Samskaras (संस्काराः)

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Samskaras (Samskrit : संस्काराः) are the rites prescribed by the vaidika and dharmika texts either for purification (removal of a papa) or generating or infusing some qualities by which a person becomes eligible to perform some more rites. In other words Samskaras are for cleansing the mind and body and leading consequently to a healthy, happy and peaceful life in this world and Moksha after death. Of the worldly beings, man is the only creature, who has the ability to do good and bad karma (papa and punya karmas) with the direction of Viveka-Buddhi.

Introduction

Indian tradition firmly stands on four pillars, viz. Dharma, Artha (money and other mundane matters), Kama (married life) and Moksha (renouncing the world and studying about Brahman to arrest the cycle of birth and death). The ultimate purpose of Cis simply to generate Vividisha (a desire / taste in Vedānta and attain Moksha). Except in Vivaha (marriage) vedic mantras are not to be used for a girl child.

Definition

The term Samskara is pregnant with meaning and hence untranslatable. Samskara here refers to any rite prescribed by scriptures either for purification (removal of papa) or generating, injecting some qualities by which a person becomes eligible or qualified to perform some rites. Viramitrodayam defines a Samskara thus:

आत्मशरीरान्यतरनिष्ठः अतिशयविशेषः संस्कारः। ātmaśarīrānyataraniṣṭhaḥ atiśayaviśeṣaḥ saṃskāraḥ ।

A special virtue or quality that is connected with mind or body is called Samskara (the rite for such a virtue or quality is also called Samskara).

Number of Samskaras

There is difference of opinion as to the number of Samskaras. Gautama in his Smṛti (Dharmaśāstram) enumerated forty Samskaras, including five Mahayajnas, seven Pākayajñas, seven Haviryajñas and seven Somayāgas. Finally, it is decided in Samskaradipika that the following sixteen Samskaras are essential:

आधानपुंसवनसीमन्तजातनामान्नचोलकाः। मौञ्जीव्रतानि गोदानसमावर्तनविवाहकाः॥ ādhānapuṃsavanasīmantajātanāmānnacolakāḥ।mauñjīvratāni godānasamāvartanavivāhakāḥ॥ अन्त्यं चैतानि कर्माणि प्रोच्यन्ते षोडशैव तु। antyaṃ caitāni karmāṇi procyante ṣoḍaśaiva tu ।

They are

1. गर्भाधानम् ॥ Garbhadhanam
2. पुंसवनम् ॥ Pumsavana
3. सीमन्तः॥ Simanta
4. जातकर्म॥ Jatakarma
5. नामकरणम्॥ Namakarana
6. अन्नप्रासनम्॥ Annaprasana
7. चौलम्॥ Chaulam
8. उपनयनम् ॥ Upanayana
9. वेदव्रतानि॥ Vedavratas (4)
10. समावर्तनम्॥ Samavartana
11. गोदानम्॥ Godana
12. विवाहः॥ Vivaha
13. अन्त्येष्टिः॥ Antyesti

It should be noted that the three Samskaras, viz. Garbhadhanam, Puṃsavanam and Simantonnayanam, have to be performed before the birth of the child. Since they are for Garbhashuddhi (cleansing of the womb and embryo), they need not be repeated.

Number of Samskaras

The number of samskaras have been enumerated from ten to fiftytwo and so on depending on various traditions. Grhyasutras and Smrti texts give varying lists of these sacraments. In later lists, we find other Samskaras particularly that of death and yagnas being added. The question as to whether a few Samskaras were increased to have elaborate rituals or many Samskaras were reduced to have definite and limited numbers suiting to the requirements of people is a debatable one. Generally, it is found that south Indian tradition contains elaborate ceremonies for death and cremation, Later, slowly, the north Indian tradition appears to have incorporated these into their Samskara list. For example, the rituals of Ekadashah, Dvadashah, Sapindikarana followed by the monthly shraddha etc mentioned in the Garudapurana are not performed in some communities. But, in South India, even in remote villages after death and cremation/burial, the 13th day or 16th day ceremonies are elaborately performed.

The Purpose of Shodasha Samskara- karmas

An investigation into the real purpose and significance of samskaras is fraught with many difficulties such as - the ages of time period elapsed since the start of these sacraments, popular superstitions surrounding them, along with a national sentiment trained to look only at the bright side of these sacraments (and ignore the negative aspects). But there are stubborn failings of the modern mind too. It is filled with prejudices labelling anything ancient must be superstitious. It fails to understand the strict discipline of the ancients and takes a suspicious view of the spiritual values associated with the sacraments. Keeping these viewpoints a careful study of the Samskaras should be undertaken overcoming, with sympathy, the shortfalls in human nature through the ages of development.

We can broadly divide the purpose of the Samskaras into two classes. The first class is popular and superstitious, which is motived by unquestioned faith and naive simplicity of the unsophisticated mind. The second class is priestly (pertaining to rituals) and cultural. Its origin is due to conscious forces governing the development and evolution of the society, when human beings try to improve upon nature.

The popular and superstitious believed in the superhuman influences. They thought that these influences (both hostile and beneficial ones) could interfere in every important occasion in a man's life. The hostile influences such as bhutas, pisachas (loosely translated as spirits and goblins) rakshasas which caused unfavorable hindrances were removed by propitiation, deception or by threatening them. The householder also invoked the help of deities, to drive away foul influences. Specific physical actions (like combing the hair at the time of Simantonnayana, shaking the body, making noise etc), material things (water is used to remove physical impurities as well as warding off pisachas) weapons (a staff given to the student during Upanayana helps in protection) were other devices used to remove unwanted supernatural influences. In addition to having ways to remove hostile forces, favorable influences were invited and attracted for the benefit of the recipient of a particular samskara. Presiding devatas for each occasion are invoked and pleased to confer blessings on the man.

The very purpose of each Samskara is explained in the following verses:

निषेकात् बौजिकं चैनः गार्भिकं चापमृज्यते। क्षेत्रसंस्कारसिद्धिश्च गर्भाधानफलं तथा॥

गर्भे भवेच्च पुंसूतेः पुंस्त्वस्य प्रतिपादनम्। निषेकफलवत् ज्ञेयं फलं सीमन्तकर्मणः॥

गर्भाम्बुपानजो दोषः जातात्सर्वोऽपि नश्यति। आयुर्वर्चोऽभिवृद्धिश्च सिद्धिर्व्यवहृतिस्तथा॥

नामकर्मफलं त्वेतत् समुद्दिष्टं मनीषिभिः। अन्नाशनान्मातृगर्भमलाशादपि शुद्ध्यति॥

बलायुर्वर्चोवृद्धिश्च चूडाकर्मफलं स्मृतम्। उपनीतेः फलं त्वेतत् द्विजतासिद्धिपूर्विका॥

वेदाधीत्यधिकारस्य सिद्धिरृषिभिरीरिता। देवपित्रर्णापगमः विवाहस्य फलं स्मृतम्॥

niṣekāt baujikacainaḥ gārbhikaṃ cāpamṛjyate। kṣetrasaṃskārasiddhiśca garbhādhānaphalaṃ tathā॥

garbhe bhavecca puṃsūteḥ puṃstvasya pratipādanam। niṣekaphalavat jñeyaṃ phalaṃ sīmantakarmaṇaḥ॥

garbhāmbupānajo doṣaḥ jātātsarvo'pi naśyati। āyurvarco'bhivṛddhiśca siddhirvyavahṛtistathā॥

nāmakarmaphalaṃ tvetat samuddiṣṭaṃ manīṣibhiḥ। annāśanānmātṛgarbhamalāśādapi śuddhyati॥

balāyurvarcovṛddhiśca cūḍākarmaphalaṃ smṛtam। upanīteḥ phalaṃ tvetat dvijatāsiddhipūrvikā॥

vedādhītyadhikārasya siddhirṛṣibhirīritā। devapitrarṇāpagamaḥ vivāhasya phalaṃ smṛtam॥

Meaning : Niṣeka and Garbhadhana (both mean the same – the first physical union of wife and husband) would remove the impurities related to sperm, blood and cleanses the womb. Puṃsavanam is for having a male child. Simanta (parting) is as good as Garbhadhanam. Jatakarma (the rite performed to a son just born) kills the bad affects born out of consumption of the water of the womb by the child.

Namakarma (naming a child) is for increased longevity and brightness and to pronounce name during rites as well as mundane day to day transactions. Annaprāśana (feeding rice for the first time) purifies the child from the defects of eating the bad material while in the womb. Chudakarma (cutting of hair on the head for the first time) is meant for increased strength, longevity and brightness. Upanayanam is for attaining Dvijatva (second birth) that is essential to get eligibility to learn Veda and perform different rites. The four Vedavratas, viz. Agneya, Saumya, Vaisvadeva and Prajapatya are performed before the beginning of the learning of Veda for injecting more power into the Veda that is learnt. Vivaha (marriage) is for paying back the debt of deities and pitrs.

Eligibility

The Samskaras from Jatakarma to Chudakarma are to be performed in the case of a male child of Dvijas, viz. Brahmanas, Kshatriyas and Vaishyas. In the case of the female child of a Dvija, only marriage (Vivaha) has to be performed with Vedamantras. Samskaraprakasa rules that there cannot be any Samskara for a Klība (impotent child).

Nirṇayasindhu, by quoting Smrtis, says that Shudras are entitled to perform six Samskaras, viz. Jatakarma, Namakaranam, Niskramanam (bringing the child into sunshine for the first time), Annaprasanam, Chuda and Vivaha and the daily Panchamahayajnas (Devayajñaḥ, Pitṛyajñaḥ, Bhūtayajñaḥ, Manuṣyayajñaḥ and Brahmayajñaḥ). Shraddhakarma (death ceremony) and other Samskaras for Shudras have to be performed with verses from Puranas and not Vedic mantras. Varahapurana says that for a Shudra, the Brahmana can repeat the Mantras.

संस्कारफलम् || Effect of Samskaras

The Bhagavata Purana (Skandha 7, Adhyaya 15) mentions that a dvija (ie. brahmana, kshatriya and vaishya) who is consecrated with the 16 purificatory rites from garbhadana to the funeral rites, offers all his activities as an offering into his five cognitive senses kindled by the light of spiritual wisdom. He offers (ie. merges) the senses into the mind or the thinking faculty full of thoughts, the mind born of Vaikarika (sattvika) ahamkara into the Speech; the speech into the body of articulate sounds (which go to form Speech), and that collection of sounds into Pranava Om; he should merge that into Bindu, the Bindu into Nada, the Nada into Prana (vital breath) and Prana in the Supreme (Brahman).

निषेकादिश्मशानान्तैः संस्कारैः संस्कृतो द्विजः | इन्द्रियेषु क्रियायज्ञान्ज्ञानदीपेषु जुह्वति ||५२||

इन्द्रियाणि मनस्यूर्मौ वाचि वैकारिकं मनः | वाचं वर्णसमाम्नाये तमोङ्कारे स्वरे न्यसेत् ||५३|| ॐकारं बिन्दौ नादे तं तं तु प्राणे महत्यमुम् |

niṣēkādiśmaśānāntaiḥ saṁskāraiḥ saṁskr̥tō dvijaḥ | indriyēṣu kriyāyajñānjñānadīpēṣu juhvati ||52||

indriyāṇi manasyūrmau vāci vaikārikaṁ manaḥ | vācaṁ varṇasamāmnāyē tamōṅkārē svarē nyasēt ||53|| oṁkāraṁ bindau nādē taṁ taṁ tu prāṇē mahatyamum |