samskaras

In Hindu tradition, the sacraments that mark the passage of life, each marked by a ceremony. Samskaras are mainly observed by high-caste Hindus. The numbers celebrated vary, and may be marked in different ways by different castes, or in different places. The chief samskaras include conception, blessing the child during pregnancy at three months and eight months, the birth ceremony, name-giving, first leaving of the house, receiving the first solid food, ear-piercing, shaving the head, initiation with a guru (teacher), receiving the sacred thread and second shaving of the head, marriage, becoming a guru or hermit, becoming a holy man or sadhu, death, and cremation.

In the samskara marking conception, a married couple pray for a child to love and look after. They may ask a priest to advise them on the best time for conception. Food is shared with relatives. A samskara to secure the birth of a male child may be performed. Following conception, samskaras take place in the third and eighth month of pregnancy. The mother-to-be is given advice on how to behave in order to give the child a good environment before he or she is born. Her hair may be parted in a ceremony to ward off evil spirits.

The samskara marking birth takes place soon after the baby is born. The baby is washed, and the Om (Aum) syllable is written on its tongue with a gold pen dipped in honey. 11 days later, the samskara of naming takes place. The priest is asked to suggest some suitable syllables or names for the baby. The parents may choose a public name for the child to be known by, and a private name to be used on religious occasions. In the naming ceremony, the father or a priest will whisper the child's name in his or her ear, followed by some prayers asking for good qualities for the child to guide him or her through life. Food is shared with the relatives, and the women may sing songs to the baby. Another samskara takes place when the baby is taken into the sunlight for the first time, during which special food (prashad) is again shared with relatives.

The child's first haircut may be celebrated with the mundan ceremony. A boy may have his head shaved, symbolizing the removal of bad karma from a previous life. Ear-piercing is also often marked by a samskara. The child's first learning of the alphabet and initiation with a guru (religious teacher) are also often marked by samskaras.

In some castes the sacred thread ceremony is performed for boys aged 7–10, and is regarded as a spiritual birth for the child. The boy's head is shaved again, and three strands of cotton thread are hung diagonally over one shoulder to the opposite hip. They are tied with a Brahma granthi (spiritual knot) and will be replaced ever year. The three strands may symbolize his duties to God, his parents, and his guru; or the three gods Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva; or may remind him to control his actions, speech, and thoughts. The boy is now regarded as an adult, so at the ceremony his guru teaches him important prayers and rituals. The first shaving of a beard is sometimes marked by another samskara.

Following adulthood, marriage is the next important samskara in life. Then, after a Hindu's children have grown up and left home, he may become less active in daily life and turn his thoughts to God. He may become a guru, studying the scriptures and instructing others. A man may leave home and live alone as a hermit, or he may take his wife with him. Some Hindus give up all possessions and become wandering holy men, or sadhus. A sadhu will hope to reach moksha, or gain enlightenment; both men and women may become sadhus. Those who renounce their family ties in order to fulfil the final ashrama (the last of the four cycles of life) are known as sannyasin.

Following death, the last samskara is cremation.