Rituals

A Brahman’s thoughts and life revolves around the precepts laid down in the Vedas. A brahman’s life is full of rituals. Even the simple act of bathing is a ritual and is accompanied by the chanting of a mantra. (Brahmans, in ancient India, bathed five times a day). There are rituals connected to births, to deaths, to weddings, conception, childbirth, child naming, first feeding of a child, first tonsure, sacred thread ceremony, cremation, shraddha or ritual for remembering the deceased family members, rituals on the occasion of full moon, on auspicious days, during auspicious months like Shravana and so on. Life is ritual, celebrating each aspect of it in an inimitable brahmanic, vedic way. Some rituals are common to all hindus but quite a few are specific only to brahmans. Truly a Brahman is twice blessed and twice born. Rituals, or samskaras, do not start with birth, they start with conception and go beyond death, shraadh being a way to remember those who have left us.

When a family is expecting a child, a religious ceremony is conducted with all family members present along with a chosen few guests. Priests chant mantra, offer libations and pray for the good health and life of the child to be born and the mother. The garbha dana ritual is a pre-natal ceremony, the Pumsavana rituals are held during the 2nd, 3rd or 4th month of pregnancy. The Sreemantha ceremony is held during the 7th month of pregnancy. Devout brahmans will hold another name-giving religious ceremony when a child is born. A couple of years down the line the Choodakarma or tonsure ceremony is held with great celebration, prayers and feasting. The thread ceremony, Upanayanaa or Yajnopavittam, for male children is unique to Brahmans. Some brahmans consider it more important than marriage. For the first time in his life the Brahman child (at the age of 8, 11 or 12) wears the sacred symbolic thread and receives “samskara”. Three strands in the thread symbolize debt to teacher, to one’s parents and ancestors and debt to teachers and sages and God who gives the child wisdom. Three strands in the thread are also a sacred and continuous reminder to the child to remember the three Goddesses: Gayatri who controls the mind, Saraswati for learning and words and Savitri for deeds. The three together symbolize thought, word and deed. He receives Brahmopdesh or, in a way, the start of true education in life that governs his thoughts and actions.

Puberty is the next big thing, especially for girls, accompanied by celebrations, pooja and yagnas.

Vivah or wedding is the high point in a man’s life. It is enjoined by Shastras as a duty and an obligation, stepping up to Gruhasthashram from Brahmacharya.

Homas or sacrificial ceremonies involve offerings to various Gods and Godesses and are symbolic in the way libations are poured into the fire while chanting appropriate mantras. Brahmans and hindus commonly perform homas to appease deities and a few of these ar Ganapati homa, Mrityunjay home to appease Shiva, Chandi homa for Shakti or Durga , Navagrah for Surya and Sudarshana for Lord Vishnu.

The final Antyestha ceremony is performed by the eldest son of the departed at the funeral and cremation. Ceremonies are performed each month following the demise, for the first year and thereafter devout hindus invariably remember their forbears on special days like full moon days, eclipse, Uttarayana, Dakshinayana and so on.

Chanting of mantras at dawn, at noon and at dusk is woven in the thread of life of brahmans. The basic Gayatri mantra along with Deva pooja is enjoined on all brahmans to be chanted at least 108 times a day. The extended Gayatri mantra goes like this: ‘Om Bhoohu, Om Bhuvaha, Om Swaha, Om Mahaha, Om Janaha, Om Tapaha Om Satyam II Om tat Savitar varenyam, Bhargo devasya dheemahi, dhio yonah Prachodayat II Om Apo Jyothiraso Amritam Brahma Bhur Buvah Suvar Om ‘

It means let us meditate on the divine light of Savitri that illumines the Earth, the Sky and the Heavens and let it stimulate our thoughts and actions.

At one time the life of brahmans revolved around poojas and education throughout the day. It was possible for them to chant mantras and follow rituals that in the modern context may not be practical.