»It is not possible for the living being to BE HAPPY without rendering transcendental loving service unto the Supreme Lord.« (Introduction to Bhagavad-gita As it is)
SAMSKARAS AND CEREMONIES IN VEDIC HINDU TRADITION
PERSPECTIVE OF SANATANA-DHARMA
What is life in connection to samskaras and ceremonies?
Short and simple answer could be, a sacrifice (yajña).
A person is born, grows, matures, works, succeeds, marries, gets children, associates with friends and relatives, faces diseases and old age. Finally this person dies. Some traditions name this event as a soul leaving the body.
»« (Bhagavat-gita 2.13)
The Vedic Hindu scriptures are wealthy, because they include exact explanations, directions on, how to live piously and contently. Further, the Vedic content holds all knowledge, yajñas, and process, how to advance spiritually, and stop the samsara (repeated cycle of death and birth).
Introduction
Bharatavarsa, the ancient Indian heritage is so famous. The acaryas of Vedic wisdom explain, how rich, beneficial, and spiritual is that tradition. To be born there is a very special opportunity for a soul. It’s a blessing and great privilege for a true pious life.
There are many people from Bharatavarsa, who live in different parts of the world, and carry on this profound tradition to the West. They share it with other fortunate souls, who become most attracted to Vedic tradition.
Gandhi Mahatma loved Gita and advocated the Gita to be the central book for all the humanity. The content is not only about some samskaras, yajñas, sacrifices. Gita is like a very practical modern manual for highly cultured, spiritual, and most civilized human beings.
In last century, an empowered great saint spread Hinduism and Vedic knowledge all over the globe. It’s Srila Prabhupada.
BG 3.21
There are many contemporaries, who feel the impulse and represent profound teachings of Bharatavarsa to the rest of the World. One of them is Narenda Modi, the prime minister of India.
The Vedic – Hindu tradition is known for many scriptures, like The four Vedas and Puranas. They prescribe and describe the beneficial ceremonies for each human being.
There exist some other synonyms for ceremonies, such as rite, custom, ritual. Hindu tradition sometimes uses the word samskara (or sankar) in a general meaning as a ceremony.
In truth, the samskaras are much more. The ritual is a custom, performed by a common procedure in a specific life situation. It can be an individual rite, family celebration, local custom, or even national ritual, festivity. In each case, it’s rather a social event. People gather, they know the general meaning of it, celebrate together according to the festivity, get some food and inspiration, and leave. Until the next oppotunity for festival or celebration comes, in due time.
Such social rites make people’s life more joyful. Festivities are opportunity to make a pause in daily duties and responsibilities. It’s a break and relief from regular daily work. Vaisnavas say, that they fill up spiritual batteries at such events as Janmastami, Rama Navami, Holi, vivaha, arati, sankirtana, puja, Gita Jayanti etc. Some celebrations are meant for individual’s advancement in life (garbhadana, nama-karana, antyesthi, etc.), and others festivities are meant rather for the whole public (Divali, Govardhana puja, Radhastami, Gaura purnima, harinama, etc.).
bg 18.65
Benefits and deep meaning of samskaras
In Hindu – Vedic perspective, the samskaras are rites, performed at a specific life events. This are milestones, few really important life stages. They are common to all people.
Such life periods start with significant events. Few examples are birth, first grain consumption for a baby, entering school, starting puberty, taking higher education, graduating, surrendering to guru, finding a job, wedding, building a house, receiving children, executing grhastha duties, retire from work and householder life – vanaprastha, some take a sannyasa vow, and finally each living being gets through diseases and old age. The last station of life is death (mrtyu). BG 2.22
Which destination will reach the soul, after leaving the body?
Bg 8.6.
Due to reincarnation and karma, the soul can get another body (samsara).
Relatives of the departed soul usually perform sraddha ceremony and harinama. Based on that and dead person’s karmic activities, the soul can move on to heavenly planets of demigod Indra. There are about 33 millions demigods. In Hindu tradition the most prominent ones are Ganes, Gauri (Durga), Brahma, Siva (having most exalted position as a pure devotee of the Lord), etc.
If fortunate enough, the soul can return back home, back to Godhead. This is the spiritual abode of Sri Krsna, Govinda, Caitanya, Rama, Narayana, Visnu, Vasudeva.
Bg 8.5
God is only one, the Supreme Lord, is stated in the Vedas.
At the same time, He has unlimitedly many names, also in other traditions of the world. People may call Him Allah, Jehova, God, Mukunda, Gopala, Madhava.
The essence of each faith (religon) is to learn, how to love God and His authentic followers (saints like Muhammad, Jesus, Sankara, Ramanuja, Madhva, Nimbarka, Vallabha, Jiva, Narottama, Baladeva Vidyabhusana, Bhaktivinoda Thakura, Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati, Srila Prabhupada, Nitya Lila Om Vishnupada Shri Shrimad Bhakti Vaibhava Puri Goswami Maharaj etc.).
Finally, each human being has a duty, to learn to love (in a healthy way) oneself as well.
This will make an individual feel happy. When people are content and joyful, they can easily share it with others with enthusiasm.
Samskaras can be a main pillar to support a person in becomming happy, all the while maintaining the body and life’s duties.
Sb 4.8.41
Samskaras support the humans (jivas) in growing, maturing, and spiritually advancing.
These can result in loving oneself more (not selfishly). A person learns, how to turn kama into prema.
Another benefit of samskaras could be, that an individual will open the heart for others. A person feels jiva daya, compassion towards other living beings.
CC Adi 8.62
Crucial benefit of samskaras rituals can result in love of Godhead, Bhakti or Krsna-prema.
Vaisnavas love to take part in samskara ceremonies. It’s a golden opportunity to make sacrifices (yajñas), like homa, puja, arati, or abhiseka, to satisfy the Lord.
Devotees sing the glories of the Lord. They recite many mantras and stotras, just to please Bhagavan. They can serve (vaisnava seva) other devotees, guru, and sadhus. Together they can read and hear stories about Rama, Krsna, and Visnu (sravanam, kirtanam).
On the individual level, a samskara is like a passage, getting a person from one stage of life to another. An example can be a vivaha ceremony.
In Hindu tradition, a couple would marry at a rather early age. Typically, parents from both sides would make arrangements, astrological compatibility charts, find the auspicious date of the ritual, etc.
Suddenly the groom and bride come from a protective stage of live, where parents were in charge for mostly everything.
After vivaha ceremony, the young couple starts living together. Now husband and wife learn to love and respect each other, to forgive unwanted emotions, deeds. They encourage one another, become grateful for mutual companionship, and put God in center of their life. That’s only about the relationship between themselves.
Bg 10.9.
Next, couple goes to work (arta). After a while, children are born. Work (svadharma) and raising putras bring a lot of duties, obligations and responsibilities. Couple learns to become resillient to all these life events. Resilience is gained by experience and determination to succeed. Which isn’t always pleasant or easy. Here jumps in the immense support of samskaras. Individuals perform samskaras, to get spiritual and divine support for many life situations. Couple invites family and friends to get collective support, help, wings of enthusiasm, to go on in life more smoothly.
One will remember the samskara as something special, a heartfelt event with memories. The family, guru, priests, and friends are thereby giving blessings (asirvadah), and support person in an ongoing life. Because the future brings unknown events and various challenges. They are all meant for personal development, learning, how to cope with them.
Finally, life is conditioned by laws of karma, but fortunately supported by dharma (prescribed duties). Dharmic or Vedic scriptures teach, what has to be done, and how it should be performed.
Bg 3.31
Hinduism carries on a lot of knowledge, how to practically live piously. How can a human train the body, mind, soul. How can community be of help. Scriptures like Dharmasastras, Manusamhita (Manusmrti), Srimad-Bhagavatam, Krsnabook, Narada-pancaratrika, etc, teach people, what to avoid in life. They prescribe, which activities are beneficial (and which aren’t) for a person, community, or even nation.
Psychologically, samskaras make a deep memory of a nice and spiritual event with well-wishers.
This memory takes place in the heart, and in the mind of an individual. The mind is awareness of oneself. It includes also subconsciousness, where personal imprints and impressions of live are stored. In the subconsciousness are stored all the samskaras of previous lifetimes, and events of present life as well.
All the emotional memories, imprints, impressions of present life, are remembered in one’s heart.
They can be nice, bitter, encouraging, spiritual, disappointing, positive, constructive, and sweet.
In each case, this mental and remarkable imprints, are stored in the subconscious mind. As such, they will be carried on to the next lifetime(s), when the soul will leave present body and transmigrate to another body. This is described in the BG 2.13
To conclude, samskara ceremony is a rite, where people basically gather for the benefit of an individual, who gives a certain vow (sankalpa), to move on from one stage of life to another. Usually, this happens by the blessings of family, priests, and friends.
The priest (brahmana) will make on the day of samskara different sacrifices (yajñas). To name few, it could be fire yajña, nama yajña, stotra yajña, puja yajña, arati yajña, etc.
The main figure is the person, who is just about to enter into a new life situation, a meaningful change is about to happen. It can be a graduating brahmacari, or a couple before marriage, or a new born child. In each case, this individual needs and seeks support, blessings (asirvadah), and help from others.
Main attraction in samskara ceremonies usually turns to the vows (sankalpas). These are mentally the most special moments. The couple might vow eternal love, chastity, protection, loyalty. The brahmacari can promise to sincerely follow the instructions of a guru, etc. The Vedic Hindu scriptures recommend, to make sankalpa as an offering unto the Lord, for His pleasure.
To conclude just any rite in a most civilized way, the main human actor of the current samskara begs for blessings. This jiva is usually seeking blessings from elders like parents, friends, sadhus, spiritual master, relatives (pitras), or neighbors.
Very beneficial can be blessings of the demigods like Siva, Gauri, Santi, Agni, Ganes, etc. In this regard some pujas can be conducted in different Hindu local communities.
However, the vaisnavas prefer to seek the highest blessings, of guru and the Lord. These blessing will help one, to remember the Lord in the last moment of life. Vaisnavas start this proces of remembering the Lord by daily singing Hare Krsna maha-mantra.
Bg 8.5.
That’s why devotees will perform samskaras with the Supreme Bhagavan in the center of each ceremony. Vaisnavas choose to praise and glorify their God, their Lord, their best Well-wisher.
Devotees conduct all rituals according to this basic Vedic principle: all is done for the satisfaction of the Lord, and not for their personal satisfaction.
In this way, vaisnavas offer each samskara ceremony, all the yajñas, stotras, pujas, abhishekas, aratis, chanting mantras, to their Lordship, for His pleasure .
The very last part of samskaras is mainly the sweetest, literally. It’s feasting prasadam, vegeterian food, offered to the Lord.
Next comes the conclusion of each ceremony.
Assembled guests can follow social and local customs in the form of singing, dancing, humorus games, some traditional post-samskara rites, playing ancient instruments, etc. It’s partially a cultural tradition of a Hindu Vedic society.
Some people might come to a samskara ceremony out of duty, out of fun. Maybe they want to show their new car, dress, or haircut. That’s fine, as long as they remain connected to the codes of civilized behavior, and remain well-wishers of others.
Instead, vaisnavas treasure the original meaning of samskaras. This ceremonies are primarily holy rituals, which purify the heart of the involved person. This is an opportunity for spiritual advancement, to get one step more closer to the Lord.
When the a certain samskara was performed and concluded, the main actor enters a new phase of life. Until the next event, when a new samskara will be conducted. Probably the same guests will be invited to the occasion. Yet another period of life will start for this individual.
A human being can gain many benefits through samskara ceremony. It depends, in which state of mindset is the person. The benefits of samskaras depend also on dharmic determination, and spiritual sincerety (advancement) of the individual. Finally, it’s the blessings of guru, God, and saints, that will empower the person for future life.
Sometimes people joke and say, that the main point of a samskara ceremony is receiving nice gifts. Of course, this is commonly an integral part of the samskara ritual.
Again, vaisnavas prefer to contemplate it in a spirit of Rupa Gosvami, a great saint from the 16th century, from Vrindavana:Nectar of instruction, verse 4
CITAT
Historical overview and evolution on samskaras, rituals
The vaisnava traditions and their represantatives
The Vedic scriptures are the oldest on planet Earth and even in this universe. They descend directly from the spiritual world into this material planet in the form of transcendental literature.
The sage Vyasadeva wrote four Vedas (Rg, Yajur, Sama, Atharva), Srimad-Bhagavatam, Puranas, and Mahabharata. Different vaisnava acaryas agree, that Vyasadeva is Krsna’s incarnation in the form of spiritual literature.
Ganes wrote down these scriptures by the dictate of Sri Vyasadeva in Badrinatha more than 5000 years ago. Otherwise, Ganes is the son of Parvati and Siva. Less known is his servitor attitude towards his Master, Sri Nrsimhadeva. In reality, it’s Lord Nrsimha, who removes obstacles in the life of every living entity. Ganes is only His humble instrument and servant, acting on behalf of His eternal Master Nrsimhadeva.
There are few evidences that all other ancient texts on this planet originate from the Vedas. This is wast research topic, to be more explored and elaboreted in the future. The focus goes back to Vedas.
Sastra, shortly, the Vedic wisdom, provides the most civilized, structured, and cultured way of human life. Some call it the Aryan civilization. The word aryan was misinterpreted in the history of humanity many times. However, the Vedic knowledge is centered around God (Bhagavan, Lord) in every aspect of a vaisnava’s life.
The Vedic teachings regulate, guide, and direct each human being and living entity towards the Lord. This is another, yet basic purpose of Vedas.
People in general are conditioned by karma (resulting in action-reaction laws) and strong material desires (influenced by the three gunas, energies of the Lord, modes of nature).
Sb 4.8.41
Commonly, everyone who wants to get freed of karmic suffering (bondage), needs practical advices for executing daily duties, activities, and responsibilities towards oneself, family (relatives), society, nature, demigods (devatas), and God.
For this purpose, life challenges get easier, if there is an authorized guidance around. This guides are holy scriptures (sastra, Vedas), spiritual master, saintly association with sadhus, and the Lord Himself in the heart. Aactually, the essence of Vedas is, how to serve the Lord in devotion and love.
Vaisnavas love to serve the Lotus Feet of the Lord together. They love to speak about the Lord’s pastimes. Vaisnavas just love to praise their Lord.
BG 10.10
The four vaisnava sampradayas with their great acaryas serve as such topmost guidance.
Each sampradaya has some unique books (sastra) and Great Teachers (acaryas) in their historical evolution. Some of these Acaryas indirectly wrote about rituals, homas, pujas, yajñas, and deity worship. However, no direct books on Vedic samskaras were found so far. Some of the Acaryas are Nimbarka and Sankarcarya (representatives of Kumara sampradaya), Visnusvami and Vallabhacarya (belong to Rudra sampradaya), Madhvacarya and Sri Caitanya (part of Brahma sampradaya), Yamunacarya and Ramanujacarya (both of Sri Laxmi sampradaya). All these four bonafide and authorized vaisnava lineages, mainly follow the same sastric sources and principles on devotional service, Bhakti.
These spiritual authorities are conveying teachings, that Vedic satras descend directly from the spiritual world and are therefore eternal and transcendental.
There are many oral stories, on how the acaryas, listed in this article, spread or wrote down the commentaries on holy scriptures. The texts have been revealed to them by the Lord Himself. Many times it happened after their sincere prayers. Every individual has a free choice, to believe it or not.
Vaisnava traditions are known for their sravanam aspect.
This means a hearing process. Disciples have always heard (and still do so, nowadays) spiritual teachings from their gurus by hearing and listening. Mainly the acaryas thaught their disciples by personal examplary behavior.
It’s the duty of a spiritual master to teach and train his disciples personally. Accordingly, acaryas and gurus have conveyed orally the most of spiritual instructions to their disciples. It can be assumed and predicted, that the same holds for carrying on injunctions on samskaras, ceremonies, and rituals.
The Vedas, based on this principles of devotion and love for God, exist from the time immemorial, and up to the modern era. The historians still try to discover timely evolution of sastra. Is that possible at all? Well …
As a conclusion on sastric history (indirectly also history on samskaras) there exist at least one example and evidence, how vaisnavas can accept the history. The time of creating the sastras can be calculated, based on it.
As mentioned, the historians give different answers, on how old are the sastras. Nevertheless, there is also the highest authoriy of the Bhagavad-gita (shortly Gita). In this epic, most confidential spiritual knowledge was spoken and given by Krsna Himself to Arjuna. They were talking for about 45 minutes before the battle of Kuruksetra, a bit more than 5000 years ago.
BG 4.1
Therefore the sastras are very very old scriptures.
There are few other vaisnava books, mentioning some of samskaras, ceremonies, and rituals. In all of these books, the main yajña is to worship the Lord, His incarnations, expansions, associates and representatives, the pure devotees. Here comes the list of few (out of many more):
The popular Mahabharata, Bhagavata Purana, Dharmasastras, and some other scriptures are full of descriptions, which sacrifices (yajñas) were executed in the ancient eras, yugas.
There are also scriptures from main four sampradayas, and their leading representatives. Ramanuja wrote Gita Bhasya and Sri Bhasya (on rituals, puja, and homa). Nimbarka is author of Vedanta Parijata Saurabha. His writings are about puja and chanting mantras, as rituals. Madhva is author of Brahma Sutra Bhasya, written on arcanam rites, in devotion. Sodasa Granthas and Pusti Pravaha Maryada are works of Vallabhacarya, on rituals such as seva, puja, and pancayajñas.
At the end of dvapara yuga and beginning of the kali yuga, many yajñas were performed such as asvamedha yajña (horse sacrifice), different wedding sacrifices, cow yajña, nama yajña, fire yajña, yajñas of nine devotional bhakti practices (sravanam, kirtanam, smaranam, archanam etc.).
Since the present kali yuga is most degraded one, the brahmanas lost their many qualificaitons.
BG 18.42
That’s why, rather simple yajñas are performed for the benefit of vaisnavas, nowadays.
Such basic life samskaras are described and practiced by the book Sat-Kriya-Sara-Dipika of Gopala Bhatta Gosvami (Vrindavana, 16th century). Sanatana Goswami is author of Hari Bhakti Vilasa (book on vaisnava rituals).
To conclude the sastric evidence about Vedic yajñas, there is another Indian vaisnava saint to be mentioned.
The most prominent carrier of Vedic knowledge from the 20th century is Srila Prabhupada. On behalf of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, he recommends the apply Vedic wisdom in kali yuga. His teachings hold the easiest and most efficient yajñas for modern times. These are harinama and sankirtana yajñas.
An overview on samskaras shows, that due to the history, time, and degrading civilizations, the process of sanatana-dharma was not carried out properly. It has lost the true meaning and purity, even in the general population of the East.
Some possible reasons were superficial social rites, their light understanding, and an improper conduct. Typical example could be the »smarta brahmanas« and some rather fanatic historical caste systems.
Mainly this disappearance of original sastras happened due to strong material attachments of all living beings.
Another reason could be different religions mixing together, fighting, or even destroying the spiritual heritage of India. Invaders from other countries and cultures brought to India new influences (also legally, like the British empire), and some spiritual changes. Sometimes it happened by merciless force.
Nowadays, the material influences from the West have touched this wealthy Vedic tradition as well.
Especially in the last century, high technology and extravagant enjoying mood are overfloading the whole world. Indian culture is accordingly losing it’s authenticity of Vedic / Hindu heritage. But there is hope (asa). Jagadananda Pandita in the seventh chapter of his book Prema-vivarta said:
»Accept everything favorable for executing krsna-bhakti as your very life. Completely reject anything unfavorable for practicing krsna-bhakti.«
Confirming it, there is the also conclusion of Sri Caitanya and his committed followers:
»For vaisnavas, there is always lots of hope, because they rely on Krsna’s mercy. Vaisnavas accept everything, which can be used in devotional service to the Lord. They reject all, what is an impediment on the path of devotion.«
There is sastric evidence of Lord’s surrendered vaisnavas and His 3 incarnations, who appeared on this planet Earth, to reestablish the sanatana-dharma again and again, after it was repeatedly lost.
The most latest ones, are Sri Krsna (about 3000 years before Christ) and Buddha (about 600 years before Christ) as the reincarnations of the Lord.
Further came acaryas, who were empovered by God Himself, to recover lost Vedic heritage, and its practices. In vaisnava tradition of four sampradayas, those came after Christ era.
Nimbarkacarya lived in 12th century, Vishnusvami (7th or 8th century), Sankarcarya (788-820), Ramanuja (1017-1137), Madhvacarya (1238-1317), Vallabha (1478-1530), Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu (1486-1534), Rupa Gosvami (1589-1564), Bhativinoda Thakura (1838-1914), Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati (1974-1936), A. C. Bhaktivedanta Svami Prabhupada (1896-1977), to list just few.
Through the utmost efforts of these highly advanced personalities, the essence of sanatana-dharma was repeatedly revived in practice.
The main teaching of sanatana-dharma seems to be, applying theory into daily practice, making spiritual theoretical instructions alive, and functional. That is directly linked with the samskaras, mantras, and chanting during these glorious Vedic practical ceremonies. Vaisnavas take great care in reciting mantras respectfully. They always communicate with others in a friendly, kind, and gentle way.
Therefore samskaras with its rituals, are executed regularly as per occasion. They should be carried out with affectionate feelings, in devotional mood, and service to the Supreme Lord. Deep faith (sraddha) in the Highest goal (God) is very much needed. This is one possibility, how a vaisnava can stop the samsara. By the Lord’s mercy, the devotee can return back home, to Gokula, Goloka Vrindavana, back to Godhead.
Conclusion: How can faith influence the benefit of samskaras?
By daily reading sastra, one gains knowledge (jñana). Through contemplating and sharing spiritual stories with others, one develops hope (asa). Next, the indivudal applies theory in the practical life by experience (sadhana). Necessary are few good friends with strong personality traits (sadhu sanga). Together it’s more likely to succeed in serving each other, authority (guru) and the Lord (with Bhakti, the devotional mood). This is a dharmic way of living, for vaisnavas. Provided, one cultivates determination, enthusiasm, respect.
How do samskaras match into this text just above?
Samskaras are a pious part of sadhu sanga, devotional service, and sadhana. The samskaras can evolve in pure devotional feelings, if performed in deep devotion to the Lord.
BG 9.27
The last process in ceremonies, to be mentioned in this article, would be the benefit of purification.
Some brahmanas are aware of the fact, that samskaras have their purificatory effect on the involved person. Mainly, each heart needs to get purified of some impure material desires (anarthas). This is the result of performing rituals as an offering in devotion to the Lord.
Of course in Indian Vedic Hindu culture exist (next to samskaras) also other purificatory processes for vaisnavas. For example, such as:
* bathing in the many Holy Rivers (Padma, Yamuna, Ganga, etc.),
* bathing in numerous Holy Lakes (Radhakunda, Syamakunda, Lalitakunda etc.),
* going for a pilgrimage to Holy Dhamas (holy places like Ayodhya, Haridvara, Vrindavana, Navadvipa, Jagannatha Puri, Udupi, Gaya, Sri Rangam, Orissa, etc.),
* serving sadhus (enlightened, pure devotees of the Lord),
* chanting the Holy names of God (like Om, Ram, Hare Krsna, Vasudeva, Narayana, Visnu, etc.)
* chanting many other mantras and stotras,
* circumambulating Deities and temples,
* circumambulating Govardhana hill,
* circumambulating Srimati Tulasi Devi,
* honoring Mahaprasadam (food remnants of the Lord / his pure devotee, Jagannatha Puri’s fame),
* dust of Vrindavana,
* honoring caranamrta (water which has washed the lotus feet of the Lord or his pure devotee).
All these purificatory processes, samskaras, and ceremonies bring each person closer to God, step by step. These steps play an important role on the path of Bhakti, and in reviving Krsna-prema in the heart. Both will bring a vaisnava to the topmost spiritual planet Goloka-dhama.
This sounds very simple, in the theory.
At the same time, it’s a mistery, how to apply Bhakti in daily life properly and successfully.
Great hope (asa) are pure devotees of the Lord. They become Lord’s media to reveal God’s secrets to sincere disciples.
If disciples (vaisnavas) are humble and serious, they can return to Lord’s abode in this very lifetime.
All they need to practice, is: »Always remember Krsna and never forget Him.«
To do so, God has given samskaras and ceremonies, yajñas and pujas. In this way, people can always assemble and together remember Lord’s presence in their lives. Is there any better sanatana-dharma, than praising the Lord by mantras, stotras, and kirtan, in devotion?
Harer nama quote