Hindu Dharma has advised sanskars to be performed during the sixteen principal events of life, so as to move closer to God. The most important of them being the ‘Vivah sanskar (Hindu wedding sanskar)’! The true objective of a wedding is that two individuals seek the blessings of God to lead a compatible and happy married life. Hindu Dharma has prescribed four Purusharthas, that is Dharma (Righteousness), art
According to Hindu beliefs, marriages are made in heaven and once the marriage is solemnized, the two souls are joined for seven lifetimes. The seven vows of marriage are the seven promises which the bride and the groom make to each other for a happy and prosperous life. They are bound together by an unseen bond protected by these promising words.
Hindu wedding ceremony enforce the seriousness of what a marriage entails through the various rituals and mantras. Every ritual has its own significance. All these ceremonial rituals revolves around the main one which is termed as the Saptapadi (literal meaning: Sapta-Seven and Padi-Steps) where the bride and the groom utter the seven vows of the wedding while revolving around the sacred fire, seven times.
After completion of each round(fera) around holy fire bride and groom gives one promice to each other
Vows (pratidnya) of the bride
The bride takes the following consecutive seven vows, one at each step.
1. त्वत्तो मेऽखिलसौभाग्यं पुण्
यैस्त्वं विविधै: कृतै: । देव ! संपादितो मह्यं वधूराद्ये पदेऽब्रवीत् ।।Meaning: O Lord! I have had the good fortune of acquiring you due to the various types of merits acquired by me in various births. 2. कुटुंबं पालयिष्यामि ह्यावृद्
धबालकादिकम् । यथालब्धेन संतुष्ठा व्रते कन्या व्दितीयके ।।Meaning: I will look after your entire family, from the infant to the aged and will be happy with whatever I get for my sustenance. 3. मिष्ठान्नव्यंजनादिनी काले सं
पादये तव । आज्ञासंपादिनी नित्यं तृतीये सा ऽब्रवीव्दरम् ।।Meaning: I will always abide by your directives and will regularly cook delicious food, vegetables, etc. 4. शुचि: शृंगारभूषाऽहं वाङ्मन: का
यकर्मभि: । क्रीडि ष्यामि त्वया सार्धं तु रीये सा वदेव्दरम् ।।Meaning: I will embellish myself with clean attire and will indulge in sexual play with you through acts with the mind, speech and body. 5. दु:खे धीरा सुखे हृष्टा सुखदु:
खविभागिनी । नाहं परतरं यामि पंचमे साऽब्रवी व्दरम् ।।Meaning: I who face sorrow bravely and remain pleased in happiness will share both your happiness and sorrow and will never indulge in adultery. 6. सुखेन सर्वकर्माणि करिष्यामि गृ
हे तव । सेवा श्वसुरयोश्चामि बन्धूनां सत्कृतिं तथा ।। यत्र त्वं वा अहं तत्र नाहं वञ्चे प्रियं क्वचित् । नाहं प्रियेण वञ्चा हि कन्या षष्ठे पदेऽब्रवीत् ।।Meaning: I will happily perform all your household chores. I will also serve my in-laws and will respect other relatives. I will stay wherever you stay. I will never deceive my beloved (master) and will never get deceived by him. 7. होमयज्ञादिकार्येषु भवामि च सहा
य्यकृत् । धर्मार्थकामकार्येषु मनोवृत्ता नुसारिणी ।। सर्वेऽत्र साक्षिणस्त्वं मे प तिर्भूतोऽसि सांप्रतम् । देहो मयार्पितस्तुभ्यं सप् तमे साऽब्रवीव्दरम् ।।Meaning: O master! I will assist you in the rituals of sacrificial fires (hom-yadnya), etc. and will obey you with regard to Righteousness (Dharma), wealth (artha) and desire (kama). Here, in the presence of the deity of fire (Agnidev), the Brahmans, my parents and relatives you have become my master and I have offered my body unto you.
Vows (pratidnya) of the groom
The meaning of the mantra to be chanted by the groom with each step is as follows
1. ‘इष एकपदी भव-सामामनुव्रताभव-पु
त्रान्विदावहैबहूंस्तेसंतु जरदष्टय: ।।Meaning: O bride, you have walked one step with me, so we have become friends; hence you be my provider of food. Help me to fulfill my vowed religious observances (vrats). May we have many sons and may they have a long life. 2. उर्जेव्दिपदीभव-सामामनु० ।। (The rest should be chanted like the mantra at number 1 and the same should be repeated when each mantrais chanted.)Meaning: O bride, you have walked two steps with me; hence may you become one who will give me strength.
3. रायस्पोषायत्रिपदी भव० ।। (Rest as No.1.)Meaning: O bride, since you have walked three steps with me, may you become one who will increase my wealth.
4. मायोभव्यायचतुष्पदी भव० ।। (Rest as No.1.)Meaning: Since you have walked four steps with me may you increase my happiness.
5. प्रजाभ्य: पंचपदी भव० ।। (Rest as No.1.)Meaning: Since you have walked five steps with me, may you give birth to children.
6. ऋतुभ्य:षट् पदी भव० ।। (Rest as No.1.)Meaning: Since you have walked six steps with me may you give me pleasure in all seasons.
7. सखासप्तपदीभव० ।। (Rest as No.1.)Meaning:You have walked seven steps with me, hence our friendship (relationship) has become strong.
After these seven steps, Then, they both say: "Now let us make a vow together. We shall share the same food, share the strengths, the same tastes. We shall be of one mind, we shall observe the vows together;
saptapadi is a concise set of seven promises by husband and wife at the time of marriage. It defines the roles, duties and rights as husband and wife . Saptapadi is thus a mutual agreement/agreement between bride and bridegroom clearly defining what is expected of each other in married life and this is agreed upon by both in presence of elders from both sides and society in general.
Not just for the Hindus, during a Vedic wedding ceremony, but in every other culture, wedding vows outline the same goals – lifelong commitment, devotion and mutual respect. Marriage is a bond that is everlasting and all these vows reinforce the couple’s intent to stay together through thick and thin of life, till death separate them part.
Shilpa Pandit
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