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Hindu SamskAras
Hindu SamskAras are like other
daily practices
of the Hindus , of great antiquity. An excellent discussion of the origin,
meaning and significance of the SamskAras is given by Rajbali Pandey in a
monograph titled' Hindu SamskAras", published by Motilal Banarsidass
Publishers, Delhi. What follows is a synopsis of some of the essential ideas
which are treated in much greater detail in the book.
The word SamskAra has uncertain etymology,
as far as we are aware, and there does not exist an exact English equivalent.
The word ceremony or Latin caeremonia does not convey an exact sense of
the word. It s in fact related to the word Karma in Sanskrit. SamskAra
does not mean "mere outward religious rite ,polite observances, empty
form, stately usage, formal qualities and punctilious behavior" which is the
meaning of the word ceremony in the oxford dictionary, and as it is
falsely understood in many circles. A more closer rendering of the word
SamskAram is contained in the word sacrament "religious ceremony or act regarded
as outward and visible sign of inward and spiritual grace" applied by the
Eastern, pre-reformation Western and Roman Catholic church to the seven rites of
baptism, confirmation, the Eucharist , penance, extreme unction , orders
and matrimony.
A SamskAra is that which refines and purifies the
performer. There are 52 SamskAras meant to uplift the JivAtma to the
ParamAtma, out of which some rishis have recommended 10. These are
prescribed by the Smritis, based on Vedas. For the purification of
mind, these karmas have to be performed sincerely. The purified mind
can then undertake Atma Vichaaram to attain Moksha. In the sense of the
above these are not obligatory but contribute to the conduct of a
disciplined life leading to contentment, happiness, and
self-realization.
Sl. No
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Name
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Details
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01
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Vivaaha (Marriage)
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Entry into the
Grihastha the second of the asramas of life (Brahmachari,
Grihastha, Vaanavasi and Sannyasa)
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02
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Garbhaa Dhaanam
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Physical union is
consecrated through prayer.
This is done prior to the 'Shaanti Muhurtam'.
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03
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Pumsavanam
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Done during the 3rd
month of pregnancy.
This is also called "Garbharakshan".
Garbharakshana is performed to assure that the infant is not
miscarried.
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04
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Seemantham
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Done during the 6th or
8th month.
This rite is primarily social and festival in
nature, intended to keep the pregnant woman in good spirits.
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05
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Jaata Karmam
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Done just after birth..
Gifts are offered to people.
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06
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Naama Karanam
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Naming ceremony on the
11th day
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07
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Anna Praasanam
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First feeding of solid
food during 6th month
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08
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Chaulam (Kudumi)
Chudakarma |
Special hair-dressing
done along with Mantras
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09
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Upanayanam (Poonal)
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Starting of
Brahmacharya.
This ceremony initiates the child into an
intellectual and spiritual journey.
'Yagyopaveet' (sacred thread) indicates that the child is qualified
to perform all the traditional Vedic rites including Pitra Kriya and
Tarpan for his forefathers.
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| 10 |
Samavartam |
conclusion of
Brahmachari period |
11
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Antyesti,shraddha |
funeral rites to be
performed by the son
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Sl. Nos. 01 to 09 are to be done by the parents. The
parents should see that their children do not blame them later for not
doing these SamskAras.
Sl. Nos. 10 is to be done by the Brahmacharies during Gurukulavaasam.
This duration is about 12 years.
Hindu Rituals: The Ten Scriptural SamskAras
By Sri Swami Sivananda
The Ten Scriptural
SamskAras
The
rites that pertain to the
stages of life of man are called
SamskAras. The
SamskAras are purificatory
rites
which
sanctify the life of the
Hindu.
They give a
spiritual touch to the
important events in the life of the individual from
conception to
cremation. They mark the important stages of a
mans
life. Just as the outline of a picture is
lighted
up slowly with the
filling
in of many colours, so also is Brahmanya with scriptural
SamskAras. There are the
SamskAras of childhood, of
boyhood,
of
manhood
and of old age and death.
There are fifty two
SamskAras. Among these, ten are important. The ten principal and generally
recognized
SamskAras are:
Garbhadana,
Pumsavana,
Simantonnayana,
Jatakarma,
Namakarana,
Annaprasana,
Chudakarma,
Upanayana,
Samavartana
and
Vivaha.
Of these ten, only some are now performed. Some of the
SamskAras pertain to
infantile life and
early childhood. Some are
ceremonies which may be performed daily or on
special occasions. The whole life of the
Hindu is
thus consecrated and protected
from the cradle to the
grave.
Garbhadana
The
Garbhadana sanctifies the
creative act. The husband
prays
fervently from the core of his
heart
that a
child
may be conceived. He
repeats
sacred
Mantras during
Ritu-Santi ceremony or
nuptials.
The new
child is conceived amidst the
vibration of
Mantras.
Good impressions are
impressed in the
brain-cells
of the
embryo. For a real
Hindu
who is
endowed with pure
intellect and right understanding, the
sexual
union is not for the sake of mere
enjoyment. He utilises the
divine,
creative,
vital
energy for the formation of a
human
body.
Husband and wife should be cheerful and
pious
when they have
intercourse. When their minds are
perturbed or agitated, or when there is
anger or
hatred,
they should avoid
copulation. They should study
holy scriptures. If they have the image of
Arjuna,
they will have a
chivalrous and wise son. If they have the image of
Lord
Buddha, they will bring forth a son with
mercy
and other good
virtues.
If they have the image Of
Dhanvantari, they will get a son who will turn out to be a reputed
Ayurvedic doctor. If they think of
Surya or
Sun-God,
they will bring forth a
lustrous
son with
splendour and effulgence.
Pumsavana
In the third month, the
Pumsavana is performed with
Mantras.
The
food-sheath and the vital-sheath
of the
child
are formed.
Simantonnayana
The
Simantonnayana is performed at the seventh month with
recitation of
Veda
Mantras.
This protects the mother from
evil
influences and bestows
health
on the
child.
The above three
SamskAras protect the mother and the
child.
The body of the
child
develops
nicely. The harmonious
vibrations set up by the
recitation of Mantras and the performance of the
ceremonies help in shaping the body of the
child
beautifully.
Jatakarma
The next
SamskAra, the
ceremony performed immediately after the birth of the
child,
is the
Jatakarma. The father welcomes his new-born
child.
He
prays
for its
long life, intelligence and well-being, and feeds it with
honey
and
butter.
Namakarana
Then comes
Namakarana or the
naming
ceremony. The new-born
child is
given a name on the tenth,
eleventh
or
twelfth day with
recitation of Mantras.
Annaprasana
The
Annaprasana comes in the sixth month when the
child is
given solid
food for the first time.
Mantras
are recited and
oblations are offered to the various
deities.
Chudakarma
The
Chudakarma, the
tonsure
or
shaving
of the head, is performed in the first or
third
year. The
Karnavedha or
ear-boring
ceremony is performed in the fifth or the
seventh year or at the end of the first year with the
Chudakarma. The body of the
child is
protected and
harmonized by these
ceremonies. Any
hereditary defect that arises from defect of
semen
and
embryo
is removed.
Vidyarambha also is another
SamskAra.
Alphabet
is taught to the
child.
This is also known by the name Aksharabhyasa. These
SamskAras pertain to the
child
stage of life.
Upanayana
The most important
ceremony which marks the beginning of the next stage of life - the stage of
youth - is
Upanayana.
Upanayana is a very important
SamskAra. It is a
landmark
in the life of the
child.
It is his second or
spiritual birth. The word
Upanayana
means bringing near.
The boy is brought near his
Guru,
spiritual teacher. The
preceptor invests him with the
sacred thread,
Yajnopavita, and initiates him by giving him the
Gayatri Mantra, and gives him a staff. This is the beginning of
Brahmacharya
Asrama,
during which
Brahmacharya - perfect or entire
celibacy
- is
enjoined. He is to begin the life of study. The
initiation makes him a
Dvija,
twice-born. The father and the mother gave birth to him from mutual
desire.
This is his physical birth.
Initiation into
Gayatri Mantra is his another, true birth. According to
Yajnavalkya, the
Upanayana
ceremony is performed at the eighth year for a
Brahmana,
eleventh
for a
Kshatriya and twelfth for a
Vaisya.
Manu
gives the age at the
fifth
year for a
Brahmana,
the sixth for a
Kshatriya and the eighth for a
Vaisya.
Significance of the
Sacred Thread and Other
Symbols
The
sacred thread or
Yajnopavita consists of three threads
knotted
together. He who wears the thread should have a triple control, over his mind,
speech
and body - thought, word and
deed. The
holy thread signifies the various
triads
which exist in the world, viz., Sat,
Chit and
Ananda;
creation, preservation and destruction; the three states of
waking,
dreaming
and
deep sleep; the three qualities of
Sattva,
Rajas and Tamas; the Trimurtis
Brahma,
Vishnu
and
Siva;
etc.
The staff signifies that the student should have control over his
thoughts, words and actions. He who practises control over his thoughts, words
and actions, and he who practises
Brahmacharya in thought, word and
deed,
attains
perfection.
The boy wears a Kaupina, a small
yellow
cloth and a
girdle of Munja
grass.
The
Acharya puts on him a deerskin. The new
yellow
cloth represents the new body.
Yellow
colour
is a symbol of
spirituality. Wearing of Kaupina indicates that the boy should lead a pure
life of perfect
celibacy.
The
girdle
is
wound
round
thrice. This indicates that the boy has to study the
Samhitas,
the
Brahmanas and the
Upanishads. The
deer-skin
represents the
ascetic
life he should lead.
Samavartana
Then comes the end of the student stage, the
Samavartana. The student, having completed the
Vedic
studies and the Vratas, presents his
preceptor with a gift and obtains permission to take the formal
bath
which marks the close of his student-career. He returns home and performs the
Samavartana, the returning
ceremony. He is now
ready to
marry
and enter the second stage or
Grihastha
Asrama,
the life of a householder.
Vivaaha
Vivaaha is
marriage
or entry into the second
Asrama.
The life of the householder begins. Now he takes up his
duties
as man and
pays his
spiritual
debts by
sacrifice, by study and by procreating children. The
bridegroom tells the
bride: -
I take your hand for good
fortune.
- They walk round the
sacred
fire hand-in-hand. The
bride
sacrifices grains in the fire and
prays: -
May my husband live long. May my
relations increase. -
The Last Two
Stages Of Life
There are two more stages, viz.,
Vanaprastha
and
Sannyasa,
with their
rites.
Man withdraws himself from all worldly activities, retires into the
forest
and prepares himself for taking
Sannyasa.
This is the life of a
Vanaprastha.
A
Sannyasin renounces the world and leads a life of study and
meditation by living on
alms.
Antyesti are
funeral
rites.
When a man dies, the
funeral ceremonies are performed by his son and
heir.
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