As we celebrate the one hundred and fiftieth year since the arrival of Indians in this beautiful country of ours and coincidently the International Year of the Family we must reflect on our past and look at some of the changes that have occurred in our daily lives. Due to the dynamism of Sanatan Dharma, history has recorded the constant changes from the Vedas to the recent revelations by realized Himalayan Masters.
Our present ritualistic worship of GOD, the Devtas and Devis, can be termed “Solah Sanskar vidhi Puja’ or the sixteen stages of worship. Similarly the human life is also punctuated with the sixteen Samskaaras. These samskaaras have been expounded by authorities like Manu, Yajyavalkya and others in the Grhyasutras, Smritis, Puranas, etc. The early scriptures have mentioned as many as 48 samskaaras but at present 16 have been generally accepted.
These can be grouped as follows:
1. PRE NATAL SAMSKAARAS (3)
- Garbha Samskaar (Conception)
- Pumsavana Samskaar (Quickening of Male Child)
- Seemantonnayana Samskaar (Hair-Palling by Husband)
2. CHILDHOOD SAMSKAARAS (6)
- Jaatakarma Samskaar (Birth ceremonies)
- Naama karana Samskaar (Naming of Child)
- Niskramana Samskaar (First Outing)
- Anna-Praashana Samskaar (First Feeding)
- Chudda Karana Samskaar (Tousure)
- Kurmaveda Samskaar (Piercing of ears)
3. EDUCATIONAL SAMSKAARAS (5)
- Vidyaarambha Samskaar (Learning alphabets)
- Upanayana Samskaar (Initiation/janew)
- Vedaa rambha Samskaar (Vedic Study)
- Keshaanta Samskaar (Shaving of beard)
- Samaavartana Samskaar (End of Studentship)
4. VIVAHA SANSKAARA (Marriage)
5. ANTYESTI SANSKAARA (Funeral Ceremonies)
During this DIVALI period we must all look back from where we have come, where we are at present and where we hope to go. We shall no doubt admit that the family life is threatened due to promiscuity and moral decay in society.
Psychologists, Psychiatrists, Politicians and modern day thinkers are frantically searching for solutions to these evils of society. The Problem is being complicated because they are applying different medications to the sores’ and are not looking seriously to the cause of the ‘sores’.
If we look at the sixteen samskaaras as defined in Sanatan Dharma we shall recognize the solution from the very first samskaara - PRE NATAL SAMSKAARAS.
This samskaara is when the husband and wife get together, thoughts of the couple are divine and prayers are uttered to GOD so that a meritorious soul will be conceptualized in the womb.
Chapter 15 GARUD PURAN explains in detail the timing of the conception and the types of food that should be eaten by the couple before and during the conception. When this first samskaara is started the right way and the other samskaaras follow, then we shall have the desired type of human beings. But first we have to change our savage and animalistic ways of conception and include GOD in our marriage, then and only then we can see a change in society.
The childhood samskaaras entailed strict educational disciplines. This includes spiritual teachings which produced GOD fearing students. The student is now prepared to enter the second ashram of life which entails family life.
The human life is divided into four stages or ashramas:
- Bramchari Ashram (unmarried/student life)
- Grhast Ashram (married family life)
- Vanaprast (gradual handing over of responsibilities to children)
- Sanayasin Ashram (total renouncing of sense pleasures)
The parents continue to be the head of the family. The word family means spouse and children, but in Sanatan Dharma it includes parents, grand-parents, brothers and sisters. The elders in the family are still respected and their guidance is always readily available. Their presence is cherished in family gatherings.
We are constantly bombarded with various rules on how to live as upright human beings. Very vividly I recall as a youth listening to someone lecture on the dangers of smoking while the speaker had a lighted cigar in his mouth. This will always be justified with the phrase “do as I say and not as I do”. This phrase cannot be applied in Sanatan Dharma because we are taught by example. All the family life education is taught by God as the perfect example during the different ages. Family life is displayed by GOD as perfect father, husband, son and brother. The feminine aspect or shakti also displays role models as perfect wife, daughter, mother and sister. There are always perfect role models appearing in Sanatan Dharma from time to time.
The samskaars and the different ashrams in life are clearly depicted by GOD whenever HE walks on the earth.
While the Scriptures give man an understanding to himself, the Samskaaras help to refine and purify him; they assist in the development of his personality, imparted sanctity and importance to his physical body, and prepared him for his ultimate exit from this complex world.
PUNDIT SAMSUNDAR RAMDEEN,
Editor and Spiritual Leader, Railway Road Dharam Sabha,
Astrologer, Palmist and Marriage Officer.
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