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There are forty samskaras prescribed in the Vedas of which sixteen, called the Shodasha samskaras, are in practice today. These samskaras to be performed by or for an individual beginning with conception and continuing up to the last rites performed after death. They are done in the five different stages of a human life i.e. –
- The prenatal years,
- The childhood years,
- The student years,
- The adulthood years and
- The old age or wisdom years.
These samskaras are meant to cultivate positive qualities which help purify the soul and ultimately lead it to Realization, or union with God.
Man- making is a science. Upbringing of man,is also a science.
Almost like a gardener, parents and teachers work on a person so that the best can flower out from him or her.
The whole and entire thrust is to help bring about greater awareness and love in the mind, and channelize the interest & energies into positive fields. The whole concept of ‘work’ is on the mind alone, and is comparable to the work of a genetic engineer.
The only difference is that while a genetic engineer plays and transforms with the basic structure, a teacher works to manifest the basic inherent beauty, freedom & potential which facilitates to carve out a dynamic, creative, intelligent ,bright and magnanimous personality.
Now what leads to knowledge?
Interest?
But that, however is a very subjective thing, and has to come out from within. It can never be imposed. Interests are created by impressions and knowledge. That is what advertising agencies too, do. They create impressions, and this ‘works’ on the mind of the person to bring about the interest in him in the desired field. Once the interest has been manifested we can just sit back and see the person work for his or her field of interest in a dynamic way. While the experts of the advertisement world are generally seen to use this ‘knowledge of impressing minds’ for their selfish & commercial ends, the Vedic Masters used this knowledge to help bring out a positive and dynamic personality. While the former conditions the mind to the extent that the very thinking process of their target crowd is conditioned in their favor, but the Rishis saw to it that the very power to think and interrogate , question daringly, independently & creatively grew. Thus we have all our scriptures in the form of a question and answer pattern.
These deliberate and positive impressions which help create a deep and long lasting impression on the mind of a person – so as to generate interest in him about the Truth & Dharma, help bring out a positive personality and free the mind of its negativities are called ‘Samskaras’.
No one while living in the world remains free of the conditioning of his or her environs and teachings, so the question is not whether we can stop all conditioning but to see to it that a person is looked after like a plant and help his or her potentials bloom. To a question whether Samskaras are deliberate positive conditioning, well the answer is that, the objective of the entire exercise is to help a person awake to a state which is free from all conditioning, so while impressions are certainly put effectively and deliberately yet they are the very anti-thesis of what is implied by the word conditioning. This is one of the finest and blessed science, and has been perfected here as an art form too.
Now what is the titular topic actually meaning,to say,to inform,to explain,or to convince? To explain life from the lens of a Hindu? Only that,readers?
Think again.
This article views the morality and ethics of life a Hindu is expected to follow.
Samskāras are the turning points of life and need to be celebrated. Celebrations are very important ingredients of Samskāras. They directly or indirectly involve our respected elders, scholars, near & dear ones. Everyone gets together to convey their best wishes and blessings to the person concerned and thus there is social & religious sanction for the act & ceremony. Samskāras are the great,supreme, time-tested tools in our traditional systems which help carve out a great personality. Apart from scriptural validation, history also proves to us the great effectiveness of these methods. When Vedic Masters had their way, India was on top of the world. The people of the far off land prayed that they will one day see this great land of plenty, prosperity & righteousness.
Behold a presentation of an introduction towards these famous 16 Samskāras of Hindus which cover the entire life span of a person and take him to the door steps to “Truth”. Listed here are the norms and values that a Hindu should live by.
16 Samskaras of a Hindu
GARBADHAN
This is the first coming together of the husband & wife for bringing about conception. ‘Garbha‘ means womb. ‘Dan‘ means donation. In this sacrament the man places his seed in a woman.
Another reason for having progeny is given in the Taittiriya Upanishad. When the student ends his Vedic studies, he requests permission to leave from his teacher (see Samskara 14). The teacher then blesses him with some advice which he should imbibe for life. One of the commands is:
“Prajaatantu ma vyavyachchhetseehi…”
(Shikshavalli, Anuvak 11.11)“Do not terminate one’s lineage – let it continue (by having children).”
Parents expecting a child need to be purify their body and mind through this first sanskar. Garbhadhan sanskaar is carried out by the following mantra:
Oh Goddess! You give power to this woman to bear a child. May the God Ashwinikumar and the deities such as Mitra, Varuna, Guru Brihaspati, Indra, Agni, Brahma fill the womb of this woman.
Furthermore, after nine months on the birth of the child, the following prayer is sung to Lord Brahma:
Oh Brahmaji! Bless this woman with the hope to bear a healthy child. Oh Lord create such a being who van see sharad rutu and live for 100 years.
PUMSAVAN
Pumsavana and Simantonayana (the third samskara) are only performed during the woman’s first issue. Ceremony performed when the first signs of conception are seen, and is to be performed when the moon is in a male constellation, particularly the Tishya-nakshatra. Thus for the purification of the child in the womb and for the mental development this samskaar is undertaken. It is considered essential for the baby in the womb during the shubh nakshatra time with a view to help the parents get a healthy and brightful child.
SEEMANTONAYAN
A ceremony of parting of the hairs of the expectant mother to keep her spirits high & positive. Special music is arranged for her. It is also known as khodo bharavo in Gujrati and simantkaran or simanta sanskaar. This samskara wishes the child gud luck, a long life and wards off evil power. Husband parts his wife’s hair. There is physiological importance of this samskar which is very interesting. Rushi Shushrut (Sharisthan, ch.33) says that it is believed that the child mind is formed during the fifth month of the pregnancy. Thus the pregnant women is ought to take the most care in order to bear a healthy child. Furthermore, the pregnant woman must avoid sleep during day time, staying awake till late, should not fear of anything, avoid drugs, alcohol and postponing natural excretions. Pregnant women are advised to real holy scriptures, do satsang, think of God and beautiful things because mother’s actions will directly affect the baby in womb.
JATAKARMA
This samskara is performed on the birth of the child. It is said to be performed when cutting the navel string of the new born baby from that of his mother. While in his/her mother’s womb environment there is totally different. The baby does not eat or breathe through his own mouth and nose. Food reaches the baby through umbilical cord and the baby is wrapped in a pouch filled with water.
For this divine and newly born child who has experienced this world for the first time the father of the baby feeds the child with a mixture of sugar, honey and ghee. All these elements are not served equally. Two drops of ghee and six drops of sugar and honey (shahad) is fed with a golden stick chanting special vedic mantra. Thereafter, the father of the new born baby performs a yagna and whispers in the baby’s ear “Your secret name is Ved” then the father cuts the navel string and blesses him:
Oh son! You have born from my limbs, your heart has been created from my heart, thus by name you are my soul. Oh my son, may u live for hundred years.”
When the child is born, sages take a look at the moon and planets which determine the degree of auspiciousness. If birth takes place in an inauspicious time then the jatakarma is performed to destroy the evil ward. Then the father would call upon a brahmnishth sant for blessings. The father again blesses the child:
“You may become strong like a stone, brave against the enemies like the great sage Parshuram and you may remain pious for ever like the gold”
During the ritual, baby is bathed with milk so as to bless him for physical, mental and spiritual progress. Whatever is eaten by the child while in his mother’s womb is sanctified from the sins. Acharyas perform a noble sankalp with nine different mantras. After that a prayer is performed for gaining intelligence, strength and healthy child, thereafter the mother feeds the child.
The word OM is written on the baby’s tongue with the help of the golden spike. The reason being is that psychologists believe that whatever the child learns in his early 5 years tends to remember throughout his life. Hence writing OM on the baby’s tongue will always lead him to spirituality. But nowadays people have turned to western culture and have forgotten these rituals (Ramdevji Swami, 2006).
NAMA-KARANA
In this ceremony the child is given a formal name. Performed on the 11th day.
NISHKRAMANA
In the third month the child is allowed agni (fire) and chandra (moon) darshan. In the fourth month he is taken out of the house for the first time, by the father or maternal uncle, to the mandir for the Lord’s darshan.
ANNAPRASHANA
Feeding the child with solid food is the next important samskara. For a son this is done in even months – the 6th, 8th, 10th or 12th months. For a daughter this is done in odd months – 5th, 7th or 9th months. The food offered is cooked rice with ghee. Some sutras advocate honey to be mixed with this. By advocating this samskara, the wise sages accomplished two important considerations. First, the child is weaned away from the mother at a proper time. Second, it warns the mother to stop breast feeding the child. For, an uninformed mother, many out of love, continue breast feeding the child, without realising that she was not doing much good to herself or the child.
CHUDAKARANA
Cuda means the ‘lock or tuft of hair’ kept after the remaining part is shaved off.
KARNA-VEDHA
This ritual has been said to have a religious and scientific importance. After the completion of scientific experiments, piercing ear lobes helps to remain healthy. By piercing ear at the bottom a specific vain gets pierced which helps to avoid diseases like Hernia. Karnendriya has direct contact and effect with viryavahini of a child. The listening capacity also increases. This samskaar is usually carried out on either on 12th or 16th day, or 6th/7th/8th month or 1st/3rd/5th/7th/9th year
UPANAYAN AND VEDARAMBHA
Upanayan samskara is also famous with its name as YAGNOPAVIT (janoi) SAMSKAAR. ‘Upa’ means near and ‘nayana’ means’to take to’ hence taking the child to a teacher ()This samskaar is very important to develop the child intellectually as well as mentally also practical and spiritual progress is recognized. The child at this stage enters studentship and disciplinary life which is followed on the grounds of brahmacharya (celibacy) vrat.
Vedarambha was not mentioned in the earliest lists of the Dharma Sutras, which instead listed the four Vedic vows – Ved Vrats. It seemed that though upanayan marked the beginning of education, it did not coincide with Vedic study. Therefore a separate samskara was felt necessary to initiate Vedic study. In this samskara, each student, according to his lineage, masters his own branch of the Vedas.
KESHĀNTA
Hairs are cut, guru dakshina is given .
SAMAVARTANA
This samskara is performed at the end of the brahmacharya phase – the end of studentship and the person returns home. ‘Sama vartan‘ meant ‘returning home from the house of the acharya.’ This involves a ritual sacrificial bath known as Awabhruth Snan. It is sacrificial because it marks the end of the long observance of brahmacharya. It is a ritual bath because it symbolises the crossing of the ocean of learning by the student – hence Vidyasnaatak – one who has crossed the ocean of learning. In Sanskrit literature, learning is compared to an ocean.
Those students who wished to remain as lifelong students observing brahmacharya would remain with the acharya. Today, this means accepting a spiritual guru – an Ekantik Satpurush and becoming a sadhu. The student thus bypasses the next two ashrams, to enter sannyas.
VIVAHA
Marriage ceremony.
VĀNPRASTHA
As old age approaches, the person retires for a life of tapas(meditation) and studies. Basically, retirement from city or town life to wild and forest life.
SANYĀS
Before leaving the body a Hindu sheds all sense of responsibility and relationships to awake and revel in the timeless truth. Much like attaining Nirvana and enlightenment.
Antyesthi
The last rites done after the death. The first ritual after death is to place a few tulsi leaves and a few drops of water in the mouth of the dead person. It is then laid on the floor which has been purified by applying the sacred cowdung. The old clothes are removed and the body is bathed with sanctified water. The body is then covered with one piece of a new, unbleached, uncut cloth (kafan). It is then laid on a bier (nanami) made of bamboo canes tied with jute strings. The underlying message in removing the old clothes can be gleaned from a Sanskrit verse:
“Dhanãni bhumau pashavashcha goshthe,
Nãri gruhadware sakhã smashãne,
Dehashchitãyãm paraloka mãrge,
Dharmãnugo gachhati jiva ekaha.”
“Wealth will remain buried, cattle will remain in the pen, (his) wife will accompany (him) to the doorway, friends will accompany him to the crematorium, the body will come till the funeral pyre, but on the path to the next world, the jiva goes alone (with his karmas).”
