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Tag: Samskara

  • Forty Hindu Samskaras(Rites), Names,Details

    Human beings once born have certain innate tendencies, Dispositions,and Attitudes.

    One may call it Genes .

    Hindus call it Vaasanas or Remnants.

    As explained in my earlier blog on this subject, our innate tendencies shape our Life.

    One becomes what he / she is because of these.

    Hindu society is based on these Dispositions , called Varna,or loosely called Caste.( Caste is a misnomer.Please read my blog on Caste)

    They are,

    Brahmanas

    Kshatriyas

    Vaisyas and

    Sudras.

    The first three are enjoined to perform all Samskaras.

    These three are called ‘Dwijas'( Twice Born)

    The first is Birth from The Mother’s Womb.

    The second is when Upanayana is performed for them.

    ( Please read my Blog)

    When the Upanayana  and other Samskaras are performed he is born again.

    ( Only two are born twice in Nature.

    They are .

    Birds-they are born as eggs and later again as birds when they are hatched.

    The other is Teeth,They fall once and grow again.)

    This second Birth is complete only when all the Forty Samskaras are performed.

    Those who study the Vedas become ‘Vipra’ .

    Those who perform sSmskaras and Veda Adhyayana( practising The Vedas) are called Sr0dhriya’

    He is the highest.

    The Forty Samskaras.

    Garbha Dhaanam,

    Bhumsavanam

    Seemantham

    Jaatha Karma

    Naama Karanam

    Annap Praasanam

    Caulam

    Upanayanam

    Four Veda Vrathas( Sacred Vows)–

    Prajapathya,Sowmya,Agneya,Vaiswa Deva

    Samavarthanam

    Kalyanam

    Pancha Maha Yagyam-

    Deva Yagyam( For Gods),

    Pitru Yagyam( For Ancestors),

    Manushya Yagyam( For fellow Human Beings),

    Bootha Yagyam( For the Five Elements of Nature),

    Brahma Yagyam( For the Reality)

    Seven Bhaka Yagyam

    Ashtaka Anvashtaka,

    Paarvanam,

    Sthaaleebhaagam,

    Aagrhaayanee’

    Sravanee,

    Chaitree,

    Aasvayujee

    Seven Havir Yagyas–

    Agni Aadhaanam,

    Agnihotram,

    Dharsapoorna Maasam,

    Aagraayanam,

    Chaaturmaasyam,

    Niruta Pasu Pandham,

    Southramani

    Seven Soma Samasthai-

    Agnishtomam,

    Athyagnishtomam,

    Ukthyam,

    Shodasee’

    Vaajapeyam.

    Athiraathram,

    Apthoryaamam

    Related:

    The duties of the individuals are so naturally practised that many do not seem to know what they are all about.

    Hinduism demarcated the Life of an Individual into Four parts.

    They are Brahmacharya,The Celibate,

    The Grihastha,The Married,

    The Vanaprastha,The Retired and

    Sanyasa, the Renounced.

    http://ramanisblog.in/2012/07/15/samskaras-hinduism-rites-of-passagebasic-religious-rites/

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  • An Introduction To Samskaras,Hindu Rites

    An Introduction To Samskaras,Hindu Rites

    Anything which occurs in Nature needs to be processed to suit Human needs, be it Fruits, Vegetables,Pulses,Water and even the things which we use in our daily lives.

    Gold,Diamond and the like also need to be processed to before they are used.

    Similarly Human Birth also needs cleansing.

    A child is born out of the union of the parents and the child would definitely have their influences both biological and psychological.

    Apart from this, according to Indian Philosophy, every action begets equivalent and opposite reaction in the individual, be it an action performed at the mental,physical and even at the Speech level.

    All and any of these actions produce a set of  feelings, emotions and anxiety with them.

    The actions and the reactions in the mind,  all being forms of energy can not be destroyed  or denied.

    These stick to the individual as dust settles on things over a period of time.

    These determine one’s dispositions towards Life and direct one’s behavior while facing Life.

    These tendencies are given the name ‘Samskaras’

    These may be good or bad form an empirical point of view.

    To clean the individual the Rites are prescribed by the Sastras.

    These Rites, also called Samskaras, clean the individual.

    They help in reducing the impact pf the results of actions performed by one either in this birth or in earlier births., though the can not do away completely with the Results of Actions,Karmapala.

    Again these Samskaras prepared one in the path of Self Realisation by tuning up the mind.

    It may be noted that though the Samskaras prescribed seem to be highly individualistic and self-centred, as in Indian Philosophy, they also serve the Society.

    This will be evident if one were to know about the Samskaras.

    The word ‘Veda’ is from the root ‘Vid’, To Know.

    But whatever that is to be known can not be known by the senses alone.

    Some of them have be grasped intuitively.( These are called ‘A priori’ in Western Philosophy)

    The Vedas contain such knowledge and as such it is called The Sruti ‘heard'( means grasp)

    And as such it is also Eternal as Principles are Eternal as The Laws of Nature.

    The Great Seers wrote ‘Sutras’ or Aphorisms to explain the Vedas.

    These Sutras contain Samskaras.

    The Samskaras eliminate/ control the negative influences of the Mind and improve  upon certain tendencies of the Soul, which helps in the one path of Self Realisation.

    What are these Forty Samskaras?

    I am writing this blog with out taking a Philosophical Stand point as this would dilute the topic and may also confuse the Readers.

    Hence I request the learned to be patient while I explain things.

    The purpose of this blog is that it has to be understood by those who may not know The Vedas or Indian Philosophy.