Samskaras in Hinduism are
rites de passage that begin with one's birth, celebrate certain early steps in a baby's growth and their welcome into the world in the presence of friends and family, then
various stages of life such as first learning day, graduation from school, wedding and honeymoon, pregnancy, raising a family, as well as those related to final rites associated with cremation. These rites of passage are not uniform, and vary within the diverse traditions of Hinduism. Some may involve formal ceremonies,
yajna (fire) ceremonies with the chanting of Vedic hymns. Others are simple, private affairs involving a couple, with or without friends, other families or a religious person such as a priest or a
pandit. Many of these rites of passage include formal ceremonies, with ritual readings of hymns, chants and ethical promises, aiming to orient the individual(s) to that which is considered part of
dharma (right, good, just, moral, true, spiritual, responsible, duties to family members or society in general), and essential actions such as those associated with last rites and cremation, charitable works, or out of
sraddha or items of faith.
True Purpose Gautama Dharmasutra enumerates a large list of "forty outer
karma samskaras" and "eight inner karma samskara (good qualities)", all of whom have the purpose of empowering a human being to discover, recognize and reach union with the
Brahma-Atman (their Soul, Self, Highest Being). The ultimate purpose is to inculcate virtues, and samskaras are viewed in the Hindu tradition as means – not as ends – towards ripening and perfecting the human journey of life. • Garbhadhana (
conception), Pumsavana (rite celebrating the fetus), Simantonnayana (parting of pregnant woman's hair in 8th month), Jatakarman (rite celebrating the birth), Namakarana (naming the child), Annaprashana (baby's first feeding of solid food), Choulam (baby's first haircut, tonsure), and Upanayana (entry into school rite); • the four vows associated with Vedic study; • graduation ritual at the conclusion of school; •
marriage sva-dharma rite; • five sacrifices to gods, ancestors, humans, spirits, and all knowledge; • seven remembrances and donations (sacrifices) using cooked food, in the form of ancestral offerings • seven remembrances and donations (sacrifices) in the presence of fire (
yajna), to mark harvests, seasons and deities • seven kinds of Soma sacrifices: agnistoma, atyagnistoma, ukthya, sodasin, vajapeya, atiratra and aptoryama. To obtain union with Brahman, one must also possess the eight virtues (compassion, patience, non-envy, purity of thought speech and body, inner calm and peace, positive attitude, generosity, and lack of possessiveness).
The 16 samskaras There are diverse number of samskaras in Hinduism, varying by texts between 12 and 18 in the
Grhyasutras (Kalpa sastras). Of these, 16 are referred to as "Shodasha Samskaras" ().
Intent to have a child ritual, Garbhadhana Garbhadhana (
IAST: Garbhādhāna, Sanskrit: गर्भाधान), also called
Garbhalambhanam, literally means attaining the wealth of the womb. In some ancient texts, the word simply refers to the rite of passage where the couple have sex to have a child, and no ceremonies are mentioned. {{Quote| प्रजां च धत्तं द्रविणं च धत्तम् bestow upon us progeny and affluence The Vedic texts have many passages, where the hymn solemnizes the desire for having a child, without specifying the gender of the child. For example, the Rigveda in section 10.184 states, There, the student is taught, that as a husband, he should cook rice for the wife, and they together eat the food in certain way depending on whether they wish for the birth of a daughter or a son, as follows, To answer this question, the medieval era texts of various schools discussed and offered diverse views on whether the ritual is a rite of passage for the baby's anticipation in the womb (
garbha), or for the wife (
kshetra). Pumsavana literally means "rite for a strong or male baby", usually translated as "nurturing a male fetus, bringing forth a male baby". It is a ritual conducted when the pregnancy begins to show, typically in or after the third month of pregnancy and usually before the fetus starts moving in the womb. The ceremony celebrates the rite of passage of the developing fetus, marking the stage where the baby begins to kick as a milestone in a baby's development. The roots of the
pumsavana ritual are found in section 4.3.23 and 4.6.2 of the Atharva Veda, wherein charms are recited for a baby boy. The Atharva Veda also contains charms to be recited for the birth of a child of either gender and the prevention of miscarriages, such as in section 4.6.17. In another version, the
pumsavana ritual is more elaborate, done in the presence of
yajna fire and vedic chants, where the husband places a drop of Banyan leaf extract in the wife's right nostril for a son, and her left nostril for a daughter, followed by a feast for all present. The time prescribed for the
pumsavana differs in different Grhyasutras, and can be extended up to the eighth month of pregnancy, according to some.
Parting hair and baby shower, Simantonnayana Simantonnayana (
IAST: Sīmantonnayana, Sanskrit: सीमन्तोन्नयन), also called
Simanta or
Simantakarana, literally means "parting the hair upwards". The significance of the ritual is to wish a healthy development of the baby and safe delivery to the mother.
Simantonnayana ritual is described in many Gryhasutra texts, but Kane states that there is great divergence in details, which may be because the rite of passage emerged in more a recent era, before it receded into the background. The ritual has more commonly evolved into a ritual that shares characteristics of a
baby shower, where the friends and relatives of the woman meet, acknowledge and satisfy the food cravings of the expectant woman, and give gifts to the mother and the baby in the seventh or eighth month of pregnancy. Yåjñavalkya Smriti verse 3.79 asserts that the desires of the pregnant woman should be satisfied for healthy development of the baby, to prevent miscarriage and her health.
Childbirth ceremony, Jatakarman Jātakarman literally means "rite of a new-born infant". It is a rite of passage that celebrates the birth of the baby. It is the first post-natal rite of passage of the new born baby. It signifies the baby's birth, as well as the bonding of the father with the baby. In Hindu traditions, a human being is born at least twice – one at physical birth through mother's womb, and second at intellectual birth through teacher's care, the first is marked through
Jatakarman samskara ritual, the second is marked through
Vidyarambha or
Upanayana samskara ritual.
Naming the baby ritual, Namakarana Namakarana (
IAST: Nāmakaraṇa, Sanskrit: नामकरण) literally means "ceremony of naming a child". This rite of passage is usually done on the eleventh or twelfth day after birth, and sometimes the first new moon or full moon day after the tenth day of birth. The ancient Sanskrit texts provide numerous and divergent guidelines to the parents for choosing names. Unpleasant, inauspicious, or words that easily transform into bad or evil words must be avoided, state the Gryhasutras, while the preferred names are those affiliated with a deity, virtues, good qualities, lucky stars, constellation, derivatives of the name of the father, or mother, or the place of birth, or beautiful elements of nature (trees, flowers, birds). is the rite of passage where the parents take the baby outside the home and the baby formally meets the world for the first time. . The significance of
Niskramana and showing the baby heavenly bodies is derived from their significance of Sun, Moon and nature in the Vedic literature.
Baby's first solid food, Annaprashana Annaprashana (
IAST: Annaprāśana, Sanskrit: अन्नप्राशन) literally means "feeding of food", and the rite of passage marks the first time a baby eats solid food, typically containing cooked rice. Sankhyayana Gryhasutra recommends that fish, goat or partridge meat gravy be added to the solid food that baby tastes for the first time, while Manava Gryhasutra is silent about the use of meat.
Baby's first haircut, Chudakarana Chudakarana (
IAST: Cūḍākaraṇa, Sanskrit: चूड़ाकरण) (literally, rite of tonsure), also known as
choulam,
caula,
chudakarma,
mundana or "mundan sanskar" is the rite of passage that marks the child's first haircut, typically the shaving of the head. The ritual is seen as a passage of purity. It is typically done about the first birthday, but some texts recommend that it be completed before the third or the seventh year.
Baby's earlobe piercing rite, Karnavedha Karnavedha (
IAST: Karṇavedha, Sanskrit: कर्णवेध) literally means "ear-piercing". This is a minor rite of passage that is not mentioned in most Gryha-sutras. Those that mention it state different schedules, with some suggesting the ritual within the first four weeks after birth, others suggesting within the first year. The purpose of this optional ritual is primarily an ornamentation of the body, and it is part of the baby's socialization process and culture emersion. The piercing is usually done with a clean gold thread, or silver needle. This includes steps where the child, helped by the parents and other family members, does one or more of the following: writes letters of the mother-tongue, draws mathematical numbers or shapes, and plays a musical instrument. In modern times, parents mark this rite of passage in the third year of the child.
Child's entrance into school, Upanayana Upanayana (
IAST:Upanayana, Sanskrit: उपनयन) literally means "the act of leading to or near". It is an important and widely discussed samskara in ancient Sanskrit text. In the modern era, the Upanayana rite of passage is open to anyone at any age. The
Upanayana rite of passage was also important to the teacher, as the student would therefrom begin to live in the
Gurukul (school). Many medieval era texts discuss Upanayana in the context of three
Varnas – Brahmins, Kshtreyas and Vaishyas. stating that the Upanayana samskara was open to everyone. The upanayana ceremony extended to women, in ancient Sanskrit texts, and the girls who underwent this rite of passage then pursued studies were called
Brahmavadini. The education of a student was not limited to ritual and philosophical speculations found in the Vedas and the Upanishads. They extended to many arts and crafts, which had their own but similar rites of passages.
Aitareya Brahmana, Agamas and
Puranas literature of Hinduism describe these as
Shilpa Sastras, and they extend to all practical aspects of culture, such as the sculptor, the potter, the perfumer, the wheelwright, the painter, the weaver, the architect, the dancer, and the musician. Ancient Indian texts assert that the number of the arts is unlimited, but each deploy elements of 64
kala (कला, techniques) and 32
vidyas (विद्या, fields of knowledge).
Vedarambha Praishartha (or
Vedarambha) is the rite of passage that marked the start of learning the
Vedas and
Upanishads in
Gurukulam or
Pathashala (school). It was a fire ritual (
yajna), where the teacher and the student sat together, with the teacher reciting initiation hymns and the student following. This ritual is missing in older texts, and Pandey suggests that the later tradition recognized the difference between getting accepted in a school, and the actual start of Veda studies when the student is ready to learn those texts. In ancient India, the student's preparation involved helping with school chores, living a simple life, going to villages and towns to seek donations of food (
Bhiksha), collect and bring water, collect fuel sticks for cooking, general maintenance of the school and share the food he and others collect with his teacher and the student community. These were on-going rituals of living at living, and not considered as a distinct rite of passage. Prior to the initiation of the Veda study, the student learnt the vocabulary, grammar and other basic studies. The emphasis of the stage where the student started Veda study was both the memorization and know the meaning of each hymn, verse or mantra. Vedarambha marked the actual start of the Veda study. Some texts describes two rituals each academic period (school year), one marking the start of Vedic studies each year, called
Upakarma or
Upakarana. The other ceremony was held at the end of each academic period, called
Utasarjanam or
Utsarga or
Samapana, and marked the suspension of the Veda studies for a certain period of the year. The start of school ceremony, the Upakarma was observed in the month of
Sravana (August) every year.
Keshanta and Ritusuddhi Keshanta (
IAST: Keśānta) (literally, getting rid of hairs) is the first shave of a youth's facial hair. This was typically observed about age sixteen, and the emerging beard and moustache were shaved. The ceremony included gift giving such as to the barber and the teacher at his school. The coming of age ceremony ended with the student reciting his vow of chastity and the code of Brahmacharya. The rite of passage is celebrated, in modern times, as a "half-saree party" where the female relatives and friends of the girl gather, and she receives and wears a half-saree and other gifts. Thereafter, at ceremonious events, she wears the half-sarees, until her marriage when she puts on a full
Sari.
Graduation ceremony, Samavartana Samavartana (
IAST: Samāvartana), or
Snana, is the ceremony associated with the end of formal education and the
Brahmacharya asrama of life. This rite of passage includes a ceremonial bath. This ceremony marked the end of school, but did not imply immediate start of married life. Typically, significant time elapsed between exiting the Brahmacharya stage of life and the entering of Grihastha stage of life. Anyone who had complete this rite of passage was considered a
Vidyasnataka (literally, bathed in knowledge, or showered with learning), and symbolized as one who had crossed the ocean of learning. This ceremony was a gathering of students and teacher. The student asked the teacher for any gift (
guru-dakshina) he desired, which if specified was the student's responsibility to deliver over his lifetime. Then, after a recitation of a graduate's
dharma (snataka-dharma) and a fire ritual, the graduate took a bath. The ceremony occurred after completion of at least 12 years of school, that is either about age 21 or later.
Taittiriya Upanishad describes, in the eleventh anuvaka of Shiksha Valli, the
snataka-dharma recitation emphasized by the teacher to a graduate at this rite of passage. {{Quote| Be one to whom a mother is as god, be one to whom a father is as god, Be one to whom an
Acharya (spiritual guide, scholars you learn from) is as god, Be one to whom a guest is as god. Let your actions be uncensurable, none else. Those acts that you consider good when done to you, do those to others, none else. The third section of the eleventh anuvaka lists charity and giving, with faith, sympathy, modesty and cheerfulness, as ethical precept for the graduating students at the
Samavartana rite of passage. While there are many rituals in Hinduism,
vivaha (wedding) is the most extensive personal ritual an adult Hindu undertakes in his or her life. The wedding rites and ceremonies begin with the engagement of a couple, and extend to rites of passage after the completion of wedding. They are typically very colorful, and celebrations may extend for several days. The detailed rituals and process in a Hindu wedding vary. Nevertheless, there are a few key rituals common in Hindu weddings -
Kanyadana,
Panigrahana, and
Saptapadi, which are respectively, giving away of daughter by the father, voluntarily holding hand near the fire to signify union, and taking seven steps with each step includes a vow/promise to each other before fire. The Vivaha samskara is essentially a
Vedic yajna ritual, with recitation of Vedic hymns. The primary witness of a Hindu marriage is the Vedic fire-deity
Agni, in the presence of family and friends. Post-wedding rites of passage include
Grihapravesha – the welcoming of the bride to her new home by groom's mother, father, brother(s), or sister(s), and other relatives.
Chaturthikarma – literally, "the rite performed on the fourth day after wedding", is the rite where the first domestic fire is lit marking the food-related householder life of the new couple. The act of first
sexual intercourse after the wedding, is known as
nishekam.
Vratas Vrata literally means a vow or practice, any pious observance, act of devotion or austerity such as fasting. These were cyclical rites of passage of those in Grihastha (householder) stage of life, typically as reminder of some pious action, reflective, spiritual side of life. Most Gryhasutras and several
Smritis include four Veda-vratas as samskara after graduation, as means of continuing self-education.
Cremation ritual, Antyeshti Antyesti (
IAST: Antayeṣṭi, Sanskrit: अन्त्येष्टि) (literally, last rites or last sacrifice), sometimes referred to as
Antima Samskaram,
Antya-kriya,
Anvarohanyya, or
Vahni samskara, are the rituals associated with funeral. This samskara is not mentioned in the lists of samskaras in most of the grhyasutras and other texts that discuss samskaras. The details and procedures of this rite are given in separate texts, dealing only with this topic. A dead adult Hindu is mourned with a cremation, while a dead child is typically buried. The rite of passage is performed in harmony with the sacred premise that the microcosm of all living beings is a reflection of a macrocosm of the universe. The soul (Atman, Brahman) is the essence and immortal that is released at the
Antyeshti ritual, but both the body and the universe are vehicles and transitory in various schools of Hinduism. They consist of five elements: air, water, fire, earth and space. The last rites are usually completed within a day of death. The body is washed, wrapped in white cloth if the dead is a man or a widow (red if her husband is still alive), He circumambulates the dry wood pyre with the body, says a eulogy or recites a hymn in some cases, places sesame seed in the dead person's mouth, sprinkles the body and the pyre with ghee (clarified butter), then draws three lines signifying
Yama (deity of the dead),
Kala (time, deity of cremation) and the dead. ==Samskara in Jainism==