VIVAHAM

Namaskaram. This series on South Indian brahmin marriage is an attempt of Veda Ghosham to make people aware of the differences between how marriage rituals and its significance is mentioned in shastras and how we do it today. Attempt is to bring back our ancient traditions back.

As per our shastras the groom to be eligible for marriage has to undergo “Samavartanam” which is a part of the 16 samaskaras recommended by our Rishis before marriage. This samavartanam signals the end of brahmacharya ashrama (bachelorhood) and moving into Gruhastashrama (getting married). As per the sutras written by Rishis, this Samavartana is a extensive process which involves homam, snanam, adorning of kundalas in ear, applying chandanam on body, applying mai (kajal) in eyes, adorning flowers, discarding the mounji (munjapil) which is tied in the waist throughout the brahmacharya from Upanayana and discarding the danda (stick) etc. Nowadays none of the boys undergoing upanayana wear either a mounji or keep and danda at least during anushtanas till marriage. All are discarded at the end of upanayana day by the boy which he accepted with vedic mantras from Acharya promising he will follow all rules of brahmacharya. Rishis have mentioned so many things about the protective benefits of all these items but currently no one knows the value of it for the boy.

Coming back to Samavartana (done before marriage) is rarely done nowadays in total and is done in short cut nowadays on the morning of the marriage. You would have seen the bride’s side giving a gift box to the groom with face powder, mai (kajal for eyes), shaving razor, perfume etc to the groom. And the groom uses some of these items on the morning of the marriage. This Samavartana now is done in 10 mins by the boy himself compared to more than half a day of procedure with mantras which used to be done by the Acharya / father of the boy 1 day prior to marriage in the ancient times as per shastras. Though shastra allows a shorter procedure similar to what we do currently but with appropriate sankalpa and few mantras in the morning to accept and use the items. Even a barber should be invited for haircut and shaving on this day which is not done anymore.

One of the main karmas during this Samavartana is shaving of hair. Many Rishis have termed this as “Godana vrata”.Though here the term does not represent Go danam (donating a cow) but refers to this shaving of hair equal to Go danam. Why I am specifically highlighting this issue is I see most of the boys/men who get married now on the day of marriage sport a beard, sometimes long hair, moustache and some have designer bread and hair style to look macho. The most important aspect pre-marriage in samavartana is shaving of hair and shastras recommend the bride-groom to shave off beard, moustache for sure and also as per ancient practice shaving of head except the portion on the back of the head (shikha/tuft) which should be left. All these are done with mantra chanting as per shastra. But all this has vanished now due to lack of Shastra knowledge and lack of belief in our rituals.

Why shaving of facial hair as well as head is recommended you may ask ? Read the sloka below and the meaning of the same to understand further

“Merumandara tulyani papani vividhani cha, Keshaan aashritya tishtanti tasmat keshan vaapayet”

Papas equivalent to Meru and Mandara parvata which has been committed till now stay hidden and supported on hair of the groom and to remove the sins the hair has to be removed which will efface my sins and make him pure on this important day.Remember Go Danam (actual donation of cow and calf) is done to remove sins, this rite is aptly also called Go danam as shaving of the hair removes the sins to a great extent and gives you the merit of Go danam on the day when you are stepping into your next ashrama. Rather in this rite even the body hair is shaved for the groom before marriage as per shastras. More the body hair, beard, moustache more the papas stick to the person which needs to be removed in this Samavartana an essential pre marriage ritual in our shastras. So definitely the groom cannot sport and beard or moustache on the day of his marriage and if he does it contradicts the shastra vakya and he will marry the bride without atonement of his sins.

Another verse from Vedic Sutras says “Idam aham amushya aamushyayanasya paapmaanam avaguhami”

I having born in a great lineage of sages remove my sins which were hiding in my hair by shaving them off, and thus now I become pure.

Thus this shaved hair is collect and put on top of bull dung with this mantra and kept under a tree by his mother or his friend who should be a brahmachari. Thus facial and body hair in shastras is looked upon as a comfortable place for sins to hide and stay with us. And that’s why in our culture time to time shaving of hair(head, facial and body) is recommended. But you may ask I see many vadhyars /vaideekas having beard with moustache for many days and why they are not shaving daily. The answer for this is shastras recommend certain days when you can cut your hair /nails etc not daily like office goers do. And such window for haircut or shaving of hair is very sparse each month so while waiting for this specific days for shaving the beard and moustache grows. But in marriage this Samavartana is an expectional situation and case and irrespective of the day/date shaving and then bath has to be doe. Do you want to know which days to cut hair /nails and which days not? Read on to know more. Dharmo Rakshati Rakshitah !