Important Birth Rites and Rituals in Hinduism

Special ceremonies are performed before the baby is born for the welfare of the mother and child. The family priest or pundit will come to the family's home to perform various rites.

In Hindu dharma, the birth of a child is considered a religious activity. Samskaras begin prior to birth and end with the cremation of the body following death. The number of samskaras prescribed in various scriptures vary from eleven to forty, some of the most significant samskars are :-

Garbhadhana (conception)
Jatakarma (child birth)
Namakarana (naming a child)
Annaprasana (giving the child solid food)
Mundan (shaving the head)
Upanayana (sacred thread ceremony)


Garbhadhana

The rite through which a man placed his seed in a woman was called Garbhadhana. Saunaka gives the similar definition though in slightly different words; "The rite by the performance of which a woman receives semen scattered (by her husband) is call Garbhalambhanam or Garbhadhana." In Vedic culture spiritual aspirants can get married. For them marriage is a partnership to aid them in their mutual progress in spiritual life, marriage is not simply a for sexual gratification. One of the duties of such a married couple is to produce spiritually enlightened children. Bringing such spiritually aware children into the world is beneficial both for the parents spiritually, as well as for society in general. The conception of such great children is a great science and not the mere byproduct of random recreational intercourse on the part of the parents.Unlike ordinary sexual activity which further binds the soul's of all involved into material consciousness, the Garbhadhana Samskara is a purely spiritual act as is confirmed by Lord Krishna in the Bhagavad-gita 7.11. Such sex aimed at creating godly children is as good as God Himself.

" balam balavatam caham
kama-raga-vivarjitam
dharmaviruddho bhutesu
kamo 'smi bharatarsabha"

"I am the strength of the strong, devoid of passion and desire. I am sex life which is not contrary to religious principles, O lord of the Bharatas [Arjuna]."

Jatakarma

The jatakarma ceremony welcomes the baby into the world. The father places a small amount of ghee and honey on the baby's tongue and whispers the name of God in his ear. During this Sanskar, the father feeds honey to the baby and pierces the baby's ear. This ear piercing is supposed to enhance the memory of the child .Brahmins chant Mantras for a healthy, long life of the child. This Sanskar is restricted to the family level.

Namakarana

In Namakarana ceremony the child is given a name.Nama literally means 'name' and karana means 'to make, to effect'. All the activities in the world are carried on the basis of name. Every parent has the duty to give a nice name to the child, which reminds the child of some goal or objective in the life. It is very important to select a nice name for the child; the name should be meaningful which fulfills all the desires of the child. Whenever the child hears the name he will remember the meaning and purpose hidden in it and will be inspired by its meaning.Distribution of sweets to everybody. Afterwards a feast is usually arranged.

Annaprasana

This sanskar is related to the time when the child is to be given solid food apart from the mother’s milk. This emphasizes the importance of proper health care and nutrition for the child.Time for performance: In the 6th, 8th or 10th month for the male child and 5th, 7th, 9th or 11th month for the female child. The object of this ceremony is to pray to the gods with Vedic Mantras to bless the child with good digestive powers, good thoughts and talents. It is performed when the child is six months old which is the weaning time. Susruta commends this weaning time as best for both the mother and the child. Offerings are made to the goddess of speech and vigour. Prayers are offered so that the child´s senses have their full gratification and live a happy and contented life. The father feeds a little of the sweet food anointed with gold to the child with Mantras that say he feeds the child with food that may ensure a healthy life to the child and prevent ill-health. Apart from the efficacy or otherwise of this ceremony, its observance creates in all concerned an awareness of the cumulative needs of the child at that age in a scientific and tender manner. Its systematic observance therefore ensures the results expected especially when fortified by Mantras. The Annaprashana ceremony should be performed at the time when the child gains strength to digest cereal and preparations made from cereals. The first feeding of cereal commences with this ceremony. He who desires his child to be brilliant and famous should feed cooked rice mixed with ghee (clarified butter) or the rice mixed with honey, curd and ghee . The samskar ceremony for the first feeding commences with prayer, followed by Svastivachana, Shanitkarana and complete Samanya Prakarana. It is indicated that this ceremony should be performed (when the child is six months old) on the day on which the child was born.

The rice should be prepared thus - Rice is washed, cleaned, cooked nicely and ghee in proper quantity is mixed in the rice when it is in the cooking process. When this rice has been cooked properly and has become cold, then it should be placed in Homasthali or the tray of Homa. From this Homashali the rice is then given in small containers to the Yajman, to Purohita and Ritvij (Priests), accompanied with chanting of Mantras.The Yajmana (father of the child) then performs Agnyadhan and Samidadhana. Offers four oblations of Aghavarajyabhagahuti and four oblations of Vyahriti. Thereafter the oblation of the cooked rice that was given to the Yajman and to the priests, should be offered with one Mantras from the Rig Veda and one Mantra from the Yajur Veda. Thereafter the Yajmana mixes small quantity of curd, honey and ghee. Adds this to the rice that remained after the oblations. This should be fed to the child in minute quantity according to the desire of the child with the chanting of Mantra from the Yajurveda.

Mundan

Mundan Vidhi is performed to carry out the first hair cut of the baby. If it is carried out as per the Vedic Method it removes any deficiencies developed in the child before birth.It is also said that the shaving of the hair stimulates proper growth of the brain and nerves. During this vidhi all the hair of the baby are removed and the baby's head is cleanly shaven.Hair collected during the hair cut are kept inbetween two puris ( fried indian bread ) and then offered to holy waters like Ganges, Yamuna or any other holy water bed.

Upanayana

In Hinduism, Upanayana, or ceremony to mark stages in the life of a Hindu. It is a religious ceremony undertaken by Hindu boys of the three highest castes. The ceremony usually takes place between the ages 7 and 11, indicating the entry into adulthood and the ability to deepen the individual's awareness of the duties they now embrace as a Hindu. During the ceremony, a sacred thread is tied. The thread is made up of three separate threads, each with a symbolic meaning – one meaning to worship God, one meaning to show love and respect to parents, and one meaning to learn from the religious teacher. Mantras from the Hindu scripture the Rig Veda are used during the ceremony. The ceremony may end with the boy acting out his departure on religious pilgrimage, re-enacting the ways of those in the past who set out to study under the tuition of a religious guide.

Akshit Kapoor

THE FOURTH HOUSE

THE FOURTH HOUSE

General Prosperity:

Mother, Property, Vehicles,

Intelligence and Travel

The personal welfare of any individual depends upon beneficent forces arising from the depths which link his past and ultimate future. Any understanding of these influences is inherently limited, though the imme­diate environment in which the individual dwells is an indicator. His early childhood, the love and affection bestowed on him by his family, the clothes he puts on, the food he eats, the house in which he lives, the education he receives and the religious instruction he gets all contribute to his sense of well-being. The Fourth house hi a natal horoscope signifies all these factors and something more. When an individual's Divine Essence immerses itself in that Great Depth known as Hiranyagarbha, then rises again to the surface of external existence, one is confronted with many helpful and adverse forces which guide him towards his destiny, which in any given incarnation is reflected by the opposite house, the Tenth. In order to comprehend the complex forces which impinge upon an individual and condition the psycho-spiritual entity to receive such influences, it is necessary to examine the Fourth house. The nature of this house determines one's general welfare, happiness, emotional stability, and the degree of affluence operative in his life.

The Moon and Venus have special importance in this house. The Moon provides emotional stability, nurtures the individual, and helps to toake him amiable. Such an influence attracts people to him and his sociability is therefore intensified. Venus enhances his sensitivity and makes his life comfortable. Luxurious surroundings and friendly people make him happy. Jupiter in the Fourth house enables the individual to earn tespect and favor from the state. Some of the significations of this house Me "celestial food," "an ant-hill," "the development of Vedic and other sacred texts," "celestial drinks," and "the elephant in rut." These are appellations alluding to the occult and spiritual forces radiating from this house. Jupiter, Saturn, and Ketu have a special importance in respect to these features of the house. As emotional storms, physical well-being, and Divine grace are all connected with this house, the benefics are especially auspicious here and the malefics especially adverse.

A special combination which gives exceptional results in this context arises when Saturn and the Sun are posited in the Fourth house, the Moon in the Ninth, and Mars in the Eleventh, in which situation the individual is said to possess "a large number of cattle and other useful animals." This implies that the above combination enables the individual to possess productive assets and luxurious possessions by concretizing the meritori­ous influences of the past.

The SUN occupying the Fourth house symbolizes the divine nature in man expressing itself in the external or physical realm. This influence has the quality of making the individual very regal, viewing his problems from such a pedestal of detachment that all difficulties seem insignificant and inconsequential. It also detaches the person from the masses. His nature becomes very selective, and no one can establish an equal partnership with him without offering something very special. Ordinary people and rela­tives are often alienated from him in consequence. People become antag­onistic towards him, and though he himself is a person of courteous behavior, measured speech, and dignified dealings, he is often faced with those who are vindictive, jealous, and undignified. But though he may be constantly surrounded by congenial people, he will never be defeated by any enemy or competitor. He will earn money, property, and power through his own efforts, and many persons will seek assistance from him. His mother may suffer from ill health, but he himself will receive honor and respect from the state.

The MOON is a soothing planet which replaces the Sun's radiance with an attractive coolness. The Moon in the Fourth house makes the individual approachable by everyone, high and low, rich and poor. A sympathetic chord resounds when we meet someone with the Moon hi the Fourth house. The depth of the ocean is in his eyes and the tranquility of his disposition can quiet the most turbulent emotions in others. Motherly affection, nice cars, pleasant travel and universal respect give a sense of contentment which makes him non-competitive with others. He is popular among his relations and loved by the opposite sex. He is affluent, but often afflicted by physical problems.

MERCURY bestows physical comforts, a large number of friends and relations, and a very sharp intelligence. Inasmuch as Mercury ranges from the highest spiritual level to the grossest physicality, a person with this planet in the Fourth house can comprehend the abstruse problems of the universe. Often he knows the secrets of nature and dabbles in black magic.

He is popular, a very absorbing conversationalist, an extensive traveler, and very considerate to others, but he may be found guilty of misappro­priating the wealth and property of his siblings, indulging in clandestine sexual affairs, and of living a double life in general. He may suffer from serious affliction in his childhood.

VENUS is the planet most desirable for both worldly and spiritual blessings. An attractive spouse, fine cars, intelligent children, a palatial mansion and respectable society are among the auspicious results of Venus in the Fourth house. Young people, especially women, are attracted to such an individual. He has an artistic temperament, is highly intuitive, and can easily pick up on the feelings and thoughts of others. His company is always joyous and he is skilled in the erotic arts.

MARS precipitates the impact of past karmic deeds, especially those of an adverse nature. Ordinarily, Mars is a planet of selfishness, greed, and rash action, which, in the long run, catch up with the individual in the form of physical or psychological problems. Occupying the Fourth house, Mars creates impatience, impulsiveness, and self-centeredness, unless it receives auspicious aspects or is in exaltation or its own sign. As a result, the individual is considered cruel, inflexible, and covetous by nature. Under such circumstances, Mars may produce affliction for the mother, loss of property, dependence on manual labor to earn one's livelihood, and constant movement from one place to another. Generally, such a person is not born into a respectable family, is abandoned by his siblings, favors bad company, and involves himself in tawdry sexual affairs. He earns his living by serving bad people.

With JUPITER in this house, very evolved souls are bora. Such individuals have generally learned good lessons hi a previous life and have thereby earned meritorious rewards. Thus the individual is born into a very respectable family, receives much recognition from the state, and is placed in happy surroundings with a luxurious house, an excellent car, abundant family and friends, and a respectable means of livelihood. He is spiritually inclined, respecting the saints and seers, is himself well-versed in sacred scriptures, and is capable of overcoming his personal difficulties by ethical means. He is happy in disposition and earns wealth and property as a result of government support.

Unless SATURN is exalted in the Fourth, the native may be disturbed, suffering from karmic retribution. Such a person may be humiliated by "te common people, dishonored in his profession, and afflicted by many physical ailments. He is a pessimist, keeping bad company and indulging in relationships with undesirable characters. He may become indigent, and lose his wealth and position. Even his mother may abandon him. His mind is always in conflict, unhappy and lacking spirituality. He will not listen to rational or helpful advice and may thus be humiliated by his spouse, his children, or even his employees.

When RAHU is in this house, the individual is not quite so unlucky. Almost everything hi his immediate environment is the result of past karmic forces which nothing can stave off, and such forces may bring conditions that test his mettle. He suffers separation from his mother, his siblings may turn against him even when he is helpful to them, and he may not receive his due in his profession. Nevertheless his affluence, penchant for spiritual study and general persistence, along with his insight into the workings of nature, may in time produce wealth, and he may win an enviable status in life and a reputation which outlasts him. In adverse circumstances, however, he may sometimes show suicidal tendencies. In the end, he will certainly achieve the object of his desire.

KETU hi the Fourth house has the potential to make the individual psychic, provided it is in favorable association with the Moon and aspected by spiritual planets. But this is the exception rather than the general rule. Keru often renders the mind unbalanced, disturbing the individual's social relationships and making his personal life miserable. Ketu makes itself felt in the psychology of an individual rather than on the material conditions of his life. Ketu is not especially detrimental to the acquisition of wealth if it receives aspects or is in association with powerful planets. In Scorpio or Leo it produces favorable conditions for material happiness as well as friendly relationships with one's associates. Whatever happens as a result of Rahu or Ketu in the Fourth house is of very deep significance; they often cast their influence on all the other planets.

The placement of the planets in different signs affects the nature of their influence. Any sign in the Fourth house is a force in the birth chart, linking the physical and psychological atmosphere around the person with various planets, which become either ineffective or very important de­pending on their conditions. The main effect of Fourth house planets is to bring forth karmic potential from the past for the purpose of achieving present goals, while the sign involved shows the psychic atmosphere in which the planets must operate. What is expressed in an external form is the combined final effect of these interactions. This point should be kept in view while examining planetary influences and signs affecting the Fourth house, though of course this principle applies to all houses.

Akshit Kapoor

Who is Rishi?

Rishi literally means one who sees the Truth, or the Absolute Reality. 

For seeing the Truth, or rather experiencing it, eyes are neither necessary nor sufficient. It needs the divine vision (divya chakshu) of the type that Lord Krishna gave to Arjuna. With the grace of the Divine, the divine vision may be developed through appropriate physical and mental discipline. The seeker aspiring to become a rishi is so strongly motivated by the desire to ‘see’ God, or the Truth, that he ends up neglecting all his superfluous needs. His lifestyle thus becomes very simple, and all his time and energy are focused on his quest. However, although the seeker’s lifestyle is simple, he does not have to starve himself or neglect his body. On the contrary, he should take special care to keep his body healthy so that it can endure the long journey that he has embarked upon.

While on the journey, the seeker may in fact stumble upon some of the secrets of good health and the strategies that aid mental concentration. That is possibly how the yogic postures and meditative techniques were discovered. Long before the journey is complete, the seeker also starts becoming more loving, caring and compassionate. The altered behaviour also aids his quest, and as he advances in his quest, his behaviour is further transformed in the same direction. His efforts, and Divine Grace, may eventually lead him to the experience of the Truth in its entirety, and the seeker now becomes a rishi. The rishi can now lead the rest of his life with constant awareness of two levels of reality. One is the superficial reality based on sensory perception. That is the reality seen by all. That is the reality which is perishable and inconstant.

The other is the deeper Reality which most of us do not see most of the time. The deeper Reality is imperishable and constant. Thus the rishi has a sort of double awareness. He is aware of what is generally considered real; but behind, within, above and beyond this reality he is aware of a deeper Reality. Thus, the rishi’s consciousness is much wider, higher and deeper than the ordinary consciousness. In simple terms, what the rishi sees is the all-pervasive presence of the Creator in all its creation, animate and inanimate. The first casualty of this deeper vision is the ego that creates the ‘me-versus-the-rest divide’. Therefore, when the rishi organizes his life around this vision, his life becomes full of universal love and compassion. The rishi does not just know the Truth at the mental level, but has experienced it. That is why it is said that the rishi has attained realization; or in other words, the Truth has become real to him. Only what we have experienced becomes real to us. What we have just understood at the mental level does not come anywhere near what we have experienced.

Realized souls in the Hindu tradition are called rishis, but realized souls are not confined to the Hindu tradition. Seekers across geographical and religious boundaries have realized the same Truth through similar methods. There have been several realized souls among the mystics of the Judaic and Christian traditions, and the Sufis of the Islamic tradition. That they have all experienced the same Truth is suggested by the remarkable similarity in the way they have described their experiences. Several comparable descriptions from different traditions have been brought together at one place by Aldous Huxley in his book, The Perennial Philosophy.

Sri Aurobindo reached Pondicherry (now Puducherry) on 4 April 1910. Here are a few lines on the rishi’s consciousness from his epic, Savitri:

A Voice profound in the ecstasy and the hush
They heard, beheld an all-revealing Light.
All time-made difference they overcame;
The world was fibred with their own heart-strings;
Close-drawn to the heart that beats in every breast,
They reached the one self in all through boundless love.

Akshit Kapoor

Rath Yatra Colours: Yellow, Black and White

In the Puri Shree Jagannath Temple, the presiding deities are three siblings: Lord Jagannath, Devi Subhadra and Lord Balabhadra. On Rath Yatra day, the three siblings come out of the Shreemandir, to embark on a journey to visit their parents at the Gundicha temple, about three kilometers away. The rationale behind this is yet unclear. The temple of the two brothers and the sister is named after the consort of Lord Jagannatha, Lakshmi, who is also referred to as Shree.

One often sees a picture of Vishnu, sleeping on the Shesha Naga and served by Lakshmi in the mythical Vaikuntha Dham. Jagannath represents Vishnu and Balabhadra the Shesha Naga. In the Ramayana, the three went to the forest together as Rama, Lakshmana and Sita. In the mythical Dwapara yuga, however, there is no such account of the three embarking on a journey together. In that age, Krishna represented Vishnu, except that the former married several women and loved a multitude of damsels (the gopikas). Krishna perhaps did not want to invoke the wrath of his wives by going on a journey with brother Balarama and Rukmani, considered as the incarnate of Devi Lakshmi. In Dwapara, Krishna and Balarama together undertook a journey to Mathura to kill their tyrant uncle, Kamsa. In order to justify his romance with many, Krishna revealed to Arjuna, husband of Devi Subhadra, that He represented many in One.

The deities in Puri are painted in three different colurs: Jagannath is black, Balabhadra white and Subhadra, yellow. From science we know that white light is dispersed into seven colours and yellow is one of them. However, black is not a part of this. Hence it is distinct. It is unfathomed. In other words, Lord Jagannath is beyond all understanding and probes. All colours have finite wave lengths , implying that these are in the limits of measurement. Black does not have a wavelength, and hence beyond all measure.

Black is dark, implying absence of knowledge. Lord Jagannath is beyond all knowledge. Dark is ferocious. Thus Jagannath represents the all devouring annihilator, the Kala. In the Bhagwad Gita, Arjuna sees that the entire universe rushes into the darkness of the mouth of that all pervading entity and vanishes there. Dark is mysterious. Jagannath is more mysterious than mystery itself. Hence He is called Mayadhara, the mysterious among the mysteries.

Ram means the full moon, the bright light in the dark sky. Balabhadra is strong but gentle. He is as clear as the full moon which is bright and white. While Krishna is the mysterious incarnation of Vishnu, Balabhadra or Balarama is the non-mysterious manifest of Vishnu and transparent-absence of mystery. He is knowledge and thus either precedes the mystery or follows it. In Treta yuga he followed Vishnu as Lakshmana and in the Dwapara, he preceded Vishnu as Balarama. In Rath Yatra he precedes Jagannath in all respects.

Subhadra is yellow. Yellow means joy and happiness. Indeed Subhadra was much younger to Balarama and Krishna and was born after the wicked Kamsa’s demise. Yellow is a particularly important colour for physicists. Yellow light coming out of a sodium lamp can show bright and dark fringes in an interference experiment. Yellow represents a single colour, while white light is a combination of several colours and thus unable to show bright and dark fringes. Thus Subhadra represents the essence of both Jagannath and Balabhadra and hence is well protected by them. 

Akshit Kapoor

The Great Rath Yatra of Puri

Rath Yatra - The Chariot Festival of India

Every year in mid-summer (this year it is July 10, 2013), Lord Jagannath, with his elder brother Balabhadra and sister Subhadra, goes on vacation, travelling on grand chariots, from his temple in Puri, to his garden palace in the countryside. This belief of the Hindus has given rise to one of the biggest religious festivals in India — the Rath Yatra or the Chariot Festival. This is also the etymological origin of the English word 'Juggernaut'.

Jagannath, believed to be an avatar of Lord Vishnu, is the Lord of Puri — the coastal town of Orissa in eastern India. Rath Yatra is of great significance to the Hindus, and especially to the people of Orissa. It is during this time that the three deities of Jagannath, Balabhadra and Subhadra are taken out in a grand procession in specially made gigantic temple-like chariots called raths, which are pulled by thousands of devotees.

Historical Origin

Many believe that the custom of placing idols on grand chariots and pulling them is of Buddhist origin. Fa Hien, the Chinese historian, who visited India in the 5th century AD, had written about the chariot of Buddha being pulled along public roads.

The Origin of 'Juggernaut'

History has it that when the British first observed the Rath Yatra in the 18th century, they were so amazed that they sent home shocking descriptions which gave rise to the term 'juggernaut', meaning "destructive force". This connotation may have originated from the occasional but accidental death of some devotees under the chariot wheels caused by the crowd and commotion.

How the Festival is Celebrated

The festival begins with the Ratha Prathistha or invoking ceremony in the morning, but theRatha Tana or chariot pulling is the most exciting part of the festival, which begins in the late afternoon when the chariots of Jagannath, Balabhadra and Subhdra start rolling. Each of these carriages have different specifications: The chariot of Lord Jagannath is calledNandighosa, has 18 wheels and is 23 cubits high; the chariot of Balabhadra, called Taladhvajahas 16 wheels and is 22 cubits high; Devadalana, the chariot of Subhadra has 14 wheels and is 21 cubits high.

Each year these wooden chariots are constructed anew in accordance with religious specifications. The idols of these three deities are also made of wood and they are religiously replaced by new ones every after 12 years. After a nine-day sojourn of the deities at the country temple amidst festivities, the divine summer vacation gets over and the three return to the city temple of Lord Jagannath.



The Puri Rath Yatra is world famous for the crowd that it attracts. Puri being the abode of these three deities, the place plays host to devotees, tourists and about one million pilgrims from across India and abroad. Many artists and artisans are engaged in building these three chariots, weaving its fabric covers that dress up the chariots, and painting them in the right shades and motifs to give them the best possible looks.

Fourteen tailors are engaged in stitching up the covers that require almost 1,200 meters of cloth. Orissa's government-run textile mill usually supply the cloth needed to decorate the chariots. However, other Bombay-based Century Mills also donate cloth for the Rath Yatra.

Rath Yatra of Ahmedabad

The Rath Yatra of Ahmedabad stands next to the Puri festival in grandeur and crowd-pulling. Nowadays, there are not just the thousands of people who participate in the Ahmedabad event, there are also communication satellites which the police use under the global positioning system to chart the course of the chariots on a map on the computer screen to monitor them from a control room. This is because Ahmedabad Rath Yatra has a bloody record. The last violent Rath Yatra which the city saw was in 1992, when the city suddenly became surcharged with communal riots. And, as you know, is a very riot-prone state!

Rath Yatra of Mahesh

The Rath Yatra of Mahesh in the Hoogly district of West Bengal is also of historical repute. This is not only because it's the grandest and the oldest Rath Yatras in Bengal, but because of huge congregation it manages to attract. The Mahesh Rath Yatra of 1875 is of special historical significance: A young girl was lost in the fair and amongst many, the district magistrate Bankim Chandra Chattopadhya — the great Bengali poet and author of India's National song — himself went out to search for the girl. A couple of months later this incident inspired him to write the famous novel Radharani.

A Festival For All

Rath Yatra is a great festival because of its ability to unite people in its festivity. All people, rich and poor, brahmins or shudras equally enjoy the fairs and the joy they bring. You will be amazed to know that even Muslims participate in Rath Yatras! Muslim residents of Narayanpur, a village of about a thousand families in the Subarnapur district of Orissa, regularly take part in the festival, from building the chariots to pulling the rath.

by

Akshit Kapoor

Why we, Human, Are So Special?

It is said that a human birth is not easy to achieve. And once you have this human body, you are no longer in the hands of nature. You now have the rare capacity, called free will, to initiate a further process of evolution. An animal, on the other hand, is fulfilled once it survives a few years and produces an offspring.

A human being also has to become an adult physically. You need only survive by appeasing your hunger and thirst and avoiding fatal accidents and diseases. The process is a natural one, made possible by the survival instinct common to all living beings.

Unlike physical maturity, emotional growth is in your own hands. Inner maturity is a process that you have to initiate because you are a human being enjoying a faculty of choice. Although each individual seeks something peculiar, these are four ends that everyone seeks. The universal ends most commonly sought after are security and pleasure – artha and kama. The remaining two purusharthas – dharma and moksha -- can also be accomplished by a human being.

That which gives you any kind of security – emotional, economical, or social -- is called artha in Sanskrit. Artha may be in the form of cash or liquid assets, stocks, real estate, relationships, a home, a good name, a title recognition, influence, or power of any kind. And although each person seeks various forms of security at a given time, seeking security is common to all.

Seeking pleasure is another purushartha, called kama in Sanskrit. It, too, takes many forms. For instance, sensory pleasures may be anything from seafood or ice cream onwards. Examples of intellectual pleasures are those derived from playing certain games, solving puzzles or riddles, and studying certain bodies of knowledge. Thus, we have a variety of pleasures.

Anything that satisfies your senses, that pleases your mind, that touches your heart and evokes in you a certain appreciation, is kama. There is another form of pleasure derived from seeing the stars on a beautiful night, enjoying the sunrise, a flower, a playing child, or a beautiful painting, for example. Because this pleasure is neither sensory nor intellectual, I will call it aesthetic pleasure. Even though such pleasures go beyond one’s senses and intellect, they are still kama.

There is a third purushartha, dharma, that is neither artha nor kama. It is pleasure born of harmony, derived from friendship, sharing, helping another person, and so on. For example when you are able to relieve someone’s suffering; you experience a joy that is not kama.

If you enjoy what you do, life is simple. If you do not enjoy what you do, then you have to do something to enjoy, which can be costly. On the other hand, any pleasure that comes out of one’s maturing process is a different type of joy. Not hurting someone, or doing the right thing at the right time, for instance, gives you joy – if not immediately, later. As you grow in your understanding, your dharma also grows.

Because of the importance we give to dharma, the order can now be reversed – dharma, artha and kama. Dharma accounts for your maturity. The more mature you are, the more dharmika you are. In order to be mature, an understanding of dharma and conformity to it become most important in one’s life. Thus, dharma occupies the first place among these three human ends. Without violating dharma, doing what is to be done, you pursue artha and kama, security and pleasure. 

by

Akshit Kapoor

Hindu Wedding Rituals

13 Steps of a Vedic Marriage Ceremony

While various regional steps are followed by different sects of Hindus across India, the following 13 steps form the core of a Vedic wedding ceremony:

Vara Satkaarah
Reception of the bridegroom and his kinsmen at the entrance gate of the wedding hall where the officiating priest chants a few mantras and the bride's mother blesses the groom with rice and trefoil and applies tilak of vermilion and turmeric powder.

Madhuparka Ceremony
Reception of the bridegroom at the altar and bestowing of presents by the bride's father.

Kanya Dan
The bride's father gives away his daughter to the groom amidst the chanting of sacred mantras.

Vivah-Homa
The sacred fire ceremony ascertaining that all auspicious undertakings are begun in an atmosphere of purity and spirituality.

Pani-Grahan
The groom takes the right hand of the bride in his left hand and accepts her as his lawfully wedded wife.

Pratigna-Karan
The couple walk round the fire, the bride leading, and take solemn vows of loyalty, steadfast love and life-long fidelity to each other.

Shila Arohan
The mother of the bride assists her to step onto a stone slab and counsels her to prepare herself for a new life.

Laja-Homah
Puffed rice offered as oblations into the sacred fire by the bride while keeping the palms of her hands over those of the groom.

Parikrama or Pradakshina or Mangal Fera
The couple circles the sacred fire seven times. This aspect of the ceremony legalizes the marriage according to the Hindu Marriage Act as well custom.

Saptapadi
Marriage knot symbolized by tying one end of the groom's scarf with the bride's dress. Then they take seven steps representing nourishment, strength, prosperity, happiness, progeny, long life and harmony and understanding, respectively.

Abhishek
Sprinkling of water, meditating on the sun and the pole star.

Anna Praashan
The couple make food offerings into the fire then feed a morsel of food to each other expressing mutual love and affection.

Aashirvadah
Benediction by the elders.

by 
Akshit Kapoor