Vivahamantra With Meanings In English

Email

Whatsapp

Facebook

Pinterest

Twitter

Copy link

In the Hindu tradition (to be more appropriate, the Sanatana Dharma), every person has to undergo certain purificatory rites called samskāras during his/her lifetime. The word samskāra means adding desirable qualities and removing deficiencies. Samskäras, or the Hindu rites of passage, according to the ancient sage Panini, are the ornaments that decorate one's personality. They mark important stages of one's life and enable one to live a life with happiness and contentment. They pave the way for one's physical and spiritual journey throughout life. It is believed that the various Hindu samskäras meticulously lead to ablution of one's sins, vices and faults. The belief is that they even serve for correction of physical deformities. The Upaniṣads mention samskāras as a means to grow and prosper in all four aspects of human pursuit Dharma (righteousness), Artha (wealth), Kāma (pleasure), and Mōkşa (salvation).

Paramācārya has explained the meaning of samskāra in a very simple way. What is karma? It means work. Suppose you have to make a vēști (dhōtī), there are a number of processes. The cotton has to be gathered from the field; it has to be cleaned and spun into yarn; then the yarn has to be woven into cloth and dyed. In the same way a man has to realise the Atman through a series of rituals. Karma has to be performed in such a way as to purify him both outwardly and inwardly. Such a karma is called samskāra.

That which removes the impurities from an object, takes away all the bad or evil elements, or imparts good qualities to it, is samskāra. For instance, we talk of "kēśa samskāra". It means shaving or delousing and applying oil to the hair. Samskāra is like combing the hair and applying oil to it.