I read an interesting blog on marriage and I am reproducing a portion of it, the Link with my comment.
My comment.
Truly said.
Matrimony is not about sex alone, though it forms an integral part.
More than physical proximity it is that ‘I have some one to lean on,and another leans on me’ is an emotional requirement of an individual.
Marriage is also a spiritual bond.
Hinduism states that marriage is so holy that because of the entire world is sustained,
It is the responsible married man who forms the nucleus of a Society, by taking care of others;as a corollary others take care of you.
No Religious ceremony will bear fruit if not performed along with the wife.
For a Man,none of the Religious duties will bear fruit..
It is a Union that supports one another in their fulfilment of earthly desires and the takes care of the World beyond..
In the performance of marriage,in Hindu custom,just married pair walk around the sacred Fire together, with these 7 vows.
‘During this ritual, the groom walks with the bride to the right side of the sacred fire. All along, he holds his wife’s right hand in his right hand in the way in which he held her hand during the paani grahanam ceremony. He stops, bends down and holds the right toe of his wife with his right hand and helps her take seven steps around the fire. At the beginning of each step, he recites a Veda mantra to invoke the blessings of Maha Vishnu. Through these seven mantras, he asks Maha Vishnu to follow in the footsteps of his wife and bless her with food, strength, piety, progeny, wealth, comfort and health. At the conclusion of the seven steps, he addresses his wife with a moving statement from the Veds summarized below: Dear Wife! By taking these seven steps, you have become my dearest friend. I pledge my unfailing loyalty to you. Let us stay together for the rest of our lives. Let us not separate from each other ever. Let us be of one mind in carrying out our responsibilities as householders (grihasthas). Let us love and cherish each other and enjoy nourishing food and good health. Let us discharge our prescribed Vedic duties to our elders, ancestors, rishis, creatures, and gods. Let our aspirations be united. I will be the Saaman and may you be the Rk (Saaman here refers to the music and Rk refers to the Vedic text that is being cast into music). Let me be the upper world and let you be the Bhumi or Mother Earth. I will be the Sukla or life force and may you be the bearer of that Sukla. Let me be the mind and let you be the speech. May you follow me to conceive children and gain worldly as well as spiritual wealth. May all auspiciousness come your way. This series of Veda mantras starting with “sakhaa saptapadhaa bhava …” and ending with “pumse putraaya …” are rich with meaning and imagery.’
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Viv%C4%81ha#Sapta_Padi
A man/woman’s Life is incomplete without Matrimony.
Sad that such a sacred institution has come to the stage of being called a ‘Contract‘ as if it is a business deal.
The Blog.
It is interesting to look at marriage, both in the contemporary and historical frame. The act of marriage today in many countries is a legal arrangement, or a contract binding two by law. This, to me, dilutes the sacred nature of the promise; the vows exchanged and the love that two people share. We should travel the sphere of sacred union to learn what lives within the heart.
Throughout history and within many different cultures, marriage has changed. We can see many peculiarities and attributes of what constitutes marriage when we study these customs. A binding of two is a sacred thing, marked by ceremony, rings, paintings, clothing and many other symbols of unity…..
As we travel within the sphere of sacred union, we must realize that a marriage at its purest form is a promise; a sacred vow of love. It seems that so many have forgotten this in the world. Divorce is becoming more a common occurrence than the entry into matrimony. By making marriage a legal document; a common contract of law, we have made the sacred vow mute.
I’ve been married. It did not last. I’ve known many friends who married, and soon after divorced. I also know many who have been together for more than a decade, without being married. They choose to stay beyond the contract, and only live with love for each other. Though yes, they do have struggles, but this is part of life. Many are capable of keeping the sacred promise to each other, but of course, many others cannot.
http://knowthesphere.wordpress.com/2012/04/10/blind-union-3/#comment-2164
