The Vivāha, the Hindu Marriage Saṁskāras
The Vivāha, the Hindu Marriage Saṁskāras

Author: Bhaiyārām Śarmā

Publisher: Motilal Banarsidass Publ.

Published: 1993

Total Pages: 204

ISBN-13: 9788120811324

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Ceremonial rites and rituals occupy a place of utmost importance in the life of a devout Hindu. In fact, there are no vital actions- brith, initiation, marriage, death etc- which can be allowed to be performed without its appropriate rite or samskara. The number of samskaras has been fluctuating but was finally fixed at sixteen. Marriage is the most important and elaborate out of these sixteen samskaras. Manu enjoins that rituals should be performed in the case of virgin for legalizing the marriage, legitimatizing children and avoiding public scandal. The mantras used in the nuptial rites being in Sanskrit are beyond the comprehension of not only the average Hindu but even the common priests entrusted with the duty of conducting the rituals. To overcome this difficulty the present book was originally prepared in Hindu and is now translated into English with the mantras etc. Romanized for the benefit of those who do not have adequate knowledge of Hindi, for example especially those whose forefathers had migrated to remote countries during the last one hundred years or so.

The Śrāddha
The Śrāddha

Author:

Publisher: Motilal Banarsidass Publ.

Published: 1997

Total Pages: 124

ISBN-13: 9788120811928

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Of the sixteen samskaras which encompass a Hindu life the last one is performed for the dead by their sons or grandsons or relatives. Many passages in the Puranas and Dharmasastras extol the role of the son in the life of devout Hindu. The present book deals with the rite of Sraddha and vindicates the popular belief that Sraddha, being an important topic, forms an integral part of Hindu Dharmasastra. The belief in the after-death survival of deceased ancestors and their separate world belongs to the Indo-Iranian period and as such is pre-Vedic. Ancestor-worship for one's prosperity, continuation of one's race, is as old as the Rgveda. Contents Preface, Introduction, The Antyesti Samskara, Appendices, Glossary

Hindu Saṁskāras
Hindu Saṁskāras

Author: Rajbali Pandey

Publisher: Motilal Banarsidass Publ.

Published: 1987

Total Pages: 364

ISBN-13: 9788120803961

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The Hindu Samskaras give expression to aspirations and ideals of the Hindus. They aim at securing the welfare of the performer and developing his personality.

16 Hindu Samskaras
16 Hindu Samskaras

Author: Prof. Shrikant Prasoon

Publisher: Pustak Mahal

Published: 2009-06-12

Total Pages: 140

ISBN-13: 8122310532

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Samskars make living easier, better and fuller, if performed as they should, with right earnestness. Lord Sri Krishna declared in the Gita: “That person easily succeeds in both the physical and spiritual realms (worlds) whose Samskars have been duly completed and that has achieved control over senses. The book 16 Hindu Samskars incorporates all the Samskars that make a person refined and cultured, to grow from inside and to enable one to lead a pious, complete, healthy, happy, pleasant and prosperous life. If all the Samskars are performed and the patterns and rules obeyed then life of a person would be worth living, blissful, and pure enough to get bliss and salvation, and that person would be a worthy citizen able to make the earth a better place for all living beings and to ensure continuity of life. Read 16 Hindu Samskars, learn about them and be Samskari.

Hindu Rites and Rituals
Hindu Rites and Rituals

Author: K V Singh

Publisher: Penguin UK

Published: 2015-11-25

Total Pages: 220

ISBN-13: 9385890042

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Why is the tulsi considered sacred? What is the significance of namaste? Why do Hindus light a lamp before performing a ritual? Why is it forbidden to sleep facing the south? Why do Hindus chant 'shanti' three times after performing a rite? Millions of Hindus the world over grow up observing rites, rituals and religious practices that lie at the heart of Hinduism, but which they don't know the significance of. Often the age-old customs, whose relevance is lost to modern times, are dismissed as meaningless superstitions. The truth, however, is that these practices reveal the philosophical and scientific approach to life that has characterized Hindu thought since ancient times; it is important to revive their original meanings today. This handy book tells the fascinating stories and explains the science behind the Hindu rites and rituals that we sometimes follow blindly. It is essential reading for anyone interested in India's cultural tradition.

Clothing as Devotion in Contemporary Hinduism
Clothing as Devotion in Contemporary Hinduism

Author: Urmila Mohan

Publisher: BRILL

Published: 2019-09-02

Total Pages: 88

ISBN-13: 9004419136

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Urmila Mohan draws on her ethnography of Hindu devotional practices in Iskcon, India, to explore cloth and clothing as “efficacious intimacy”, that is, embodied processes that shape practitioners as devotees, connecting them with the divine and the larger community.

Hinduism - Ritual, Reason and Beyond
Hinduism - Ritual, Reason and Beyond

Author: Ashok Mishra

Publisher: StoryMirror Infotech Pvt Ltd

Published: 2019-08-03

Total Pages: 540

ISBN-13: 9388698134

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The book is journey through 5000 years of evolution of Hinduism, and is outcome of seven years of study to understand the roots of Hinduism. Tracing the genesis of Hinduism to pre-Indus Valley period, the book explains Hindu, Hinduism and Sanatana Dharma, before it takes one through Hinduism’s oldest scriptures - the four Vedas, the four components of each Veda, and what they contain. How all original translations of Vedic texts were done by Western Sanskrit scholars, and why their works have left scope for doubt about the fidelity of translations. The yajnas (yagya) like Ashvamedha, Rajsooya, Vajpeya, etc., about which we only hear on TV serials and talk shows, have been demystified. The reader will be taken aback reading the sheer size and scale of Soma yajna, described step by step, in great detail. Hinduism’s journey to the Age of Reason, the Upanishads, its encounter with Buddhism, and its transformation into idol worshipping society with many gods and a multitude of stories about its millions of gods is lucidly explained. Puranas, what they contain and what was the reason they were created, has been described and explained next. Hinduism's journey to its modern form - idol worship, the modern puja, detailed description of puja and Sanskaras like Vivaha, their detailed description, the meaning of each action and how they are conducted, the gift to the priest, types of idols, their consecration, all are explained to help a reader understand the why and the how of what we do as a Hindu. The book concludes with a discussion of - Do mantras have power? & Do rituals have meaning?

VIVAHA PUJA - THE HINDU WEDDING BOOK
VIVAHA PUJA - THE HINDU WEDDING BOOK

Author: SWAMI RAM CHARRAN

Publisher: Lulu.com

Published: 2011-05-27

Total Pages: 174

ISBN-13: 1257094807

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This book is a detailed step by step account of the Hindu marriage ceremony inviting the blessings and asking permission of all the universal elements so that marriage can be prosperous, happy and fruitful for the continuity of life and the universe. The types of marriages, the role each family member and ancestors play before, during, and after the ceremony. It is a remainder of the sacred purpose of the marriage ceremony from the Hindu perspective, but also a reminder for non-Hindus of the impact marriage has on the world.