Religion - - Posted on October, 23 at 1:26 pm
Indians believe that every important event of one’s life has to be sanctified with rituals. These rituals are called Samskaras. The word literally means to purify or to cleanse. The word suggests that the ritual purifies a person before he enters a new phase of his life. The total number of Samskaras varies according to various cultural groups. But the 16 most important rituals are identified by almost everybody. The rituals related to conception are - Garbhadhana, Punsavana and Simantonnayana, Those related to the birth and wellbeing of a child are - Jatakarma, Chudakarma or Chaula, Annaprashana and Namakarana. As a grown up he has to perform- Upanayana, Vivaha, Agnihotra and Antyeshti, the last rite.
The rituals connected with Samskaras contain both secular and religious ceremonies. There are certain common elements in all the sixteen. Agni or fire, for instance, is an invariable constituent of the functions. It personifies the living god, the patriarch of the home. It is Grahapati or lord of the house, protecting the members of the household. He is also the Sakshi or the witness. He is the link between the gods and mortals. Where there is fire, there is always water or God Varuna thus sanctified water is sprinkled or sipped to wash away impurities and sins. The prayer is the next element. According to the objective of the ritual the prayers request for good health, knowledge, a healthy child and so on. The prayers are coupled with Ashirvada or blessings from the priests and elders. Each ritual has its own rules about the day, time, Nakshatras (constellation) and direction.
A lot of symbolism is connected with the Samskaras. For example the Kalasha or the pot filled with water, symbolises life, The stone symbolises stability, Durva grass is a symbol of growth of the family and so on. Today because of the fast-paced, urban style of life not all Samskaras are strictly followed.
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