What are the Sixteen Samskaras?

In all there are sixteen Samskaras which are listed below:

(1) Garbhadhana samskara (Impregnation): This samskara is performed before the mother is impregnated for getting a progeny of desired choice.

After the fourth night of her menstrual period there is the provision for performing this ceremony with the recitation of Vedic hymns in any day prior to the night on which the mother is to be impregnated.

If a male child is desired impregnation should take place on the 6th, 8th, 10th, 12th or 14th night and for female child it should be on the 5th, 7th, 9th, 11th, 13th night after the menstrual period.

(2) Pumsavana samskara: This ceremony is performed in the 2nd or 3rd month of the conception for getting a genius child.

(3) Simantonnayana samskara: This is Vedic rite performed on the 4th, 6th or 8th month of pregnancy for the mental development of the child while in the mother’s womb.

The above three samskaras are performed prior to the birth of a child whereas the following samskaras are performed after the child has been born.

(4) Jatakarma samskara: This ceremony is performed upon the birth of the child by placing a mixture prepared with two drops of pure ghee and six drops pure honey in the mouth of the child and writing of Pranav AUM (OM) on the child tongue with a gold stick. At the same time the child is blessed by uttering mantras or holy words into his ear.

(5) Namkarana samskara or Naming ceremony (Baptism): This ceremony is performed on the 11th days or 101st days or the 2nd birth day after the birth of the child and a suitable name is given to the child after consideration of the zodiacal placements of the stars at the time of the child’s birth.

(6) Niskramana samskara: This ceremony is performed at the end of 3rd or 4th month of the birth when the child is taken out from the house for the first time.

(7) Annaprasana samskara: This ceremony of giving the child rice cooked in milk for the first time is performed at the end of six months of its birth. The child is fed with food besides mother’s milk when the teething process begins.

(8) Mundan samskara: The tonsure ceremony is performed at the end of the first or the third year of the child by shaving off the hair on his head.

(9) Karnabadh samskara: Both the earlobes of the child are pierced in the third or the fifth year of the child to ward off the evil influences of the stars and to enable him to wear ornaments in the ear.

(10) Upanayana samskara or sacred thread ceremony: This is a very important ceremony performed between 8th and 12th year of the child when a sacred thread, divided in three parts, is put on the child’s left shoulder across the right torso, reminding him of the threefold indebtedness to his mother, father and teacher and of his sacred duties in life: physical, mental and spiritual.

(11) Vedarambha samskara: This ceremony is performed before the child is put to learning or schooling. Both upanayana and vedarambha samskaras are linked to each other.

The provision is to perform all the above eleven ceremonies within the 8th year of the child’s life. This is the period for moulding the child’s brain to the desired pattern. After this period the brain becomes mature enough for moulding.

(12) Samavartana samskara: This ceremony is performed at the end of the 14th year since the beginning of the child’s education of learning. This is equivalent to the convocation ceremony of the present day universities at the end of 10 + 2 + 3 = (15) years of education of a child.

(13) Vivaha samskara or Marriage ceremony: A boy and a girl are united in wedlock when the boy is 25 years of age and the girl is at least 16 years of age. The couple now enters the household’s order of their life period. Eight forms of marriages have been prescribed in the Indian scriptures.

These are Brahma, Daiva, Arsha, Prajapatya, Asura, Gandharva, Raksasa and Paisacha. The best form of marriage is Brahma marriage in which the parents of the girl bestow her to a suitable youth of good education and social standing by performing a religious ceremony.

In such marriages, an agreement between the parents of the boy and the girl is ensured and no dowry is given or taken.

(14) Vanaprastha samskara: In ancient days the rishis and saints of India had divided the life of an individual into four periods of 25 years each which were called ashrams. The period of the first 25 years was called brahmacharya, the next 25 years the grihasthashram, the span of life from 51 years to 75th years was called Vanaprastha and the remaining period was termed Sanyasa.

(15) Sanyasa Ashram is the last stage of the human life, when one has to lead a life of complete renunciation. The term Sanyasa moans to throw off completely the burden of all worldly attachmen and all sorts of desires which one has been carrying on his shoulders while leading a worldly life. In fact, it refers to the internal renunciation of all desires.

(16) Antyesthi samskara (last rites): This is the final stage of the body. No other obligation remains for the physical body after this. The Yajur Veda says ‘Bhesmentang Sareeram’, i.e. the body exists until it is consigned to the funeral pyre.

In fact, the last rite is the beginning of the process of future journey of the casual body according to the accumulated results of good and bad deeds (samskara) while it was in the physical body.