Names of Samskaras from Hindu Dharma

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Names of Samskaras from Hindu Dharma

 

The forty samskaras which are meant to purify the individual self

are: garbhadhana, pumsavana, simanta, jatakarma, namakarana,

annaprasana, caula, upanayana, the four rites like prajapatya

(Vedavratas) performed during gurukulavasa (the years the celibate

student spends in the home of his guru), the ritual bath on

completion of gurukulavasa, marriage, the five mahayajnas performed

everyday by the householder. We have listed nineteen so far. Then

there are seven pakayajnas, seven haviryajnas and seven somayajnas to

be conducted by the householder. Thus 19+21=40

 

The seven pakayajnas are: astaka (anvastaka), sthalipaka, parvana,

sravani, agrahayani, caitri, asvayuji. The seven haviryajnas:

agniyadhana, agnihotra, darsa-purnamasa, agrayana, caturmasya,

nirudhapasubandha, sautramani. The seven somayajnas: agnistoma,

atyagnistoma, uktya, sodasi, vajapeya, atiratra, aptoryama.

 

Out of the forty samskaras some are to be performed everyday, some at

certain times and some at least once in a lifetime. In the first

category there are five mahayajnas (panca-mahayajnas).

 

Rites done to the chanting of mantras are more beneficial than those

done without it - a sacrament involving mantras is a samskara. The

social service that a house holder does is included among his daily

panca - mahayajnas. The panca - mahayajnas are: brahmayajna,

devayajna, pitrayajna, manusyayajna and bhutayajna. The chanting of

the Vedas constitutes brahmayajna. Sacrifices and puja are devayajna.

Tarpana is pitrayajna. Feeding guests is manusyayajna. And offering

bali to various creatures is bhutayajna.

 

Aupasana and agnihotra are part of the daily religious routine.

Though a pakayajna, aupasana is not included in the group of seven

pakayajnas mentioned above, while agnihotra is one of the seven

haviryajnas. Darsa - purnamasa is a haviryajna to be performed once

in fifteen days. The other five haviryajnas and the seven somayajnas

are to be performed once a year or, at least, once in a lifetime. As

if out of consideration for us, the Smrtis have granted us this

concession: that the difficult somayajnas need be undertaken only

once in a lifetime.

 

But for the parvani - sraddha which is to be performed once a month

and the sthalipaka every Prathama, the other five pakayajnas are to

be performed once a year.

 

To put it differently: the five mahayajnas (brahmayajna, devayajna,

pitrayajna, manusyayajna, bhutayajna) together with agnihotra and

aupasana are to be performed everyday; darsa-purnamasa and sthalipaka

once a fortnight; parvani-sraddha once a month. The other yajnas are

to be conducted once a year or at least once in a lifetime.

 

On a plot of land growing one crop, harvesting is done once a year,

while on another plot growing three crops the same is done once every

four months. Some crops have to be watered everyday, some on

alternate days. Such jobs are samskaras. But there are differences in

the samskaras for different crops. The same is the case with the

samskaras meant for human beings.

http://www.kamakoti.org/hindudharma/part16/chap8.htm,