Om, Sri gurubhyo namaha
Vaidika Samskaras
Dr. S. Yegnasubramanian
1. Introduction
Over the ages, humankind has always
strived to reach perfection and to explore the
ultimate Truth. In this quest, every religion
has some unique features. Some of the unique
features characteristic of the Hindu Faith or
sanAtana dharma are:
·The concept of God as the very creation it-
self. For example we come across passages
like,
&U”p;d;w ySy n;i&”.;
i]&uvnvpuW’ iv-,umIx’ nm;im .;
and
a;p;t;{ön&” Sql;Ntö&uvnöb[„;;<@’
a;ivSfurtß .
in the dhyAna slokas of Vishnu Sahasranamam
and Sri Rudram respectively.
·One’s birth according to one’s karma. The
entire chapter of karma yoga in Bhagavad
Gita deals with this aspect in great detail.
·The idea of liberation, mukti, even when one
is alive - jeevanmukti:. For example, we have
in the in Bhagavad Gita:
pXynß xO<vnß SpOxnß ij`[nß aXnnß gCznß
Svpnß Xvxnß a;Tmnev a;Tmn; tuÎ; .
·The manifestation of the Divine through in-
numerable avatAras - ten of them are more
popular; Bhagavatam mentions 21 avataras,
but says that they are countless ! avt;r;”
as’:yey” .
·varNASrama dharma - The Lord says, ctuvR<yR’
my; sOÏmß in the Gita.
All these features are found in various texts
and derive their basis from the Vedas .
However, these are not given in a clear and
concise format in the Vedas. For the Vedic
15
teachings to be useful to humankind, our
Rishis, through their inquiry, extracted the
vedic wisdom, like extracting a precious metal
from the ore! Consequently, a new family of
l i t e r a t u r e k n o w n a s Sootras ( c r y p t i c
statements) - emerged, such as, the Strouta
sutras, grihya sootras, dharma sootras etc.
Since the sootras themselves were abstract,
commentaries on these sootras were given by
Rishis in the form of smritis, s u c h a s ,
YAjnavalkhya smriti, ParAsara smriti, etc. The
term smriti refers to a ‘remembered idea’ (from
the vedas). Later, itihAsas (RaAmAyanNa and
MahAbhArata) and purANas (BhAgavatam
SkAndam etc.) were written in the form of
personified stories, to make these concepts
understandable to common people.
2. Inner Virtues (Atma Guna’s)
The scriptures have expounded the
Truth in absolute terms in all the Upanishads.
The Hindu Faith aims at enabling every human
being to the realization of this Absolute Truth
or the Self, and proclaims that, this realization
is the only goal for every one to reach. The
scriptures say that this realization could be
achieved though the development of Atma
GuNa’s, or certain inner virtues. Eight virtues
have been mentioned in particular, and they
are:
1. Compassion (dayA), consideration and sen-
sitivity for all.
2. Patience or forbearance or the ability to
face provoking situations without agitation
(kshamA or kshAnti).
3. Free of jealousy (anasooyA).
4. Purity - internal and external (Soucam).
5. K e e p i n g c o o l , free from burden
(anAyAsam).
6. Not being miserly (akArpaNyam).
7. Absence of desire, attachment (aspruhA)
8. A u s p i c i o u s n e s s , p e a c e (mangalam,
Ananda:).
When an individual acquires these qualities,
he/she becomes eligible to Atma JnAnam, and
through inquiry, the person realizes the Abso-
lute.
3. Vedic Rituals (vaidika samskAra’s)
The scriptures proclaim that a total
person should be harmonious in thought
(maanasam), word (vAcika), and deed (bodily
actions - kAyikam). As can be seen, this virtue
is far from realization by the vast majority of
people, and so has to be evolved right from
birth! Instead of just listing the above
mentioned Atma GuNa’s and postulating them
as a requirement in the building up of a total
person for gaining the eligibility to the inquiry
of the Self, our scriptures provide us with a
manual as to how to acquire these qualities
throughout one’s life, through the performance
of rituals known as vaidika samskAra’s,
starting from the conception of the child, until
death! In addition to some of the unique
characteristics of the Hindu Faith mentioned
earlier, vaidika samskAra is another unique
and important feature since it helps the
individual to develop into a total person,
physically and spiritually.
3.1 The word samskAra
The seed for the samskAra’s is the
Vedas, and, the word samskAra, the mantras
and the arrangement are given in the grihya
sootra’s. (For an overview of our vedic
scriptures please refer to Vol. 1 No. 1 of
Paramaartha Tattvam.) In the vedas, the
process of purification is denoted by the term
samskuryAt. If any object is to be offered to
the Lord, that object has to be purified first,
both at the physical level and at the spiritual
(subtle) level. After such purification, a new
quality is believed to be born in the object,
16 Bhagavad Gita (13-7):
which then becomes eligible to be offered to
the Lord.
ivi/ik[y;jNy” aitxy ivxeW” .
(Vedic rites, when formed, certain
special qualities are born)
All through, the vedas teach that the
ultimate goal of life is liberation (moksha:) and
if one has to achieve this goal, one has to
become qualified (yogyah:). This eligibility
comes by offering oneself to the Lord (Atma
samarpaNam) and before such offering, the
individual has to go through -almost a life-long
- purification process. The entire life-style is
designed to be a process of samskAra, and in
this life-style, every stage is indicated by a
particular ritual. All these rituals are given in
the scriptures. It can be interpreted then, that,
those special qualities, which are born by
performing certain vedic rituals that make one
fit for the True Knowldege of liberation, are
samskAra’s. In course of time, the rituals
themselves, which led to these special
qualities, came to be known as samskAra’s.
So, two meanings are primarily given for
samskAra’s
a) characteristic/special quality - atiSaya
viSesha: and
b) the very ritual or ceremony.
In addition, a third definition also is given to
the word, which means, mental impression or
vAsana. The Rishis acknowledged the fact that
a person’s mind can be influenced by so many
factors all through the life based on one’s own
actions and through actions of others. The
samskaras are supposed to accomplish two
things to an individual:
doW apnynen v; gu,;/;nen v;.
1) doW apnynmß dosha apnayanam - elimination
of physical and mental impurities (dosha) and
2) gu , ;/;nmß guNAdhAnam - adding special
virtues or Atma guNa’s. As mentioned in the
 am;inTvmdiM&Tvmih’s; =;iNtr;jRvmß.
a;c;yoRp;sn’ x;wc’ SqwyRm;Tmiving[h” ..
(humility, unprententiousness, non-violence,
patience, uprightness, service to the teacher,
purity, steadiness and self-control)
It is interesting to note that, even
though the samskAras were meant to purify
an individual to become eligible for moksha,
the Rishis have formulated them in such a
manner that the individual also attains other
benefits - dharma, artha and kAma.
They involve the purification of the
total personality - mAnasam, vAcikam and
kAyikam - since one is likely to have sinned
through all these three instruments !
Samskaras contribute to the overall
growth of the individual, such as:
a) The physical discipline during and after the
ritual - for example, prANAyAmam helps to
regulate the blood circulation, etc. Also, several
do’s and don’ts are prescribed for the
brahmacAri such as:
ajanavAdaSIla: ajnv;dxIl” - no gossip;
adhivA svApI  ai/v; Sv;pI / m; suWuPq; - no
sleeping during day time;
strtIbhi: yAvatharta sambhAshI S]Ii&” y;vqtR
s’&;WI - speak only what is required to ladies,
etc.
(More details will be seen during the discussion
on upanayanam later).
b) The mental growth - again, prANAyAmam
helps to sharpen the mind; improves medha
Sakti:; for example, prayers such as,
SraddhAm medhAm yaSa: prajnAm Sriyam
Ayushyam teja Aroghyam dehime
havyavAhana.
Also, sraddhAvAn labhate jnAnam etc.
c) Imparting of values, ethics and morality -
for example: kAmo kArshIt manyuh kArishIt
- japa to overcome greed and anger.
17
d) Creation of awareness of the stage of life -
after upanayanam, brahmacarya ASrama; af-
ter vivAham, grihasta ASrama. Development
of sanctity for life itself.
e) Sensitivity to elements of nature - for
example, all divinities are water - sv;R devt;
a;p” ; similarly fire is Divinity and so on.
f) The respect that the entire creation is some-
thing to be worshipped - is brahman - sarvam
brahma mayam jagat.
g) The awareness that the individual is part of
Nature and not separate from it.
h) The concept of social / family life - all rituals
involve relatives, friends etc.
So, the vaidika samskaras have been
designed by the Rishis to contribute to the
overall growth of the individual.
3.2 How many samskaras are given in the
scriptures?
As was mentioned earlier, the sootra’s
give a comprehensive account of various
samskAra’s and, among the sootra’s, the grihya
sootra’s give the most elaborate account. The
grihya sootra’s themselves are many, which
deal with all aspects of domestic life like
marriage, etc. Since these samskAra’s are
basically derived from the vedas, various
numbers are given in these grihya sootra’s.
Most popularly, forty one samskAra’s are
enumerated, which we can broadly classify in
to nine groups. We will discuss in detail, each
of the forty one samskaras - starting from
conception of the baby, till the final cremation
- in subsequent issues of Paramaartha Tattvam.
Source Material:
1.Hindu Samskaras, Rajbali Pandey, Motilal
Benarasidas,Delhi, 1998.
2. The Book of Samskaras, Prema Rasa Dasa,
Bhakti Vedanta Book Trust International, 1977.
3. Lectures by Swami Paramarthananda,
Madras.
 Om, Sri Gurubhyo Namaha
Vaidika Samskaras
Dr. S. Yegnasubramanian
(Sections and sub-sections are numbered in continuation from the previous article)
In the previous article in Volume 4 No. 1
of Paramaartha Tattvam, we said that,
l the samskaaras are a series of sacrements
performed by any one belonging to the
vedic tradition, which are meant for the
overall purification or overall refinement
of the individual.
l by overall refinement, we mean the
physical, emotional, intellectual and
spiritual development and maturity of the
personality at the total level.
l the term samskaara has three meanings
1. the refinement itself
2. the ritual by which the refinement is
achieved, and
3. the impressions - vAsanAs - created by
oneself and the environment
l the purpose was not just material prosper-
ity - which was incidental - but the moksha
purushArtha - based on which the entire
samskaras were developed. As side benefits,
one also gets dharma, artha and kaama
purushArthas.
l before anything is offered to the Lord, the
offering should be purified, and our sages
took the entire life as the greatest offering
of the individual - the jivaatmA - to the
paramAtman:
(SravaNam keertanam vishnoh: smaraNam
pAdasevanam arcanam vandanam dAsyam
sakhyam Atmanivedanam)
l the total life itself is an yajna.
dwvmev;pre y_’ yoign” pyuRp;ste.
b[„;;Gn;vpre y_’ y_enwvopju‡it..
(Srimad Bhagavadgita 4.25)
12
(Some yogis perform sacrifices especially to
propitiate deities; still others offer the Atman itself
as oblation in the fire of brahman)
l in all other offerings, the ego - ahamkAra: -
is present. If one offers oneself to the Lord,
one must make sure that he/she is offer-
able - in a fit condition.
l samskaara is that process by which one
makes oneself “samskrita jeevah:” (refined
individual) to be offered to ISwarah:
ISwara-nivedana-arhah: or yogyah: bhavati -
in the language of devotion, or
AtmajnAnayogya: bhavati, in the language
of vedaanta.
l Since the impurities are accumulated over
innumerable number of births, the purifi-
cation will take a long cleansing process
over the entire life - right from the very
conception onwards. If the purification
becomes successful, one will be able to at-
tain moksha in this life itself.
l If not, the final rites- the cremation etc. ritu-
als - are performed and if one is born as a
human being, one can continue the perfor-
mance of the samskaaras to become eli-
gible for moksha. As Sri Krishna says:
aneköjNmös’isi·” tto y;it pr;’gitmß.
(having achieved purity through several births one
can attain liberation)
As was mentioned earlier, there are forty one
samskaaras, starting from the conception of the
baby in the mother’s womb, till the cremation.
We will discuss each of these forty one
samskaaras in some detail in a series of
articles, starting from this number of the
Journal. The intent is not to give the mantras
used in the rituals or the actual conduct of the
rituals themselves, but to give a glimpse of the
significance of the rituals along with some
peripheral details.
4. Classification of samskaaras
The forty one samskaaras can be
broadly classified in to nine groups:
1. Pre-natal samskaaras (3)
2. Pre-educational samskaaras (4)
3. Educational samskaaras (6)
4. Marriage
5. Five mahAyajnas
6. Seven pAka yajnas
7. Seven havir yajnas
8. Seven soma yajnas
9. Final Rites
The concept is that, by the time a person
completes all the forty samskaaras, he may
become qualified for jnAnam - so all through
the life, going through each of the aaSramas
(stages - brahmacarya aaSrama, grihasthASrama,
vAnaprastha aaSrama and sannyAsa aaSrama),
the person becomes yogya: (qualified) to study
vedaanta s o t h a t t h e k n o w l e d g e aham
brahmAsmi will be realized. Once the person
gains this knowledge, then there is no need
for any further samskaaras. However, this
realization may not be possible for most
because of the thickness of the impurity
accumulated over several cycles of birth and
so even after death, the individuality
continues. The person has to be purified
further and so, after death, the final samskaara,
known as antyeshTi: (the 41st samskaara), is
performed (by one’s son or close relative), with
the hope that the person will become qualified
for a better birth next time!
As a picture becomes clearer and clearer by
each stroke that the artist draws , each of the
samskaaras makes the jeeva more and more
refined, to become yogyah for moksha.
13
4.1 Pre-natal samskaaras :
There are three pre-natal samskaaras
which are performed by the father before the
birth of the child, and they are:
1. garbhAdhAnam - the conception ceremony;
2. pumsavanam - prayer for a male child;
3. seemantam or seemantonnayanam - parting
of the hair of the wife.
4.1.1 garbhAdhAnam - the conception
ceremony:
There are two schools of thought regarding this
ceremony.
l Purification of the mother - to make her
eligible to conceive the baby through the
spiritual cleansing of the womb - =e]ös’Sk;r”
l Purification of the seed - bIjös’Sk;r”
l How do the interpretations affect the
conduct of this samskaara? If it is =e]ös’Sk;r”,
then there is no need to repeat it for every
conception. But if it is bIjös’Sk;r”, then it
has to be performed for each child.
Popularly, the latter is accepted even though
the ritual itself is performed once only for
the first child.
What is garbhaadhaanam? The word garbha:
has two meanings:
a) the womb of the mother, and
b) the baby itself - the embryo or fetus -
g&RSy ixxu”.
l Here we take the second meaning, the jeeva
and the term aadhaanam means the transfer
or placement of the jeeva in the womb of
the mother.
g&RSy ixxo” a;/;nmßö> g&R;/;nmß.
l The jeeva is not created afresh; it already
exists in the father, and is only transferred
to the mother! The jeeva (jIv”) is anaadi -
never created and when present in the
 father, it is called reta: ( ret” or pu™WöbIjmß ).
This reta: is called garbha: after transfer to
the mother.
l From where did the father get this jeeva? It
is an elaborate process in which the jeeva is
believed to go through five stages before
coming to human form, the last stage being
the mother’s womb. According to Mundaka
Upanishad (II.i.6)
tSm;tß aiGn” sim/o ySy sUyR”
som;TpjRNy aoW/y” pOiqVy;mß.
pum;nß ret” is’cit yoiWt;y;’
b‡I” p[j;” pu™W;tß s’p[sUt;”..
(From Him emerges the fire (i.e. heaven) of
which the fuel is the Sun. From the moon
emerge clouds, and (from clouds) the herbs on
the earth. A man sheds the semen in to the
woman. From the Purusha have originated
many creatures.)
What are these five stages?
1. After leaving previous birth, the jeeva enters
the pitru loka: (or «uölok”)
2. From there enters the clouds - pjRNy”
3. From clouds, enters the plants - aoW/y”
4. From plants, enters the father
5. From the father, enters the mother’s womb.
l The transfer of jeeva from one stage to the
other is considered a yajna. In other words,
the jeeva comes to this world as a result of
five yajnas! In each of these yajnas, the jeeva
is offered as the oblation.
Thus, the conception is considered as the
greatest yajna, which brings a human life into
existence, and so it is given a lot of importance.
The ritual by which the mother conceives the
baby is garbhaadhaanam
ùg&R’ s’/;yRte yen ttß g&R;/;nmßú.
This can be viewed from various angles:
14
l The birth of the child protects one’s family
lineage - kula-paramapara.
l Also, from the spiritual angle, any person
is born with three debts - 1) to the devas
(deva-RuNam), 2) to the Rishis (Rishi-
RuNam), and 3) to the ancestors (pitru-
RuNam). Among these, the third debt is
removed by getting an offspring. So the son
is called RuNa-mocaka: (the remover of debt)
who can perform srAddha etc. rituals.
l It is believed that, even if the father had
committed some sins and has to go to
naraka,called put-naraka: ( putß-nrk” ), he
will be saved by the performance of
srAddhas. The name putra: for the son came
from the statement: puNn;Mn” nrk;tß ];yte Eit
pu]”.
l Getting a child is indirectly perpetuating
oneself. The child is nothing but one’s own
flesh and blood. Aitereya Upanishad says
that the father only is reborn as the child;
every organ is made of one’s own organs
etc.
Time of conception:
The scriptures prescribe the time of conception
based on various considerations.
l Physical health of the parents: For example,
if the parents are not healthy at the time of
conception, the child may be affected.
l The mental condition of the parents will
influence the child. If the parents are
focused on artha, kAma (material or sensual
pleasure) only, the child also will be artha,
kAma oriented. The scriptures prescribe
m a r r i a g e f o r b e g e t t i n g dharma-prajA
(righteous offspring) only.
l The astrological time - position of planets,
stars etc - is considered very important.
Conception during the day- time is never
prescribed.
l Several interesting details are given
regarding the time/day of conception.
Certain ideal time is prescribed, called Rutu-
kAlam and sixteen days are given. If
conceived on even days (2nd, 4th etc. days),
the child will be a boy and, if conceived on
odd days, will be a girl. (yuGm;su pu];” j;yNte
i–y” ayuGm;su)
l Further differences are also mentioned: for
example, a male child born on the
p 4th day, will be poor and short lived
p 6th day, will be a mediocre child
p 8th day, will be prosperous
p 10th day, will be wise
p 12th day, will be best all round
p 14th and 16th days, will be spiritual
l Similarly, a female child born on the
p 5th day, will give birth to girls only
p 7th day, will have no children
p 9th day, will be very auspicious
p 11th day, will be irreligious
p 13th day, will be an evil person
p 15th day will get male children
l For getting children of certain types and
qualities, brihadAraNyaka upanishad gives
several mantras: (Ch. 6, Sec 4: 14-16)
s y ECzeTpu]o me xuKlo j;yetÚ
vedmnub[uvItÚ svRm;yuiry;iditÚ
=Ir;wdn’ p;ciyTv; sipR-mNtmXnIy;t;mß
ERXvr;w jniytvw .
(He who wishes “a son of fair complexion, to be
versed in one veda having the full span of life”,
“should eat rice cooked in milk mixed with ghee,
along with his wife.” (Then they) would be able
to give birth (to such a son)
aq y ECzeTpu]o me kipl” ip³lo j;yetÚ
»;w ved;vnub[uvItÚ svRm;yuiry;iditÚ
d?yodn’ p;ciyTv; sipR-mNtmXnIy;t;mß
ERXvr;w jniytvw .
15
(And, he who desires a son of tawny or brown
complexion, to be versed in two vedas and having
the full span of life, should eat rice cooked in
curd mixed with ghee, with his wife. (Then they)
would be able to give birth (to such a son).
aq y ECzeTpu]o me Xy;mo loiht;=o j;yetÚ
]INved;nnub[uvItÚ svRm;yuiry;iditÚ
¯d;wdn’ p;ciyTv; sipR-mNtmXnIy;t;mß
ERXvr;w jniytvw .
(And, he who desires a son of dark complexion
with red eyes, to be versed in three vedas and
having the full span of life, should eat rice boiled
in water, mixed with ghee, with his wife. (Then
they) would be able to give birth (to such a son).
aq y ECzedßduiht; me pi<@t; j;yetÚ
svRm;yuiry;iditÚ itl;wdn’ p;ciyTv;
sipR-mNtmXnIy;t;mßë ERXvr;w jniytvw .
(And he who desires a daughter with learning, to
live a full term of life, should eat rice cooked in
sesame seeds, mixed with ghee, with his wife.
(Then they) would be able to give birth (to such a
girl)
l After conception, throughout the course of
pregnancy, there was the awareness that the
physical and mental conditions of the child
are influenced by the environment and a
spiritual environment was desired.
4.1.2 pumsavanam - ceremony for getting
a male off-spring:
The second pre-natal samskAra is
pumsavanam. The term pu' s ß (pums) means
“male” and the term svnmß (savanam) refers to
the birth. Hence, the birth of a male child is
pumsavanam. For the sake of the propagation
of one’s paramparA, it has been the desire,
from the beginning. So the ritual is known as:
pum;nß p[sUyte yen kmR,; ttß pu’svnmß.
yen kmR,; - by which rite; pum;nß p[sUyte - a male
child is given birth.
According to the sAstras, the rite is
supposed to be performed in the third month
after conception. Sushruta, the Ayurveda
expert says that the formation of the child
takes place only in the third month. According
to him, the development of the child happens
as follows:
Month Development
1 still in liquid form; no formation
2 a vague solidified mass
3 sense organs and veins are formed
4 head, hands and legs are formed
5 bones, fingers, hair, and the mind
are formed
6 intellect
7 prANa and nervous system
8 &9 capacity to experience pleasure/
pain
Based on the sAstras, a time is chosen
when the moon is in a male constellation and
prayers are offered for the birth of a healthy,
fully developed male child. There is also a
ritual where the husband pours a drop of the
juice from the sprout of the banyan tree and
milk, in the right nostril of the wife. This ritual
is meant to give birth to a healthy male child.
4.1.3 seemantam or seemantonnayanam -
parting of the hair of the wife.
The third pre-natal saskAra is seemanta:
which is performed at the 5th or 6th month of
pregnancy. The mind and intellect (essentially,
the subtle personality) of the baby is supposed
to develop around this time. Our sAstras
clearly acknowledged the fact that,
l a person’s superiority is not based on the
physical body, but by the viveka-Sakti.
l moksha has to be attained by the mind alone
16
and so the mind should be fit for sAstra-
vicAra, Atma-jnAna and so, the samskAra is
performed right at the time of formation of
this faculty.
It is also a symbolic ritual where the
husband makes a boundary in the head of the
wife by parting the hair. sIm; - boundary; aNt”
- end and so, the limiting line is called
seemanta:. ¯Nnynmß - making or parting (of the
hair in the head). The purpose of this ritual
can be seen from various angles:
l the mind is formed at this time and can be
influenced by the subtle forces around -
especially negative forces - like yakshas,
rAkshasas etc. The prayers recited during
the ritual act as an armor.
l These prayers invoke mahAlakshmI in the
seemanta: line (so kumkum is applied there)
l The husband asks mahAlakshmI to ward off
all evils and make the child pure, and give
prosperity.
l Certain warnings were also given to the
pregnant mother - do’s and don’ts - for a
careful conduct of life; movements are
restricted; noble and pious thoughts are
imparted.
l Husband also takes the responsibility and
offers to do everything for her, including
dressing her hair (symbolically to show that
he will do whatever she needs)
With this, the discussion on the three pre-natal
samskaras is concluded. We will continue with
the post-natal samskaras from the next article
of this series.
Source Material:
1. Hindu Samskaras, Rajbali Pandey, Motilal
Banarasidass, Delhi, 1998.
2. The Book of Samskaras, Prema Rasa Dasa,
Bhakti Vedanta Book Trust International,
1977.
3. Lectures by Swami Paramarthananda,
Madras.
 Om, Sri Gurubhyo Namaha
Vaidika Samskaras (contd..,)
Dr. S. Yegnasubramanian
(Sections and sub-sections are numbered in continuation from the previous article)
In the previous article in Volume 4 No. 2 of
Paramaartha Tattvam, we discussed the three
pre-natal samskaras, namely, garbhAdAnam,
pumsavanam and seemantam. All these are meant
for the health and complete growth (physical,
psychological and spiritual) of the child, in the
womb of the mother. We will now continue
the discussion with the post-natal samskaras.
4.2 Post-natal samskAras
There are four post-natal samskAras before
the Educational samskAras:
1. jaata karma – the birth ceremony
2. naama karaNa – the naming ceremony
3. anna-prASana – Feeding of solid food
4. cUDA karma OR caulam – tonsure
ceremony
4.2.1 jaata karma – the birth ceremony
The fourth samskAra is the birth ceremony.
Before the actual birth of the child, several details
are mentioned:
x Around the time of delivery, the pregnant
lady should be taken to a sUtikA bhavanam
(birthing room) with its door opening in the
east or northern side.
x The room should be able to influence
postive thoughts in the mother.
x The time of entry into the room is chosen
astrologically. The lady should enter into
the room with vedic chanting, or music on
the glory of the Lord .
x Well experienced ladies in child birth
should be asked to assist in the birthing
process, as it is a very painful process.
14
x Then a special rite is prescribed for com-
fortable delivery called, sOshyantI karma,
derived from the root sU – prasavE.
Then, following the child birth, the ritual
performed by the father is jAta karma.
MWHVLWLN>\PuNP5MWNP5 OR
MWuSX@u¡¯LN>\PuNP5
x Generally, the time for performance of this
ritual has two options:
a) Immeidately after the birth
b) For any reason if it could not be done,
can be done on the 11 th day along with
naama karaNam.
This is essentially a purificatory rite. The
father has sewn the seed in the kshetram - the
womb. The child that comes is not in the pure
form and so has to undergo jAta karma to remove
the natural dOsha’s. These are of two kinds:
a) Those related to garbha -JL 5N-GR:PÁ
b) Those related to the seed - E,MPÁ
Generally the following rites are involved:
x nAndI srAddham – to propitiate and seek
the blessings of the pitrus. The karma is
very important during the birth since, it is
believed, that all pitrus come to that house
during that time. Why? It is a happy affair
for the continuation of the paramparA,
since a male child is required for pinDa-
udaka- kriyA (essentially food-offereing to
the pitrus)
x Then the father keeps the child on the lap
and prays for the welfare:
 DuJGuJWÁ Vu YLV eG\GLM\VH
D7PYZ SX@QPLVVM,Y[UG;[WPÁ
D;P YSU[X 5YLKU\u D6W2Wu Y
DuJGuJWÁ Vu YLV- O child, you have come out
of the essence of every limb of mine!
eG\WÁDLM\VH- You are born out of my heart-
felt desire; so you are D7PYZSX@QPLV - none
other than myself reborn as the child!
VM,Y[UG;[WPÁ - You live long; the father will
breath in the nostril of the baby as if he is
giving his prANa to the child!
D;P Y - Be strong like the stone
SU[X 5Y - Be sharp like an axe to destroy all
your internal and external enemies.
LKU\u D6W2Wu Y - May you shine as pure gold!
There are prayers for the intellect, good
sense, fame, long life, health etc. -
PHuS>B u\[wD\XwDUR*\uF
PHuWHGHY6VLYWPHuGHY,VU6YW,
PHuWHDL;YQZGHYY7WuSXNUV>M
7YL\PHu7YL\S>Mu7Y<\L*Q6WHMRGWX
7YL\PHu7YL\S>Mu7Y\,1G>(L1G>\uGWX
7YL\PHu7YL\S>Mu7YL\V8\R5 >MRGWX
Then the child is fed with a combination of
ghee, honey and curd with a golden spoon ( or a
golden ring inside the cup). Such a combination
is believed to have lot of health effects. Along
with the feeding, praNava, vyAhruti and gAyatri
are recited so that the Vedic thought may be
introduced to the child. Then the father utters
in the ears of the child - YHGDLV (you are veda
itself). Then the child is fed at the right breast
of the mother with the following mantra:
D\uNXPUwMUu\WXG,C5P\X
\6PZ7Yu6WQS>3\\D\XY5F5w\[REOPÁ
There are mantras to invoke Devi
Saraswati’s breast on the breast of the mother
15
so that the milk will become jnAna pUtam – with
the jnAnam of Saraswati. The child is given a
secret name based on the star of the child – for
example, if the star is aSvinI , the name could be
aSvinIkumAra etc. – known only to the parents.
Several other rituals and recitations are done for
the welfare of the child and parents. It is said:
¦u DL6PQÁ V1Q\LWDP2W7Yu FJ&]LW
LSWSX@6\MW6\S;\HWÁ FHWÁ M,YWRPXPÁ
which means,
MW6\SX@6\M,YWwFHWÁPXPÁ- if the father looks
at the face of the new born baby,
DP2W7YuFJ&]LW- he gets immortality (figuritive
immortality i.e he lives in the form of his son)
Then only, the umbilical chord is broken.
The reason is, that the father gets the D[ZFPÁ
(unclean) the moment the chord is cut, as the
child is supposed to be completely born only
when the chord is cut. If done before, the father
will have D[ZFPÁ and so he will not be able to
perform the jAta karma ritual at that time. Then
it can be done only on the 11th day. Also, if the
delivery is complicated for any reason, then the
ritual is performed on the 11th day. Then the
parents pray to Mother Earth : “O mother, this
child is going to walk on you, fall on you etc. –
but don’t hurt the child and make the child cry”
QP\LWQ|GLW\@Y\u YGPLV\@F
DL P2[PLV
Then there is prAyascittam for twins etc, and
some more prayers.
4.2.2 nAma karaNam (naming ceremony)
The fifth samskAra is the naming ceremony.
As was mentioned earlier, a secret name is
already given to the child based on the star of
the child. Two more names are given at this time
as follows:
a) For divine purpose - GHYØ9\YKUT5PÁ - there
are rules governing the choice of the name.
For example, male child will have even letters
and female child will have odd letters. There
are rules for suffixes etc. The name can be
chosen based on several considerations:
x based on the month of birth
SrAvaNkumAr
x based on forefather’s name
x based on the kula devatA – family deity
x based on Rishis
x based on what the parent’s desire: for ex-
ample, sundaram, kubEra, meenAkshi
This name is not used casually but only dur-
ing important spiritual occasions such as
upanayanam, vivAham etc., and when the boy
recites the pravaram.
b) For social / worldly purpose - ORNØ9\YKUT5PÁ
- popular name.
x According to one’s varNa, proper suffix is
chosen for the name; for example,
o Brahmin – SarmA – stands for Ananda
o Kshatriya–varmA – an armor to society
o Vaisya – guptA – one who protects wealth
or deals with secrets
o Sudra – dAsa – one who serves.
x Later, other suffixes are given, such as
dIxitah: (one who takes dIkshA for conduct-
ing yajna; sAstrI – one who has studied the
sAstras etc.
Before the conduct of the next (6th) samskAra,
another ritual is prformed by some people,
called, nishkramaNam – first outing. This is
generally done during the 3rd month. The child
is taken out with Vedic chanting etc. for the
first time on an auspicious day. The child is
shown the Sun and the Moon – sUrya-candra-
darSanam – sitting in a decorated place, by the
father. Mrutyunjaya mantra is recited for long
life.
4.2.3 anna prASanam – First feeding of
solid food
This ritual is generally conducted af-
ter six months (boy) or seven months (for girls),
when the teeth also slowly get formed. The
child is fed a combination of ghee, honey, curd
– and rice mixed with salt and chilli, along with
praNava and vyAhruti. A special prayer to all
the plants (Oshadhi) and water is recited, es-
sentially to impart respect to nature and for
their help and nourishment of the child. At
this time, it is believed that the vAsanas get
developed for the child and the aptitude of the
child can be found – painting, arts, music, tools
(motor skills). Even though this ritual is done
so early, it is again conducted during
upnayanam in a different style (kumAra
bhojanam).
4.2.4 cUDA karma – Tonsuring ceremony
The seventh samskAra is FZOPÁ or F8# ØNP5 -
shaving off the hair keeping the tuft or SikhA.
It is generally performed during the third year.
x Symbolically hair is considered to repre-
sent our rAga-dvEshAs – passion and ha-
tred. The reason for using hair and not
other organs as a symbol, is because it is
countless, and so does our sins, accumu-
lated over several cycles of births. Shav-
ing of the hair symbolizes the removal of
sins.
x The whole body is considered a chariot;
the chariot requires a roof, symbolized by
the tuft.
x According to Sushruta (Ayurveda expert),
within the head, on the top portion, there
is a junction of the blood vessels and the
vital part (marma sthAnam) and just below
that, the life is stored. If that is damaged,
death takes place immediately. And, the
SikhA acts like a helmet!
16
x From the Sastra point of view, the SikhA is
required for many rituals:
L[ULKWu NP5 LQIOPÁ
There are two contexts in which the signifi-
cance of SikhA is understood:
a) As part of a japa or pujA, anganyAsa,
karanyAsa are performed which includes
the application of SikhAyai vashaT.
b) After the daily snAnam, the water in the
SikhA is called SikhOdakam which is sup-
posed to be offered to the pitrus. The scrip-
tures say:
OWØY2 H:X JX/PH:X YW51WH LSWURPP- my ancestors
are in various places – the creepers, trees etc.
WH:u D!\\QT51WX - for their welfare, growth (Gu
D6WX L[RGNPÁ - let this SikhOdakam be an of-
fering.
x Also, during cUDA karma, the pitrus are
supposed to come as in the case of jaata
karma since they will receive SikhOdakam
then onwards!
x Similary, vastrOdakam also should be of-
fered. That is why our scriptures say that,
at least, minimum clothing should be on
the body during bath. Naked bath is not
allowed - LYYVQwQ6Q\WÁ. The scriptures
say,
$NHW6PWÁ NXOH MWDSX@JR@MP2W
WHJ2l1WXP\G7WuY6@LQS,#QRGNPÁ
Y6@ LQS,#QRGNPÁ - when I ring the cloth, let
the water be offered to the ancestors.
x The SikhA is not supposed to be removed
under any circumstances. If to be removed
for any reason (due to disease etc.) should
be substituted with kuSa grass on the ears.
x Even though this is to be done in the 3rd
year, it is also done during upanayanam.
17
x This can be removed for a sannyAsi through
another ritual – ashta- SrAddhas are per-
formed, the ancestors are propitiated; the
guru initiates chanting mantras and then
the tuft is removed.
x There are other details mentioned, such as
prayers to the barber, to the knife etc. Also,
the order in which the sides should be
shaven are given – first, the front, then
right side, left side etc – with chanting of
appropriate mantras –including the disposal
of the hair!
x Then, the hot and cold water are mixed for
the bath. The procedure is to mix the hot
water with the cold water, for long life of
the child.
x Along with the hair, they cut the kusa grass,
keeping a porcupine quill along with the
knife (to symbnolize sharpness)
x For each side shaving, there are special
mantras; East: health; south – fame; west –
logevity; north – intelligence.
x Then the cut hair is mixed with cow dung
and buried under a udumbara tree or
thrown far away.
x Then snAnam is performed!
The next major samskAra is the upanayana
samskAra. There are a few incidental rituals,
practiced by some before the upanayanam. One
is called karNa-vedha. Vidh – to pierce. In this
ritual, the ears are pierced and an ear orna-
ment is put.
From the Ayurvedic angle (Sushruta), it is be-
lieved that sun’s rays give good health, when
they pass through the holes of the ear. When
a metal like gold is used, it removes diseases
like hernia etc. Also, there are special nerve
centers (such as between eyebrows, temple
etc.) in various parts and they get activated.
Another ritual is vidyArambha or akshara- Source Material:
abhyAsa, where the child is initiated to alpha- 1. Hindu Samskaras, Rajbali Pandey, Motilal
bets. The tradition is to use rice or wheat and Banarasidass, Delhi, 1998.
practice the child to write on it with a golden
2. The Book of Samskaras, Prema Rasa Dasa,
pen! After prayers to the various deities, the
Bhakti Vedanta Book Trust International,
rice is cooked and offered to them and the
1977.
prasAdam is given to the child. This ritual is
done also on an auspicious day when the plan- 3. Lectures by Swami Paramarthananda,
ets are in favourable position, and the child Madras
will seek the blessings of the elders, the devatas
etc.

18
 Om, Sri Gurubhyo Namaha
Vaidika Samskaras (contd..,)
Dr. S. Yegnasubramanian
(Sections and sub-sections are numbered in continuation from the previous article)
In the previous article in Volume 4 No.
3&4 of Paramaartha Tattvam, we discussed the
four post-natal samskaras, namely, jAtakarma,
nAmakaraNa, annaprASana and cUDA karma.
We will now continue the discussion with the
e d u c a t i o n a l samskAras , s t a r t i n g f r o m
upanayanam.
4.3 Upanayanam (thread ceremony)
Among the educational samskaaras, the
foremost is upanayanam. Scriptural (vedic) edu-
cation starts only after this samskaara is
peformed and, as such, can be viewed as a pre-
educational samskaara also.
Upanayana samskAra is to be performed
for all three varNas – the brAhmaNas, the
kshatriyas, and the vaiSyas. Why is this
samskAra performed only for the three varNas?
According to scriptures, those who are not ini-
tiated, or those who do not perform the vaidika
samskAras even after initiation, are geneally
considered sUdras! (one should not confuse
this with the caste system).
Scriptures also suggest the time in which
this samskaara can be performed, which var-
ies with the varNa.
l For brahmaNas, the 8 th year (including
pregnancy) is suggested. The Spring sea-
son is considered ideal. The very function
of a brAhmaNa was only veda paThanam
(learning of vedas) and veda pAThanam
(teaching of vedas). A lot of study of the
entire SAstras was involved, such as, the
vedas, the vedAngas, the upAngas etc.
Spring– vasanta Ritu - is a mild season,
and as such the brAhmaNas were supposed
to be mild and not involved in aggressive
or violent activities.
16
l For kshatriyas, the eleventh year is sug-
gested including pregnancy (garbha-
EkAdaSa). The suggested season is Sum-
mer – grIshma Ritu. Their function is not
to protect the Sastras, but to know as much
to follow their dharma . Their vedic edu-
cation was also limited to that extent, since
they had a larger responsibility of protect-
ing the entire country, and the other three
varNas. They had additional education
such as, dhanur vidya, (archery and war-
fare), artha Sastra (economics) etc. Sum-
mer is a hot season and as such, the
kshatriyas were actively engaged in battles
etc. to protect the country, and to punish
the wicked to uphold dharma.
l For vaiSyas, the twelfth year including
pregnancy is suggested and the preferred
season is Autumn – Sarad Ritu. Their func-
tion was essentially commerce to assure a
sound economic basis for the country and
so, their vedic education was limited to
that much extent to know their dharma
adequately. They also had additional edu-
cation in commerce etc. The autumnal
seaon – just after the rains – stands for
prosperity, and was considered the pre-
ferred season for the upanayana samskAra
for the vaiSyas.
In addition, platenary positions and other as-
pects were also considered for the conduct of
this ritual by all the varNas.
4.3.1 Purpose of upanayanam
upanayanam marks the entry into a sec-
ond life and after the performance of this cer-
emony, the boy becomes a dvija:. (dve janmanI
yasya sa: dvija: - one who has got two janmas.
All the three varNas are known as dvijas.
What is meant by a second life?
Till upanayanam, only the physical per-
sonality alone was taken care of, and not the
inner personality. The life was similar to that
of animal only until this time with little devel-
opment of individuality, intellect, mind,
awareness of family, community etc. When the
child reaches the age of 7 or 8, the mind, in-
tellect etc. develop from that stage to a hu-
man stage with self-awareness etc. It is neces-
sary and critical to regulate and orient the per-
sonality in the right direction, at this time.
upanayanam is a samskAra which is meant to
mould the personality to become a responsible
human being – with several considerations
such as:
– Proper emotional personality; imbibing
of values - satyam vada (speak the truth);
dharmam cara (abide by dharma) etc. even
if the child does not understand and fol-
low for some time, he will realize the val-
ues later and grow with the right attitude
and emotion.
– Development of the intellect with the
right type of knowledge –viveka (dis-
crimination); vairAgya (dispassion) etc.
and development of a spiritual person-
ality.
– Physical discipline – getting up early,
cleanliness, etc.
– Knowledge of varNa dharma and
ASrama dharma – and the duties; re-
spect for others etc.
– Knowledge of the responsibility to the
society, to oneself, to the family etc.
So, the society and the individual are con-
sidered together in the building up of a right
personality of the child during growth. Entry
into such a life style is indicated by the
upanayana samskAra.
The ideal setting for this education was
the gurukula setting where the child can learn
without the emotional considerations,
17
pampering etc. of the parents, and will also be
able to learn through interaction with other
children.
The syllabus for this education is based
on the scritptures (vedas), which talk not only
of the purushArthas of the individual but also
the social well-being, duties to family, to soci-
ety etc.
Since the child leads a life based on the
learnings from the vedas, this life is called,
brahmacaryam – a way of life, devised by
brahma – the vedas. One who leads such a life
is called a brahmacArI.
There is also another meaning for this
term – Brahma refers to Para Brahman, and
so, brahmacaryam is a life style directed to-
wards brahmaNi carati or brahma vishaye or
brahma nimittam carati.
In summary, brahmacaryam has two
meanings:
1. a life style as prescribed in the vedas
2. a life style meant to reach brahmatvam
4.3.2 The word upanayanam
The word upanayanam has been de-
scribed in many ways. For example,
– the term upa means ‘near’ and nayanam
means ‘leading’. The word upanayanam
means ‘leading near’. It is a samskAra by
which a person is purified and made fit to
learn the vedas – OR vedam upanayanam
– to study vedas, the child goes to a guru and
so it can be described as gurum upanayanam
– Or, through this samskAra, the child is
coming closer to parabrahma and so can
be described as parabrahama-upanayanam
– Or, since the teacher utters the mantra –
aham upanaye – (I take the boy near my-
self), it is called upanayanam
Since the child learns the vedas from the
teacher, an ideal human being is born, and for
this birth, the Veda is the mother and the
teacher is the father.
 m;tu" ag[e ai/ jnnmß. i»tIy' m;w©IbN/n;tß .
t];Sy m;t; g;y]I ipt;tu a;c;yR ¯Cyte..
m;tu" ag[e ai/ jnnmß. First a non-refined indi-
vidual is born with human anatomy
i»tIy’ m;w­jIbN/n;tß the second birth takes place
in upanayanam referred by mounjI-bandhanam
t];Sy m;t; g;y]I (For the second birth – dvitIya
janmani), the mother is gAyatrI – refers to the
entire veda itself; so gAyatrI is taught first.
ipt;tu a;c;yR ¯Cyte the teacher is the father.
In summary, the purpose of the upanayanam
is two-fold:
1. It symbolizes entry in to gurukulam
2. It purifies the child to enter the
gurukulam to learn the gAyatrI mantra
and the vedas.
4.3.3 The upanayanam ritual
Generally the biological father does the
gAyatrI mantra upadeSam to the child, before
sending to the gurukulam and hence, plays the
role of the AcArya. Because of this, lot of dis-
cipline is prescribed to the father since the
mantra upadeSa will have more effect only
when the upadeSa kartA has more merit! If the
father has not been performing the
sandhyAvandanam etc. rituals regularly, at least
a few weeks before the ritual, he should re-
cite 1008 gAyatrIs every day along with the
sandhyAvandanam.
There are so many preparatory rituals
prescribed such as nAndI SrAddham (to propi-
tiate the ancestors), udakaSAnti,
puNyAhavAcanam (purificatory rites) etc. Also,
till now, the samskAras for the boy were done
by the father (jAtakarma, nAmakaraNa, etc.),
but now on, the child becomes responsible to
do all the rituals and so has to be purified.
Since this is considered a second birth,
in olden days, the child was asked to remain
silent in a separate room, symbolic of
garbhavAsa.
18
Since the AcArya is going to teach the
child, he keeps the child in his garbha, as it
were - for three nights - tam rAtrI: tisra: udare
bibharti ; and when the new brahmacArI is
born, all the devatas will come and be happy -
tam jAtam drushTum abhisamyanti devA: |
4.3.3.1 yajnopavIta dhAraNam – wearing
of the sacred thread
After these preparatory rites, the actual
ritual begins. The first ritual is yajnopavIta
dhAraNam – wearing of the sacred thread.
UpavItam – is the one that is worn
For what purpose? yajnAya - for the sake
of performing yajnas – sandhyAvandanam,
devayajnam, pitruyajnam, etc. – or dedicating
all actions as yajna.
The following samkalpam is made when
the yajnopavItam is worn
À;;wtSm;tR iviht sd;c;r inTykm;RnuÎ;nyoGyt;
is?yqRmß b[„;tej” ai&vO?yqR’
Who has initiated this?
y_opvIt’ prm’ piv]’ p[j;pte” yTshj’
purSt;tß a;yu-ymg[ßy’ p[itmu¨ xu&[‘
y_opvIt’ blmStu tej”
This yajnopavItam worn by (born with)
Brahmaji Himself first – sahajam –indicates
bondage and the boy will now on be bound by
the veda niyamas.
4.3.3.2 kumAra bhojanam – Joint meal
There is then another ritual known as
kumAra bhojanam – joint meal with other
brahmacArIs, friends etc. Then, vapanam
(shaving the head leaving the tuft) is conducted
which symbolizes the removal of all sins (hair
is symbolic of sins) followed by snAnam (bath-
ing). If the child has undergone the cUDA
karma earlier, this is only symbolic here.
4.3.3.2 samidh AdhAnam - Offering of
samidh to agni
Then a simple ceremony known as
samidh AdhAnam; the child dips a samidh in
ghee and offers to agni, praying him to be his
parent – pitA iva tvam raksha and also to give
him Ayushyam, Arogyam ca – long life, health
etc. – to fullfill his mission of doing vedic learn-
ing – veda adhyayanam.
4.3.3.3 asmArohaNam - climbing on stone
Then asmArohaNam – standing on the
stone - ceremony is performed. The teacher
asks the boy to stand on a stone and recites
the following mantra – “be firm and strong like
this stone”
a;itÎem’ aXm;n’ aXm; Ev Tv’ iSqro &v
Stone stands for strength and withstands any-
thing. The ritual is symbolic of not being af-
fected by the problems of life and to win over
all internal enemies.
4.3.3.4 vastra dhAraNam – wearing of new
clothes
Prayers are offered to several devatAs –
to protect the physical body and the subtle
body (the mind) - such as, the deity respon-
sible for cotton; the deities for weaving etc.,
starting from the deity RevatI.
There are mantras recited during wear-
ing the cloth. All these are done while stand-
ing on the stone. Prayers are offered to give
the ability to protect others and oneself, for
long life, prosperity, and to share the earnings
with others etc. The cloth should be tied prop-
erly – the navel should not be exposed. The
dress can be up to the knee only or sometimes,
up to the ankle.
4.3.3.5 brahmacarya lingAni – symbols of
the brahmacArI
There are several symbols to designate the
brahmacarya Asrama.
19
– MounjI mekhalA dhAraNam – wearing of
the girldle made of munjA grass around the
waist. Three strands of munjA grass are
braided and tied around the waist three
times clockwise.
– MekahlA is addressed as sister-deity and
mantra prays for protection of the body
(SarIra rakshA), for prANa-apAna balam (no
breathing problems etc.); saubhAgya
prApti: (for obtaining all auspiciousness);
tapas Sakti: (for ability to perform pen-
ance); freedom from enemies (internal and
external); freedom from selfishness etc.
– KrishNa-ajina-dhAraNam – wearing of
black deer-skin; mantras are recited and a
piece of deer-skin is tied to the thread
(though not supposed to be tied) – worn
while standing on the stone, with prayer
for tejas (brilliance), kIrti (fame), pushTi:
(nourishment) etc.
4.3.3.6 Purification of the child – anjali-
tIrtha-prokshaNam
In this ritual, the AcArya pours a handful
of water in to the hands of the student with
the recitation of mantras. When the water is
poured, it will fall down and the student will
sprinkle that water on himself. When the
AcArya holds the water, he invokes all his
mantra Sakti, tapas Sakti etc. and when it is
poured, he transfers all these Saktis to the
student, which wash off all the sins of the
student and render him pure.
During sprinkling, another mantra is re-
cited praying for a) the ability to observe
brahmacarya dharma in the gurukulam; b) no
misunderstanding between the teacher and the
student; c) healthy and happy life till the stu-
dent reaches the grihastASrama; d) for long life,
health etc. e) and most importantly –
amrutatvam asya – for immortality – the goal
of life. The teacher faces east and the student
faces the teacher.
 With these rituals, the student becomes
eligible to go ‘near’ the teacher and to receive
the initiation.
4.3.3.7 AcArya varaNam – choosing the
teacher:
First the deities, Surya, Agni, Soma are
invoked as the teachers. The AcArya holds
the hand of the child and recites mantras to
leave the child in the care of these deities. The
Sun god is supposed to say to the teacher to
take charge of the student in the name of these
deities. Now, the AcArya, as commanded by
the deities, will take the child near him.
devSyTv; sivtu” p[sve ¯pnye
devasya tvA savitu: prasave upa naye
Since the AcArya uses the expression
upanaye – the ritual came to be known as
upanayanam.
Having taken charge of the student, the
teacher prays for his welfare: “O, student, you
should come up very well, with good health,
brilliance, powerful and strong and should
have good children when you become a
grihastha”.
Then, a dialog happens between the
teacher and the student:
S: brahmacaryam agAm … Now I have taken
brahmacaryam; I am willing to follow all disci-
plines, meant for studying the Vedas, as com-
manded by the Sun god.
T: kO nAmAsi? What is your name?
T: kasya brahmacArI asi? You belong to whom?
S: prANasya brahmacArI asmi – I belong to the
paramAtman
Then the teacher says, “I am ready to take you
- May you not have “apamrutyu (untimely
death)”, etc.
The teacher prays to the Sun god to guide the
student.
20
4.3.3.8 upanayana homam, meant for prayers
to various deities, and the teacher asks for
various boons from each of these deities for
the student – for life, nourishment, strength,
health, digestion, motherly care, intellect etc.
Only after the student is prepared by these ritu-
als, he can be given the brahmopadeSam.
4.3.3.8 BrahmopadeSam
The term brahma refers to Vedas.
– Before starting veda adhyayanam, one sym-
bolic mantra is taught which is the gAyatrI
mantra
– The gAyatrI mantra derives its name be-
cause it is set in the gayatrI meter – which
has 8 syllables per line (pAda) and has three
pAdas
– It is also called sAvitrI mantra, after the
Sun god – the savitr devatA
Holding the feet of the AcArya, the student asks
– sAvitrIm anubrUhi – please teach me the
sAvitrI mantra.
Then the brahmopadeSam ritual is con-
ducted, with the mantra recited in the right
ear of the child – (gangA is supposed to be
present in the right ear); also the teacher, the
student and the parents are enclosed so that
this cannot be overheard. Since the upanayana
samskAra is considered as the second birth,
the enclosure also symbolizes garbhavAsam.
The teaching is done through a set procedure.
Then there are several other rituals like,
danDa dhAraNam (holding of the stick from
Palasa tree) – symbolic of the discipline that
the brahmacArI is supposed to follow; the child
prays for power of listening (since Vedas are
taught orally only) and is taught the mantras
in a particular format. He is asked to observe
things like a crow (kaaka-drushTi:); with at-
tention of a crane (baka-dhyAnam); never to
have deep sleep, like a dog (SvanidrA); meager
food (alpa AhAram); simple dress (jeerNa
vastram); These are called the characteristics
of the student (etat vidyArthi lakshaNam)
 Since this ritual marks a transformation
from a rAga-dvesha based life to a sAstra based
life, the brahmacAri is allowed to understand
the gravity of this change by observing cer-
tain behaviors such as, silence for three days,
eating less, sleeping on the ground etc. On the
fourth day, a small pujA is performed praying
for :
– SraddhA in Vedas, and
– MedhA Sakti – to study the Vedas by
heart – grahaNa-dhAraNa paThitvam – to
absorb and retain.
Then on, study of Vedas/SAstras is taken up
in the gurukulam.
4.4 Educational samskAras – catvAri
vedavratAni – Four vratas
To study the Vedas, the duration prescribed
is as follows:
1. All four Vedas – 48 years
2. Three Vedas – 36 years
3. Two Vedas – 24 years
4. One Veda – 12 years
Vedavratam is a worship to be done to the pre-
siding deity of the Vedas;
– For each veda, this may vary
– Let us take the example of yajurveda
o Has seven kANDas –sections
o Each section has a presiding Rishi,
known as kANDa Rishi:, and the sections
are named after them; they are:
1. prAjApatya kANDam
2. soumya kANDam
3. Agneya kANDam
4. vaiSvadeva kANDam
Before the beginning of the study of each of
these kANDas, and at the conclusion, a ritual
is performed to worship the presiding deity of
the respective kANDas. Since 8 worships are
involved – two per kANDa (at the beginning
and at the end), these rituals are also known
as ashTavratAni. After the performance of these
rituals, the study in the gurukulam is supposed
to be complete. Today, this practice is not fol-
lowed at all! They are all merged together and
21
performed as one brief ritual, just before the
marriage!
4.5 Conclusion of gurukula education
and returning back home –
samAvartanam
The conclusion ceremony of the gurukula edu-
cation and the returning back to home, is
marked by a ritual known as avabhruta snAnam
– a bathing ritual, with special prayers,
prAyascittam etc. This is also coupled with a
few non-vaidika rituals like, shaving, trimming
nails etc. Several of the disciplines imposed
during brahmacaryam are also relaxed – for
example, the daNDa (stick), mekhala (belt made
of kuSa grass) are removed and certain luxu-
ries are allowed – like use of slippers, mirror,
perfumes, etc!!
One who has done the samAvartana ritual is
called snAtaka:. If he has done vedavratam and
avabhruta snAnam, he is called, veda-vrata-
snAtaka:.
Once he comes out of the brahmacarya ASrama,
he will enter in to the next ASrama, known as
grihasthASrama. He takes permission from the
teacher, does samAvartana snAnam, and
marries.
gu™,; anumt” Sn;Tv; sm;vOÆ;o yq;ivi/
¯»ehTi»jo &;y;R’ sv,;R’ l=,;iNvt;mß..
One should not be without an ASrama at any
time; if so, prAyascittam has to be done; the
Sastras say,
an;À;mI n itÎeTtu =,’ Akmip i»j”
a;À;me, ivn; itÎnß p[;yiÁÆ;Iyte nrw”..
Since it is not practical to get married immedi-
ately after the samAvartana snAnam ritual (a
suitable girl has to be found; other logistics
have to be worked out etc.), this ritual was
kept pending. Once the marriage is fixed, then
this ritual was performed, mostly on the day
of marriage itself!!
This concludes one of the most important
samskAras, the upanayana samskAra and the
following educational samskAras. We will con-
tinue the discussion with the marriage ritual
– vivAha samskAra - in the next article.
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 Om, Sri Gurubhyo Namaha

Vaidika Samskaras (contd..,)

S. Yegnasubramanian

(Sections and sub-sections are numbered in continuation from the previous article)

In the previous article in Volume 5 No. 3&4 of i. D"\SQuE>g\BwLearning in brahma-carya

Paramaartha Tattvam, we discussed one of the ASrama and teaching in grihastha –ASrama,
most important samskAras, the vivAha to maintain the guru-Sishya paramparA, is
prescribed. If cannot teach, one should
samskAra, which is the fourteenth samskAra of perform a ritual at least, known as
the forty-one samskAras mentioned in the first brahmayajna, which is a nitya karma.
article of this series (Paramaartha tattvam, vol. 4
ii. LSW2\B6WXWS5PÁPerformance of tarpaNa
No. 1, Jan-Mar 2002). We will continue the
during amAvAsya etc. occasions, to worship
discussion with the rest of the samskAras in the ancestors.
this article. All the discussions are based on
iii. KRPRGHYw- Offering oblations to devatas like
tradition and scriptures; several of them are
Indra, agni, varuNa etc in hom, to express
seldom in practice these days. our gratitude to the natural forces and seek
their blessings.
The samskAras after vivAha are not popular
today. As was noted earlier, the vivAha iv. ELO 5ZWw- bhUtayajna – or vaiSvadeva – to
samskAra is the 14 th
samskAra. There are 26 protect birds and animals.
more samskAras which are highly ritualistic. v. Q2\BwDLWLTS8MQPÁ- Respect for other
However, for the sake of completeness, we humans in society.
will outline them briefly in this article.
PancamahAyajna is a very important samskAra
The remaining 26 samskAras can be broadly for a grihastha.
classified in to four categories:
As mentioned above, three groups of seven
1. panca-mahA-yajnas 5 yajnas each are also prescribed as part of the
2. sapta-pAka-yajnas 7 forty samskAras. All these are fire-rituals and
3. sapta-havir-yajnas 7 are very seldom done these days. Before
4. sapta-soma-yajnas 7 discussing these twenty one rituals, it is useful
Total 26 to understand a few details.
During the vivAha samskAra, a particular fire
6. panca-mahA-yajnas : There is a nice sloka
ritual known as vivAha homa is performed.
which gives all the five mahAyajnas.
That vivAha-homa-agni is supposed to be
D"\SQ
E>g\B preserved till a person dies or takes to
LSW2\B6WXWS5PÁ sannyAsa. All the above mentioned 21 yajnas
are to be performed in that agni alone. (At the
KRPRGHYw
time of sannyAsa, the person renounces all
ELO 5ZWw karma and gives up all agnis, and so is called
Q2\BwDLWLTS8MQPÁ nirAgni.)

21
The grihastha is supposed to perform a nitya
karma known as aupAsana, twice a day, in that
agni (This ritual can be considered as a
replacement of samidh AdhAnam.). The same
agni is used for all the later samskAras of the
children – upnayana, vivAha etc. – and other
karmas, like SrAddha etc. When the son gets
married, the father’s vivAha agni goes to the
son, and so, is supposed to be maintained
eternally.
Since these agni samskAras are connected with
the well being of the family, it is called grihya
agni. This will vary from family to family; for
example, for Rigvedis, it is prescribed by the
AswalAyana grihya sutras; for yajurvedis, by the
Apasthamba griya sutras; for sAmavedis, by the
gobila griha sutras etc. These rituals are not
given in Sruti (the Vedas), but prescribed by the
Rishis in grihya sutras – from smritis. Since
rituals prescribed in the smritis are performed
in this agni, it is also called smArta agni, grihya
agni, aupAsana agni etc.
It is in this smArta agni, the first set of seven
pAka yajnas are performed.
7. sapta- pAka-yajnas :
These involve the offering of cooked grains in
the form of a gruel, and are done at different
times, and frequencies:
i. sthAlI pAkam – twice a month
ii. pArvaNam - once a month
iii. ashTakA – once a year
iv. caitrI, - once a year
v. AsvayajI – once a year
vi. SrAvNI - 4 months in an year –
(August to November).
vi. AgrahAyaNI - conclusion of SrAvaNI
once a year.
Immediately after vivAha, the first of the seven
pAkayajnas, namely, sthAlIpAka, is intitiated.
22
As was mentioned earlier, the vivAha agni is
also known as smArta agni. This agni is
maintained in a circular kuNDa. A portion of
this agni is taken to perform vedic rituals –
srauta karmas – and is called srauta agni. The
fourteen yajnas, namely the sapta-havir-yajnas
and sapta-soma-yajnas, which are prescribed in
the Vedas, are performed in the srauta agni,
which should be preserved all the time.
Elaborate procedures are given regarding the
use of this agni for the performance of the 14
rituals. The yAgSAla is also known as a
“devayajna”. The kalpa-sutras contain a
description of it, not omitting minute details.
There are altars called “cayanas” to be built
with bricks. (There are no cayanas for havir
and pAkayajnas. ) Several kinds of ladles are
used in making offerings in the fire, “tarvi”,
“sruk” and “sruva” etc.
The srauta agni is like the master of the griha –
the grihapati - is supposed to protect from all
calamities etc. and so is called the gArhapatya
agni This is divided in to three, before the
ritual. On the eastern side, a square kuNDa is
established and a portion of the gArhapatya
agni is transferred. There are prescriptions
regarding the size of the kuNDa, the size of the
bricks etc. This agni is called Ahavaneeya agni.
On the southern side of the gArhapatya agni
another kuNDa – semicircular in shape – is
established. Another portion of fire from the
gArhapatya agni is transferred to this kuNDA
and is called dAkshiNAgni:
srauta agni
Ahavaneeya gArhapatya dAkshiNA
agni agni agni
Since the smArta agni is never divided, it is also
called ekAgni, and, since the srauta agni is
divided in to three, it is also called tretAgni.
Most of the srauta rituals are done in the
Ahavaneeya agni. No ritual is actually done in
the gArhapatya agni and is only a witness. After
the performance of the ritual, the Ahavaneeya
agni and dAkshiNAgni are joined back in to
gArhapatya agni.
When a person dies, his cremation is
performed using the srauta agni. The smArta
agni is preserved for the wife. When the
husband dies first, he will use up the srauta
agni, and the smarta agni will be used to
cremate the wife, which is supposed to give
her svarga loka. If the wife dies first as a
sumangali, part of the srauta agni will be used
for her, which is believed to give her brahma
loka. One should remember that these rituals
are prescribed in the karma kANDa, only for
those who are not jnAnis!
8. sapta-havir-yajnas
Thses are supposed to be performed in the
Ahavaneeya agni. The seven yajnas are:
i. agni AdhAnam - Division in to three; this
division itself is a ritual; done only once. It
has to be maintained. If it goes off,
prAyascittam is to be done!
ii. agnihotra – a daily ritual
iii. darSa-pUrNa-mAsa performed twice a
month – on amAvAsya and poorNimA days
iv. AgrayaNa – once a year. - The above 4
rituals are small rituals, done, mostly,
within the house.
v. cAturmAsya – different from what
sannyAsIs observe. This ritual is performed
three times in an year, once every four
months.
23
vi. nirUDha-paSubandha –The 6th and the 7th
rituals are done in a very big scale,
generally, once an year, outside the house.
vii. sautrAmanI once a year. The last three
haviryajnas - cAturmasya, nirudhapa-
Subandha and sautrAmani - are performed
in a yAgasAla.
9. sapa-soma-yajnas
In these yajnas, soma juice is offered with the
chanting of sAma veda in high pitch. All are
very big yajnas and are done outside the house,
for the benefit of the entire country. The seven
yajnas are:
i. agnishtoma or jyotishtoma
ii. atyagnishtoma
iii. uktyam
iv. shoDasI
v. vAjapeya
vi. atirAtra
vii. AptoryAma
It is generally observed that one does aupAsana
and agnihotra daily, and the rest, at least once
in a life time.
During vivAha, the first smArta yajna, namely,
sthAlI pAka, and the first srauta yajna, agni
AdhAna are initiated. Among the 21 yajnas, the
seven pAka yajnas are done in smArta agni and
the remaining 14 are done in srauta agni, till
death or till becoming a sannyAsI!
As already mentioned, the daksiinAgni and the
Ahavaniyaagni are made from the
gArhapatyAgni. When srauta rites for the
fathers have been performed in the
dakhsinAgni and other srauta rites in the
AhavaniyAgni, the two fires no longer have the
exalted name of “srautAgni” and are just like
any other ordinary fire and they have to be
extinguished. Only the gArhapatya and
aupAsana fires are to be kept burning
throughout.
On every prathama (first day of the lunar
fortnight), a pAkayajna and a haviryajna have to
be performed in the grhyAgni and srautagni
respectively. The first is called sthAlipAka.
“Sthali” is the pot in which rice is cooked and it
must be placed on the aupasana fire and the
rice called “caru” cooked in it must be offered
in the same fire. The rite that is the basis of
many others (the archetype or model) is called
“prakrti”. Those performed after it, but with
some changes, are known as “vikrti”. For the
sarpabali called sravani and the pAkayajna
called agrahayani, sthAlipaka is the prakrti.
The haviryajna performed on every prathama is
“darSa-pUrNa-ishTi”, “darSa” meaning the new
moon and “pUrNa” the full moon. So the
“ishTis” or sacrifices conducted on the day
following the new moon and the full moon (the
two prathamas) are together given the name of
darSa-pUrNa-ishTi. The two rituals are also
referred to merely as “ishTi”. This is the prakrti
for haviryajnas.
For soma sacrifices “agnistoma” is the prakrti,
the word “stoma” also meaning a sacrifice.
One who performs an elaborate sacrifice like a
somayajna is called a “yajva”, “eeikshita” or
“makhin”. And one who conducts the greatest
of the somayajnas, vaajapeya, is known as a
“vaajapeyin”. Sacrifices are called variously
“kratu”, “makha”, “ishti”, “stoma”, “samsta”.
There are some difference between these.
The person who performs the yajna is called
the yajamana and those who perform the
sacrifice for him are called rtviks (priests) who
consist of the hota (Rg veda priest), adhvaryu
(yajurveda priest) udgAta (sAma veda priest) and
brahmA (atharva veda priest)
24
In pAkayajnas there are no rtviks; the
householder (as the yajamAna) performs the
rites with his wife. In haviryajnas there are four
rtviks and the yajamAna. But the udgAta’s place
is taken by the agnidhra. The udgAta is the one
who sings the sAman. It is only in somayajnas
that there is sAmagAna, not in haviryajnas. In
cAturmasya and pasubandha there are more
than the usual number of priests
In somayajnas, there is the full complement of
priests - the hota, the adhvaryu, the udgAta and
the brahmA. Each priest is assisted by three
others. So in all there are sixteen priests in a
somayajna. agnistoma which is the first of the
seven somayajnas is the prakrti (archetype) and
the other six are its vikrti. These six are:
atyagnistoma, uktya, soDasi, vaajapeya, atiraatra
and AptoryAma.
In the old days a Brahmin used all his wealth
in performing the somayajna. Much of this was
spent in dakshiNa to the priests and the rest for
materials used in the sacrifice. There was also
a time when even poor Brahmins performed
this sacrifice every spring ( “ vasante vasante “)
by begging! A Brahmin who conducted the
sacrifice every year was thus called “prati-
vasanta-somayAjin.
10. Final samskAra – antyeshTi
The final samskAra after death (obviously
performed by the son or other near relative), is
antyeshTi – antya ishTi –final yAga.
The individual offered so many things during
the 40 rituals all through the life. Finally, the
body itself is offered to the agni.
It is believed, that, after death, if the person
has to get a better life in the next janma, the
person should be purified of all sins and the
fire does the purification.
The cremation is not performed for sannyAsI,
essentially for two reasons:
i. At sannyAsa, the person has given up agni
ii. the sannyAsa ASrama itself is a great fire of
purification and so agni samskAra is not
needed. If the person happens to be a
jnAni also, there is no need for any
samskAra – no question of reaching higher
loka etc.
@\uD¢PuFNX\5WÁGKLGNwL€\w
For the three Asramas, dahanam etc. rituals are
done; and
\WHwLNLŠ©NW59\u
for, sannyAsIs, nothing is to be done as
samskAra;
Not only that, there is no one need to do karma
for him, and he never does karma to any one.
QFD1\H:uNURLWVw
Why? Because a jnAnI is akartA!
All the samskAras are needed only when one
depends on something or some body for
purification. When the jnAnI himself or herself
if pure, the jnAna agni will remove all
impurities.
From the hygiene point of view, cremation
seems to be a good choice to destroy germs etc.
which may affect others.
At the time of death, the person is supposed to
remember God. If cannot, others recite God’s
names, Gita, Upanishad etc.
Giving gifts – dAnam – is considered very
noble and sacred; is done immediately after
death, by others.
25
Near the dead-body, certain rituals are
performed, including a homa, as a prayer and
for the safe journey of the subtle body. The son
takes the srauta agni; the cremation ground is
purified; there are rules regarding the type of
wood; the body is bathed and new dress is put
on – symbolic of leaving this body as a old
cloth and taking on another body as a new
cloth. Several mantras are recited for the
various limbs to go back to the corresponding
total divinities – the eyes will go back to the
Sun God; the ears will go back to the
directional deities etc. The day following
cremation, the bones are collected –
sancayanam karma- and thrown in to the river.
An elaborate ritual lasting 13 days is
performed. GaruDa purANa is recited so that
the departed soul will be guided by the proper
devatAs and reach the proper desitination.
Rituals are performed for 12 days to develop
various organs: For example,
1st day Development of body, head
2nd day sense organs, brain, etc
10th day Loses its preta status
11th day prayer for the well being of the
jiva in the next janma
12th day the jiva to join the pitr loka
- sapinDIkaraNam – the term
piNDa (rice ball) symbolizes
Sareeram– which is merged with
the ancestors.
If the person has done puNya
himself or herself, he/she will
attain good janma; if not, the
rituals are supposed to enable
getting one.
13th day forget the past; start with an
auspicious note – Subham
On the 13th day, the asaucam (or uncleanliness)
is believed to go away. There are essentially
two aspects regarding asaucam:.
1. From the medical stand point – germs etc.
are likely to be with the intimate visitors,
who are essentially close relatives; like a
quarantine, the spreading is minimized.
grihya sutras also give a lot of details.
2. Mental shock and du:kham remain. With
frustration and sorrow, a person will have
only dislike and so is given time to get
over that.
However, there are some exceptions for
asaucam – for example, brahmacarIs, sannyAsIs,
and one, in the midst of an yAga, even if a
grihastha, do not have asaucam.
Our scriptures have prescribed these
samskAras to facilitate a person to attain the
eight great virtues – Atma guNas, which are:
1. G\- Compassion, sensitivity to others etc.
2.
L1Wwpatience, forbearnce, capacity to face
provoking situations without getting
agitated
3. DQV8\absence of jealousy
4. [ZFPÁpurity internally and externally
DQ\Vwabsence of tension / anxiety
6. DNS5\PÁ absence of miserliness
helplessness
7. D6S2Kabsence of attachment
8.PuJOPÁauspiciousness / DQ1Gw
Absolute DQ1Gw requires Atma-jnAnam. But one
can get relative quietitude through the practice
of these. When a person is endowed with the
above AtmaguNas, he becomes an adhikArI –
the eligible – for vedAnta and for the ultimate
knowledge. Endowed with the Knowledge, the
person has no worry about next life, krama
muktI, svarga loka etc. Such a person is pUrNa:
and lives with the awareness aham brahma
asmi. Thus the samskAras lead to AtmaguNas
which give adhikAritvam to gain Knowledge
which gives liberation – moksha. If a person
does not get the AtmaguNas in this life, with
the antyeshTi samskAra, it is hoped that one
will get them in the next life!!
This concludes a cursory discussion of all the
41 vaidika samskAras.
Source Material:
1. Hindu Samskaras, Rajbali Pandey, Motilal
Banarasidas, Delhi, 1998.
2. The Book of Samskaras, Prema Rasa Dasa,
Bhakti Vedanta Book Trust International,
1977.
3. Lectures by Swami Paramarthananda,
Madras.
or 4. Hindu Dharma, Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan
1995.
26