HINDU SANSAKARS

Hindu Sanskars, that is sacramens, are religious Hindu rituals aimed at imparting benefits to individuals/society/environment and understood to be visible indicators of one’s spiritual grace. Sanskars have been described in vedic literature in detail. Main purpose of sanskars is to make a person, who goes through these, a good component of the society by way of:

Self-purification (physical, mental & spiritual) and

Respect of the order elements of the universe, including family, society environment and above all, the gods.

Religious bias was given to the performance of sanskars to ensure that these are always adhered to, generation. Although some of these sansakrs originally prescribed have lost relevance, others continue to be observed in all seriousness in these morden  times.

Mostly conducted with the help of pundits and accompanied by hymns, there are at least 1 Sanskars which are prescribed to be performed from the time of birth to the time of death.

Suitability categorized for convenience of readers, these are follows.


PRE-NATAL SANSAKARS (BEFORE BIRTH)

GARBHADAN

Vedas (Rig Ved, Sam Ved, Yajur Ved & Atharv Ved)

Upnishads ( over 100 in numbers) and

to facilitate conception of a good pregnancy. This is not observed or performed in modern times as people started feeling shy about it. Otherwise, it is to be performed when would-be mother is in good health and between the 4^th & the 14^th night after her monthly course.
PUSMSAVAN

to sanctify the foetus. Performed during the 3^rd month of pregnancy.
SIMANTONNAYAN

to keep the pregnant woman in good spirits and deter any evil spirits. Performed in the 4^th/5^th month of pregnancy, it is symbolically done by parting the woman’s hair by her husband.

CHILDHOOD SANSAKARS
JATKARM

Commencing before severing of the navel cord, to take into consideration issues like selection of room for delivery of the child, giving honey to the new-born by the father and praying for child’s long-life
NAMKARAN

To give name to the new-born, generally on 10^th or 12^th day after birth
NISHKARMAN

To  mark the first outing for the child from the maternity room, 3-4 moths after birth
ANNAPRASAN

Feeding of the child with solid food for the first time, usually in the 6^th  month after birth.
CHUDAKARAN

Shaving of head, partly or fully, from the point  of view of hygiene, done between 3-5 years age.
KARNVEDH

Piercing of ears done before attaining 5 years of age. To help prevent medical complications later in life, such as hernia, apart from facilitating individual’s decoration with ear rings,

EDUCATION RELATED SANSKARS


VIDYARAMBHA

Learning of alphabets in the 5^th year
UPNAYAN

Initiating the young individual into society by way of imparting skills relevant to the caste to which one belongs, anytime between the age of  and 24 years, depending upon the skill to acquired, but certainly before marriage.

VEDARAMBHA

Commencing study of vedic literature and other related scriptures, generally in the priestly families and at a guru’s place. This performed immediately after the previously performed upnayan sanskar.
KESHANT

Also called godan sanskar, it is about shaving of facial hair of males, followed by gifting of a cow to the guru (teacher) and a one-year period of austere discipline ensuring brahmcharya (keeping away from sexual desires/acts). It is performed around the age of 16 years.
SAMAVARTAN

To mark the end of studentship and brahmcharya and return to home from guru’s place. Performed around age of 24 years, it is a pre-requisite to a married life later. This sanskar is usually performed in conjunction with the previously observed upnayan sanskar or with the marriage sanskar which follows.

 HOUSEHOLD LIFE

VIVAH

The marriage ritual, following which a person leads a family life (grah- stashram), performed when a person is grown  up to maturity. In case of males, it is done when he achieves economic independence.

 AFTER DEATH


ANTYESHTI

Funeral ceremony ritually performed by close ones, to ensure easy passage of the dead to the next and supposedly higher world.




OTHER SANSKARS

After the Vivah Sanskar (No. 15 above) and after completion of the active householder life, there are two more sanskars which are not quite popular these days and hence excluded front he preceding passages. These can be enumerated as follows:-

A) VANPRASTH

Commencing sometime after the age of 50 years and when one’s leading a semi-retired and a simpler life in the study of religious scriptures and
B) SANYAS

 A life of total renunciations awaiting death. This can commence after 12 to 25 years of commencing the previous vanprasth stage. At this stage, the sacred thread Janeu (worn during the upnayan sanskar) and the tuft of hair on the head (if there) are discarded and saffron clothes put on.