Surekha Kulkarni

Samskaras or Sanskaras


For Sanskaar refers to upbringing in India.It is the key Performance Indicator of parenting to most Indians. It is an indicator of family values. It shows how civilized and cultured we are

Putting on the mangalsutra is such an rarity for me, that the hubby pierces through the specs and realises that some occasion is close by.
I look at him and say, please dont gawk at me and draw closer to me. I bedecked in a mangalsutra, it is very non sanskari to be adjacent to you , its like a kawach, I am Married but still a Devi Mata.
Hubby confused, hastily turns his head , back to reading the newspaper.

What is Mangalsutra? … The word mangal means auspicious and sutra means thread – together mangalsutra means an auspicious thread uniting the souls. The groom ties the auspicious thread around the bride’s neck on the day of their holy nuptial as significance that their relationship would be as auspicious as the thread.

The ghar ka chirag very excitedly comes and demands a diwali gift from ( Who else ) but his poor overstressed mom.
Mom, mom you keep saying I should be very sanskari , pl buy me a kurta from you know where , I smother his face and roll my eyes , pl pl dont even utter that name, it is not sanskari to buy anything from there .
Ghar ka chirag burrows his head in his iMac and furiously uses my credit card details for his shopping.

Traditional Kurta-Pyjama is quite popular amongst the youngsters, who prefer wearing them in their informal social gatherings, with the basic idea of maintaining a distinctive style of their own.

Hubby in a very festive mood , says lets buy some gold , now that mangalsutra is a nonentity .
I in a jovial mood , happy that hubby wanna buy gift , ghar ka chirag, mom, should I Tan’ and ‘Nishk’, pure joy.

TANISHQ was in news due to the controversy generated by its advertising campaign.

My heart skips a beat and I frantically close all the windows and doors , pl pl Ghar ka chirag, dont utter that word, its very unsanskari and your dad is not even the superstar, if you get thrown in gaols for this anti-national act, what will your mom, an abla naari do ??
Ghar ka chirag and hubby exchange conspiratorial looks , and whisper in terrified voice , one more attack of menopausal tantrum .


Sanskar, Sanskar, Sanskar

The most generally accepted list of 16 traditional samskaras begins with the prenatal ceremonies of garbhadhana (for conception), pumsavana (to favour a male birth), and simantonnayana (“hair-parting,” to ensure safe delivery).

This overrated and over hyped word today
I will try to dissect it in my blog today.
I was wondering if Sanskar and culture are synonyms ?
What is the English word for Sanskar ?
Is it culture?
No not undoubtedly.
Culture at the most can be a subset of Sanskar.
Our forefathers set down a set procedure for every aspect of our life cycle.
From the time a child is born, till the death our life is governed by these rituals as laid out in ancient times.


Sanskaar is a combination of three roots.

Samskaras, or Hindu rites of passage, according to the ancient sage Panini, are the ornaments that decorate one’s personality. They mark the important stages of one’s life and enable one to live a fulfilling life complete with happiness and contentment.
  1. Saras which means fluid
  2. Sama – Which means cyclical or closed Loop
  3. Ka – Which means questioning , an indication of humanity as well as divinity in the Vedas.
According to Wikipedia, samskaras or sanskaras (Sanskrit: संस्कार) are mental impressions, recollections, or psychological imprints. In Hindu philosophies, samskaras are a basis for the development of karma theory

Sanskar or samskara ( In Sanskrit) is actually a way or rituals set for each stage of human cycle.
Sanskaras mean to purify.
According to Manu, Sanskars purify the body. Starting with Garbhadhana they end with Anthyeshti. Every Sanskara starts with a ‘home’ or ‘yajna’.
Though no of sanskaras may differ, there are 16 important sanskara.
Some of the important Sanskaras are – Garbhadhana, Punsavana, Jatakarma, Namkarana, Upanayana, Samavartana, Vivaha, Antyesthi.
The ultimate purpose is to inculcate virtues. Samskaras are viewed in the Hindu tradition as means – not as ends – towards ripening and perfecting the human journey of life.

Sanskar (Subconscious impression) is a process of increasing the potential in ourselves.

The eight virtues as propogated by our vedas which these sanskaras are supposed to achieve are :

  1. Self compassion towards all creatures
  2. Patience
  3. Lack of envy
  4. Purity
  5. Tranquility
  6. Having a positive disposition
  7. Generosity
  8. Lack of possessiveness.
6 Unique Food Related Customs Followed in India
a) Thali style of eating. Vishesh Monga. .
b)Eating with hands.
c)Food offered to God (prasadam) .
d)A spoonful of curd and sugar before any new venture. .
e)The art of slurping.
f)Eating with left hand is supposed to be a sin.

Sanskaras also are very family driven.
Each family has a way of life or a set pattern, norms for all the family members.
Like I remember as a newly wed bahu, my father in law very matter of fact told me , when we invite any guests for any meal, our etiquette is that even if guests refuse to eat more, we have to still insist on serving food to them , as few of the guests may be shy and may therefore refuse out of politeness. ( I dont know how apt it is today to force fed your guests today )
The point is to illustrate the quirky nature of certain sanskaar.

Annaprashan is a Sanskrit term, which literally means “grain initiation”. It’s commonly known as your baby’s first feeding or first rice-eating ceremony and called choroonu in Kerala, mukhe bhaat in Bengal and bhaatkhulai in the Garhwal hills.

Sanskaar as a way of life have definitely survived centuries.
Maybe few have lost their relevance or utility today.
Like the Baby’s first outing, Nishkramana. …
Baby’s first solid food, Annaprashana.
But of course I am sure they would be many who would still follow it .

Samskaras are the subtle impressions of our past actions. As long as we are alive, we continuously perform actions, but not all of them contribute to the formation of samskaras. Actions that we perform with full awareness are the ones that make the greatest impression on our mind.

That brings us to the moot point of this blog and that is :

  1. Have sanskaras lost relevance in today modern world? Is it why we see a upsurge of debates and connection of everything with sanskaars today.
  2. All our sanskaar are based on principles of compassion and empathy.

Then why such crass misuse of our past rituals and practices for some selfish and self aggrandisement?

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