View source for Talk:Dharma sastra-Saṃskāra

{{Author|Jammalamadaka Srinivas}}

The word saṃskāra generally means 'act of purification'. Śabara, commentator of Jaimini Sutras, explains:
<blockquote>Samskāro nāma sa bhavati yasimn jāte padārtho bhavati yogyaḥ kasyachidarthasya<ref>Jaimini Sutra 3-1-3, p.no. 660</ref></blockquote>

Saṃskāra is a means through which one person/object is considered to be fit for certain purpose. Fitness is classified into two sections as below:
<blockquote>Yogyatā ca sarvatra dviprakārā doṣāpanayanena guṇāntaropajanane ca bhavati<ref>Tantravārtika, Jaimini Sutra - 3-8-9, p.no.1115</ref></blockquote>
# Fitness attained by the removal of taints<ref>It refers to the sins.</ref>.
# Fitness attained by generation of new qualities.

For example, saṃskāras such as upanayana makes a person eligible for Vedic studies. Saṃskāras such as Jātakarma removes the taint that may have been generated by the seed<ref>It refers to Ovum here.</ref> and uterus.

The word 'saṃskāra' is formed from the verbal root 'kṛ', with the prefix 'sam' and suffix 'ghay'. In the present context, it means 'a sacred or sanctifying ceremony',     
i.e. The rituals which are meant for refining the body and soul.  Angira, a sage, define saṃskāras to be the colors in a painting. Coloring a painting makes the painting gradually more beautiful and complete. In the same way, saṃskāras refine a person peripherally and internally i.e. all the seen and unseen aspects of a human being.

<blockquote> “Chitrakarma yathānekai raṃgairunmīlyate śanaiḥ| Brāmhhaṇyamapi tadvatsyāt saṃskārairvidhipūrvakaiḥ||”<ref>Angīra smṛti, smṛti muktāphalaṃ, p.no. 72</ref></blockquote>

===Purpose of Saṃskāras===
The purpose of saṃskāras according to Manu, in the case of dvijatis i.e. brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya and vaiśya is to get rid of the taints acquired due to seed and uterus derived from the parents. In order to achieve this homas<ref>It means burnt oblations.</ref> are performed during pregnancy and by ceremonies such as jātakarma etc. Similar purpose is stated even by yākjnavakya. In vīramitrodaya Mitramiśra divides the saṃskāras into two categories based on their purposes. One type acquires the fitness to study vedas such as Upanayana. And the other does only serve the purpose of getting rid of the taint of seed and uterus, such as Jātakarma<ref>Sa ca dvividhaḥ| Ekastāvat karmāntarādhikāre anukūlaḥ yathā upanayanajanyaḥ vedādhyayanadyadhikārāpādakaḥ| Aparaḥ utpannaduritamātranāśakaḥ yathā bījagarbhasamudbhavainonibarhaṇo jātakarmādi| Vīramitrodaya-Vol2-p.no.132</ref>.   

Hārīta as qouted in Samskāratattva says that 'when a person has intercourse according to the procedure of garbhādhāna he establishes a fetus in the wife that becomes fit for reception of Veda. By performing the rite puṃsavana he ensures that the child is male. By performing Sīmantonnayana he removes the taints derived by the fetus from the parents. These taints are five in number and are said to be accumulated from seed, blood and womb. These five taints are removed by jātakarma, nāmakaraṇa, annaprāśana, chūḍākaraṇa and samāvartana respectively. By these eight<ref>Garbhādhāna, Puṃsavana, Sīmantonnayana, Jātakarma, Nāmakaraṇa, Annaprāśana, Chūḍākaraṇa and Samāvartana</ref> one attains purity<ref>Saṃskartattva,p.no. 857</ref>.

===Classification of Saṃskāras===
<blockquote>dvividhaḥ saṃskāro bhavati brāhmo daivaśca.......salokatāṃ sāyujyaṃ gacchati</blockquote>
Hārīta divided Saṃskāras into two -
# Brāhma
# Daiva
The saṃskāras of garbhādhāna etc. which are described only in the smṛtis are called brāhma.7 pākayajnas, 7 haviryajnas and 7 somasaṃsthas are called daiva. People who are purified by brāhma saṃskaras attain equality with sages and stay in the same world and eventually become one among them. People who perform the 21 yajnas attain equality with devas and stay in the same world and eventually become one among them.<ref>Samskāraprakāśa, p.135</ref>  
    
===Number of Saṃskāras===
According to Gautama there are 48 saṃskāras<ref>Gautama dharma sutra 8|14-24, smṛti muktāphalaṃ,p.no. 73</ref>. They are:
# Garbhādānaṃ 
# Puṃsavanaṃ 
# Sīmantōnnayanaṃ 
# Jātakarma 
# Nāmakaraṇam 
# Annaprāśanaṃ 
# Chaulaṃ 
# Upanayanaṃ 
# 4 Vedavratas 
# Snātakaṃ 
# Vivāhaḥ 
# Deva
# Pitṛ
# Manuṣya
# Bhūta
# Brāmhaṇa yajnas
# 7 Pākayajnas 
# 7 Haviryajna saṃsthas 
# 7 Sōma saṃsthas 
# 8 Ātma guṇas<ref>They are dayā-kṣānti-anasūyā-śauchaṃ-anāyāsa-mangalaṃ-akārpanyam-aspṛhā.</ref>

But popularly the first fourteen of the above saṃskāras are performed in the present times. Deva-pitṛ-manuṣya-bhūta-brāmhaṇa yajnas, 7 Pākayajnas, 7 Haviryajna saṃsthas, 7 sōma saṃsthas are rarely performed that too by selective people. 8 Ātma guṇas are normally imparted by the moral stories in sanātana culture. Antyēṣṭi is also another ritual considered as saṃskāra. Antyēṣṭi is the saṃskāra which is performed after one's death to dispose the body which the soul left. The primary purpose of these 48 saṃskāras is Mokṣa<ref>It is the final emancipation, the deliverance of the soul from recurring births or transmigration.</ref> But Gautama says it in a different manner:

 <blockquote>Yasyaitē chatvārimśat saṃskārā na cāṣṭāvātmaguṇā na sa brahmaṇaḥ sāyujyaṃ sālōkuaṃ ca gacchati|''<ref>Gautama dharma sutra 8|25, smṛti muktāphalaṃ,p.no. 73</ref></blockquote>

One who does not get refined himself with these 48 saṃskāras, is not permitted to the sāyujyaṃ and  sālōkuaṃ of the bramhan. This means that he does not attain Mokṣa.

==References==
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