Saṃskāras

Saṃskāra, “the rites that refine”

The saṃskāras are the sacred rites of passage in Sanātana Dharma. They mark, purify and bless each important turning point in a person’s life, from conception through the start and end of formal education and on to marriage. The word saṃskāra means “refinement”, or “perfecting through purification”.

Each saṃskāra has its own time, its own method and its own rules for each varṇa (social order): garbhādhāna before conception, the rites of pregnancy and birth, the naming, the first haircut, the upanayana (sacred-thread ceremony) and vivāha (marriage). The Vāmana Purāṇa gives the duties of the brahmacārī after the upanayana and tells of the upanayana of Bhagavān Vāmana by Bharadvāja Maharshi, of King Kuru at nine years and of the two sons of Kośakāra at seven.

Per Bhavishya Purāṇa

The Brahma Parva of the Bhavishya Purāṇa gives a full account of the saṃskāras, as taught by Sumanta Muni to King Śatānīka. It explains why they are done, when they are done, and how each rite cleanses the impurities gathered in the earlier stages of life.

Purpose and Principle

The text explains that the dvija, the “twice-born”, is not born twice in the sense of two physical births. He becomes truly dvija after the yajñopavīta saṃskāra (the sacred thread ceremony), the rite that marks his second, spiritual birth into the tradition of the Veda.

The whole series of saṃskāras, from garbhādhāna to yajñopavīta, removes two kinds of impurity that cling to a child of the dvijas:

• Bīja-sambandhi doshas: impurities from the seed, that is, inherited and ancestral ones
• Garbha-sambandhi doshas: impurities from the womb, that is, from the circumstances of conception and pregnancy

After these, later saṃskāras make the body fully yogya (fit) for reaching Brahman. These include vedādhyayana (study of the Veda), homa (fire offerings), the trayī-vidyā vrata (vow of study of the three Vedas), the pañcamahāyajña (five great daily offerings) and the jyotishṭoma and other yajñas.

The Main Saṃskāras

1. Garbhādhāna (Conception)

This rite is done before conception to bless the union, so that good and virtuous children will be born. It is the first saṃskāra.

2. Puṃsavana

Done in the third month of pregnancy for the healthy growth of the unborn child.

3. Sīmanta-unnayana (Parting of the Hair)

Done in the fourth or fifth month of pregnancy for the protection and good fortune of the expectant mother.

4. Jātakarma (Birth Rites)

The jātakarma begins even before the umbilical cord is cut. With Vedic mantras, gold (suvarṇa), honey (madhu) and ghee (ghṛta) are placed on the newborn’s tongue. This begins the child’s life under the protection of the sacred tradition.

5. Nāmakaraṇa (Naming)

Done on the tenth, twelfth, eighteenth or thirtieth day after birth, on a śubha (auspicious) nakshatra (lunar star) and at a chosen muhūrta (auspicious time). The guidelines for names by varṇa (social order) are:

• Brāhmaṇa: the name should contain something auspicious (e.g. Śivaśarmā)
• Kshatriya: the name should suggest strength (e.g. Indravarmā)
• Vaiśya: the name should suggest wealth (e.g. Dhanavardhanā)
• Śūdra: the name should refer to the dāsas (servants) of Paramātmā

For girls, the name should be easy to say, free of harsh sounds, clear and pleasant, auspicious and full of blessing, and should end in a long “ā” or “ī” (as in Yaśodādevī).

6. Nishkramaṇa (First Outing)

On the twelfth day after birth (or before the fourteenth month), the baby is taken out of the house for the first time.

7. Annaprāśana (First Solid Food)

The baby is fed solid food for the first time.

8. Cūḍākarma / Muṇḍana (First Haircut)

Done in the first or third year of life. The first locks of hair are removed with ceremony.

9. Yajñopavīta / Upanayana (Sacred Thread)

This is the central saṃskāra of the dvija, the “second birth”. The age depends on varṇa:

• Brāhmaṇa: eighth year (or fifth, for those seeking brahma-teja, spiritual radiance, under the stricter rule)
• Kshatriya: eleventh year (or sixth)
• Vaiśya: twelfth year (or eighth)

The upper age limits are: Brāhmaṇa before sixteen, Kshatriya before twenty-two, Vaiśya before twenty-four. A person who passes these limits becomes patita (fallen from the rite).

At the yajñopavīta the boy begins vedādhyayana under a guru. He becomes a brahmacārin (celibate student) and enters the gurukula (the guru’s school) to study.

10. Keśānta / Samāvartana (End of Student Life)

Done when formal study ends: at sixteen for a Brāhmaṇa, twenty-two for a Kshatriya and twenty-five for a Vaiśya. A haircut is given. After this, the student either goes back to the guru’s house for further study, or returns home, receives the agnihotra (the daily household fire offering) and prepares for marriage.

11. Vivāha (Marriage)

The step from brahmacarya (student life) to the gṛhastha āśrama (householder stage). The eight kinds of vivāha are described below. For women, marriage is the saṃskāra that matches the yajñopavīta. It is their “second birth” and their entry into adult āśrama life.

The Eight Forms of Vivāha

Chapter 7 describes eight forms of vivāha, from the most approved to the least:

1. Brāhma: The father invites a worthy groom of good family and character, honours him, presents him with gifts and gives his daughter in kanyādāna (the gift of the bride)
2. Daiva: The father honours a ṛtvik (officiating purohita) with gifts during a yajña and gives his daughter to him
3. Ārsha: The groom gives one or two pairs of cows or bulls as a gift in keeping with dharma and receives the bride in the proper way
4. Prājāpatya: Bride and groom are brought together and told, “May you two together carry out the dharmas of the gṛhastha āśrama,” and then kanyādāna is performed
5. Āsura: The groom gives wealth, as much as he chooses, to the bride, her father and relatives, and takes the bride freely
6. Gāndharva: A man and a woman agree to marry and marry on their own
7. Rākshasa: The groom carries the woman off and marries her in his own home
8. Paiśāca: The worst form, strongly condemned: a man takes a woman who is asleep, intoxicated or not in her right mind, with no witnesses

Children born from the first four forms have brahma-teja, good character, beauty, sattva (purity and goodness), wealth, children of their own, fame and long life. Children of the last four tend towards harsh character and a dislike of dharma.

A son born from a Brāhma vivāha uplifts twenty-one generations (ten before, ten after, and himself). A son from a Daiva vivāha uplifts fifteen. From Ārsha and Prājāpatya vivāhas the numbers are six and twelve respectively.

Brahmacarya Dharma: The Duties of the Student

After the yajñopavīta, the student (brahmacārin) lives in the guru’s household and keeps these practices:

• Daily practice: śauca (cleanliness), ācāra (right conduct), sandhyopāsana (the twilight prārthanā), agni-kārya (tending the sacred fire), and then vedādhyayana
• How to sit for study: facing north, hands joined in brahmāñjali, mind focused and cheerful, touching the guru’s feet before study begins (the right foot with the left hand, the left foot with the right hand)
• Oṃkāra: All Veda recitation begins and ends with Oṃ (the praṇava). Without it the study bears no fruit: what was learned the day before will not stay, and the next day’s learning will not take root
• Gāyatrī: The Gāyatrī mantra (praṇava, the three vyāhṛtis, and the three-line Sāvitrī) is held to be equal to the whole Veda. Whoever recites it with śraddhā (faith) and devotion at both sandhyās (dawn and dusk) every day gains the phala (fruit) of reciting the whole Veda

Oṃ is the parabrahman in the form of sound. Prāṇāyāma (breath control) is the highest tapas (austerity). The Sāvitrī (Gāyatrī) comes from Savitā (Sūrya, the sun), and so it is also called Sāvitrī.

Why the Saṃskāras Matter

The saṃskāras described here are not just a social custom. They are a complete plan of spiritual cleansing, a careful effort to purify a person at every level: the body through the early saṃskāras, the mind through the saṃskāras of education, and social and spiritual life through vivāha and the āśrama system. In this way life in the world becomes one continuous act of dharma and a preparation for final moksha (liberation).

Per Vishṇu Dharmottara Purāṇa

Chapter 85 of the second part (Dvitīya Khaṇḍa) of the Vishṇu Dharmottara Purāṇa, called the Saṃskāra-varṇana (“description of the saṃskāras”), gives a detailed account of the saṃskāras, from the moment of conception up to the upanayana (the sacred-thread ceremony).

In this chapter Pushkara teaches the timing, method and meaning of each saṃskāra, along with the differences for each varṇa (social group).

Overview

A person comes into the world carrying karmas from the past and with abilities not yet developed. The saṃskāras are the rites through which that person is refined, made sacred, and step by step brought into harmony with dharma. Each saṃskāra marks a turning point and calls on divine witnesses to bless and purify the person at that point. Pushkara says that all saṃskāras should be done according to one’s own family’s kalpa tradition (ritual manual), with the laukikāgni (household fire), and with pūjā to Janārdana (Vishṇu) at every stage.

Garbhādhāna (Conception)

The first saṃskāra concerns the start of life itself. Sixteen nights make up a woman’s ṛtu (fertile period), and the first three of these are forbidden. After these three have passed, a man who wishes for a son should approach his wife on the even nights; a man who wishes for a daughter, on the odd nights. Children born from the even nights of the more auspicious part of the ṛtu will be long-lived, dharmic and prosperous.

The rite itself has a first gentle touch (sparśana) followed by union (sevana). For those who want a son (putra-kāma), the auspicious nakshatras (lunar mansions) for this and the later rites before birth are: Punarvasu (ruled by Aditi), Pushya (ruled by Savitṛ), Rohiṇī (ruled by Soma), Mūla (ruled by Vishṇu) and Śravaṇa. Tuesdays and the riktā tithis (the 4th, 9th and 14th lunar days) should be avoided.

Sīmantonnayana (Parting of the Hair)

The sīmantonnayana is done in the sixth or eighth month of pregnancy. Together with garbhādhāna and the sparśana rite, it forms a group of three rites before birth that care for the well-being of the child in the womb.

Jātakarma (Birth Rite)

The jātakarma is done right after birth, before the umbilical cord is cut. It welcomes the newborn into the world and calls on divine protection. It is the first saṃskāra after birth and sets the tone for all that follow.

Nāmakaraṇa (Naming)

The naming ceremony is done once the period of birth impurity (āśauca) is over, or on another auspicious day. The auspicious nakshatras for it are those of the mṛdu (soft) and dhruva (fixed) groups. Tuesdays and riktā tithis are again avoided.

Rules for the name:

• The name should have an even number of syllables.
• For a brāhmaṇa: the name should have an auspicious meaning (maṅgalārthaka).
• For a kshatriya: the name should call to mind weapons and power (bāṇa-sampanna).
• For a vaiśya: the name should suggest wealth (dhana-saṃyukta).
• For a śūdra: the name should not be one linked with high status.

Name endings: Brāhmaṇa names end in “Śarmā”, kshatriya names in “Varmā”, vaiśya names in words meaning wealth such as “Vasu”, and śūdra names in “Dāsa”. Names taken from the family line (such as the grandfather’s name, or names of the kula-devatā, the family deity) are also suitable. A girl’s name should be easy to say (sukhoccārya), not harsh, clear in meaning (artha-spashṭa) and charming; it must not have an odd number of syllables.

Offering the child to Vishṇu: After the naming, the child is presented to Bhagavān Vishṇu with the words: “This child is Yours: Your servant, attendant and companion in spreading what is auspicious.” The brāhmaṇas are then honoured and fed.

Cūḍākarma (First Haircut)

The cutting of the birth hair is the next major saṃskāra. It is done according to kula-maryādā (family custom). The auspicious nakshatras for it are those of the mṛdu (soft), kshipra (swift) and cara (moving) groups. Sunday and Saturday are forbidden, and so are the riktā tithis. At this ceremony too, pūjā is offered to Bhagavān Vāsudeva.

Upanayana (Sacred-Thread Ceremony)

The upanayana is the start of Vedic study, the change from child to brahmacārī (Vedic student). Pushkara gives the age for each varṇa:

• Brāhmaṇa: the eighth year counted from conception (garbhāshṭama)
• Kshatriya: the eleventh year counted from conception
• Vaiśya: the twelfth year counted from conception (garbha-dvādaśa)

The final limits: a brāhmaṇa must receive the Gāyatrī mantra before the age of fourteen, a kshatriya before twenty-two, and a vaiśya before twenty-four. After these ages the person becomes a vrātya, one who has fallen away from his saṃskāra, and the Gāyatrī mantra can no longer help him.

At the upanayana the ācārya (teacher) takes the place of a second father, and the Sāvitrī (the Gāyatrī mantra) takes the place of a mother. The mekhalā (sacred belt), ajina (skin) and daṇḍa (staff) are fixed for each varṇa:

• Mekhalā: for a brāhmaṇa, woven from muñja grass; for a kshatriya, from bilva wood; for a vaiśya, from wool
• Skin: deer skin for a brāhmaṇa; tiger skin for a kshatriya
• Daṇḍa: palāśa wood for a brāhmaṇa, reaching up to the hair; pippala (aśvattha) for a kshatriya, reaching to the forehead; bilva for a vaiśya, reaching to the shoulder
• The staff must be straight, with its bark whole, and not scorched by fire
• Clothes and sacred thread (upavīta): cotton for a brāhmaṇa; silk for a kshatriya; wool for a vaiśya

The words for asking bhikshā (alms) differ by varṇa. The brāhmaṇa puts the word “Bhavat” at the start (“Bhavān me bhikshāṃ dadātu”), the kshatriya in the middle and the vaiśya at the end. The new brahmacārī must seek bhikshā before eating.

Pūjā to Vishṇu at the upanayana: At the upanayana, Bhagavān Vāsudeva receives pūjā as the Brahmacarya-vrata-adhīśvara (lord of the vow of brahmacarya) and as Hṛshīkeśa (master of the senses). Gaṇeśa is also invoked as the remover of obstacles.

For women: For women, vivāha (marriage) itself takes the place of the upanayana. Marriage is the one saṃskāra that gives women the dvija (twice-born) connection. It is called the kshetra-saṃskāra, the consecration of the field, and is done only once.

Per Vāmana Purāṇa

The Vāmana Purāṇa speaks of the saṃskāras, above all the upanayana, in its teaching on the āśramas and in the lives of Bhagavān Vāmana, King Kuru and the two sons of Kośakāra.

The brahmacārī after the upanayana

When Sukeśī, the king of the rākshasas, asked the ṛshis of the Magadha forest the dharma of the four āśramas, they began with the brahmacārī: “After the upanayana, the brahmacārī lives in the gurukula and follows all its rules.” His duties, in order, are:

• the study of the Veda (vedādhyayana) and tending the fire;
• bathing;
• going for bhikshā (alms), offering it to the guru, and eating with his permission;
• serving the guru eagerly in every way and becoming worthy of his love;
• going with bhakti and śraddhā when the guru calls, and listening to the lessons he gives;
• learning one, two or the four Vedas from the guru’s mouth;
• giving the guru a fitting dakshiṇā and then, with his permission, taking up the gṛhastha, vānaprastha or sannyāsa āśrama as he wishes;
• or else living on in the guru’s house as a naishṭhika (lifelong brahmacārī), and after the guru, serving the guru’s son, or if there is no son, the guru’s disciples, without the least pride.

“The brāhmaṇa who lives in this way conquers mṛtyu (death).”

(Vāmana Purāṇa, Chapter 14)

The saṃskāras of King Kuru

When Kuru was born to Saṃvaraṇa and Tapatī, bearing the marks of a cakravartī, the jātakarma and the other rites were done, and the boy grew like a fire blazing with offerings of ghee. Vasishṭha performed the cūḍākarma and the other saṃskāras for him. At nine years his upanayana was done, and he gained mastery in the Vedas and śāstras; by ten years he had gained all knowledge and became famous by the name Kuru. (Vāmana Purāṇa, Chapter 23)

The upanayana of Bhagavān Vāmana

When Bhagavān Vishṇu was born as Vāmana to Aditi and Brahmā had praised him, Śrī Hari asked for his upanayana. Bharadvāja Maharshi of the gotra of Bṛhaspati, of great tejas, performed for him the jātakarma and the other saṃskāras, and gave him the dīkshā of the brahmacarya vrata. As soon as the upanayana rite was complete, all who were assembled gave gifts to that wondrous vaṭu (young brahmacārī):

Having completed the upanayana, Bhagavān Vāmana, while the maharshis praised him, studied the Vedas with their aṅgas, and learned the Sāmaveda with the gāndharva (the art of music) from Bharadvāja. (Vāmana Purāṇa, Chapter 62)

The upanayana of Niśākara and Divākara

On the Malaya mountain, the brāhmaṇa Kośakāra raised two boys: his own son, and the son of the rākshasī Sūrpākshī, whom she had left at his door when she carried off his own son. When the two boys were seven years old, he named his own son Niśākara and the rākshasī’s son Divākara, and performed the upanayana for both in turn. After the upanayana Divākara studied the Vedas, while Niśākara, slow of understanding, could not study. (Vāmana Purāṇa, Chapter 64)

Sources

• Bhavishya Mahā Purāṇa, Brahma Parva, Chapters 2–5
• Bhavishya Mahā Purāṇa, Brahma Parva, Chapter 4
• Bhavishya Mahā Purāṇa, Brahma Parva, Chapter 7
• Vishṇu Dharmottara Purāṇa, Uttarārdha (Dvitīya Khaṇḍa), Chapter 85
• Vāmana Purāṇa, Chapters 14, 23, 62, 64