Samskaras

Samskaras

During the post Vedic age or pre-Buddhist Age or the later part of Later Vedic period, the life was fully ritualized. It was the part of the process of development of Vedic Life of Aryans wherein each aspect of individual life and the society was taken care of.


Samskaras are set of rituals which were performed during the life time of an Aryan. These are explained in Sutra literature. The various Samskaras and the method of performing those Samkaras are given in Grihya Sutra. Such ceremonies usually starts when the conception of a child took place. They continue throughout his life and even after death. Such an elaborate set of ceremonies guided the four stages of the life of an individual which is also known as Chatur Ashram Vayvasta or simply Ashram Vayvasta.


Some of the major Samskaras are Garbhadharna (performed when a child is conceived.), Pumsavana (for procuring a male child.), simantonnyanna (to ensure safe delivery of child.), jartakarma, (at the birth of child.) annaparsana (when solid food is given to the child for the first time.), cudakarma (when hairs are removed for the first time.), uppanyana (considered as second birth when he is declared divijya and starts his Brhamcharya asharama), marriage, saradhas, and so on. There are nearly forty such samskaras which are performed through different stages of every Aryan. There are some minor sanskara which an Aryan is expected to perform every day.


With such an elaborate rituals, the life of an Aryan is expected to get organized. However, when gradually the dominance of Brhamans increased over such sacrifices during the later stage of Later Vedic Age, there emerged rigidity and ceremonial performance of such rituals. Such a way of life later became the major features of identification of a life of Hindus.

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Sources:
The History and Culture of Indian People, volume one, Chapter 25 and 26, edited by R. C. Majumdar; Wonder That Was India, Chapter V, by A. L. Basham and Life and Culture in Ancient India by B. N. Luniya.