पृष्ट्वा सचैलो जलमाविशेत् ॥ 

त्यजेत् वस्त्रं च सूत्रं च ......

If a person comes into contact with any of the following:

• Wood meant for a cremation pyre

• Smoke rising from a cremation pyre

• An impure person

• A menstruating woman

• A dead body

• A woman who has just given birth

..then he should take bath with clothes on and change the yajnopavita.

धारणाद् ब्रह्मसूत्रस्य गते मासचतुष्टये ।

त्यक्त्वा तान्यपि जीर्णानि नवान्यन्यानि धारयेत् ॥

Yajnopavita should be changed every four months even if it is in good condition.

Before changing yajnopavita, you should take bath and do sankalpa.

Ramaswamy Sastry and Vighnesh Ghanapaathi