Samavartana (समावर्तनम्)

Samavartana (Samskrit : समावर्तनम्) literally means "return from teacher's house to one's house". This Samskara is not needed if the student learns under his own father or if the student does not want to get married. This Samskara is not an Aṅga (part) of marriage.

परिचयः ॥ Introduction

While Upanayana marks the beginning of the vedic study, Samavartana marks the end of the Brahmacharya period in a student's life.

तत्र समावर्तनं नाम वेदाध्ययनानन्तरं गुरुकुलात् स्वगृहागमनम् ।

After finishing Vedic study and taking the permission of the teacher the student takes the ceremonial bath. Snana is another term used for Samavartanam by some Sutrakaras (Manusmṛti, 3.4) because bathing formed the most prominent item this samskara. In modern times it is called Snatakavrata or Convocation (held in Universities).

Samavartana in Ancient Days

In early times it was performed when the education of the youth was over; marriage usually followed, but it was not necessarily immediate. Various grhyasutras elaborate about this occasion and the necessary rituals to be followed which included primarily a ceremonial bath given to the student, following which he is called Snataka.

वेदमधीत्य स्नास्यन् . . .। आपस्तम्बगृह्यसूत्रम्, १२.१॥

vedamadhītya snāsyan . . ॥ Āpastambagṛhyasūtram, 12.1॥

Having completed the study of Veda, Vedāṅgas, Mīmāṃsā etc., while going to have the ceremonial bath . . .

Procedure

A simple yet significant ceremony, an auspicious day was selected and the student was required to shut himself up in a room throughout the morning.

At noon the student came out of his room, cleansed his mouth and shaved his head and beard. He then relinquishes his mekhala (girdle) and ajina (deer skin) which were the insignia of the student's order. It marks the end of the period of strict discipline and the teacher himself, who previously sternly refused him the use of luxurious things, now offers them to the student. He gives him a bath in fragrant water followed by an offer of new clothes.

Ornaments, garlands, collyrium, tuban, umbrella, and shoes, the use of which was forbidden to him in the Brahmacharya ashrama were now to be formally and officially offered to him by his teacher with the recitation of proper mantras.

॥ Snana

This samskara is also called Snana because bathing is an important aspect here. According to some anthropologists, bathing was meant for washing away divinity from the student. During his Brahmacharya period, he was living in contact with the deities and he also develops a divine influence around him. So before returning to the ordinary world, he had to remove the divine influence which would be otherwise polluted and thereby incurring divine displeasure. Also the Brahmacharya period is regarded as a long yajna, so just as for any yajna where an Avabhrta bath is taken, so also a ceremonial bath marks the end of Brahmacharya period.

It is a ritual bath because it symbolises the crossing of the ocean of literature learning by the student - hence Vidyasnataka and Vratasnataka - meaning one who has bathed in the ocean of learning and one who has bathed in vows respectively. In Sanskrit literature, learning is compared to an ocean. Before the bath, the student has to obtain permission from the acharya to end his studentship and give him guru-dakshina - tuition fees.

गुरवे तु वरं दत्त्वा स्नायीत तदनुज्ञया । वेदव्रतनि वा पारं नीत्वा ह्युभयमेव वा ॥  पराशरस्मृतिः - आचारकाण्डः

दीक्षाप्रवचनम् ॥ Addressing the Students

Taittriya Upanishad Shikshavalli is referred to as a classic example of how a student is addressed at the end of his studies and the fundamental principles that he should remember for life. Samavartana is equated to convocation ceremony of the present day.

The famous samavartana speech in the Taittriyopanishad starts with Speak the Truth, Practice Dharma, Make no mistake about the study of the Veda..

वेदमनूच्याचार्योऽन्तेवासिनमनुशास्ति - सत्यं वद , धर्मं चर, स्वाध्यायान्मा प्रमदः ।... ... (Tait. Upan. Shiks. 11.1)

Having taught the Vedas to the student, the preceptor Acharya imparts the Samavartana or end of education instructions to disciples (Antevasi). It is implied that a disciple who has studied the Veda, should not leave his Acharya's house without inquiring into the scriptural duties. (Page 265-266 of Reference ).

Samavartana in Modern Days

In course of time, just as Upanayana came to be performed more as an obligatory bodily samskara, so also Samavartana came to be performed irrespective of whether any educational course was followed by the youth or not. It came to be performed as a formality just before the marriage, whenever it was settled (even if the marriage was a long time after the completion of the studies). In the modern times, convocation ceremony came to be organized by the Institution or University and thus the rituals to the student gradually faded out.