Number of Saṃskāras

The Vedic literature refers only four saṃskāras, the conception, the initiation, the marriage and the last rite^[1]. The Gṛhyasūtra give a long list of the Saṃskāras. The Āśvalāyana Gṛhyasūtra mentions eleven Saṃskāras, the Baudhāyana Gṛhyasūtra and the Vārāha Gṛhyasūtra mention thirteen Saṃskāra each. The Dharmasūtras whose province was to discuss law and customs, do not refer all the Saṃskāra in detail, but they lay down rules about some Saṃskāras. The Smṛtis also differ in number of Saṃskāras.

According to Manu, they are–

1. Garbhādhāna,
2. Puṃsavana,
3. Sīmantonnayana,
4. Jātakarma,
5. Nāmdheya,
6. Niṣkramaṇa,
7. Annaprāsana,
8. Cuḍākarana,
9. Upanayana,
10. Keśānta,
11. Samāvartana,
12. Vivāha and
13. Śamaśāna^[2].

The Yājñavalkya Smṛti preserves the same list except the Keśānta^[3].

The later Smṛti refer Śoḍasa Saṃskāras viz.—

1. Garbhādhana (Conception),
2. Puṃsavana (Quicking a male child),
3. Sīmantonnayana (Hair-parting),
4. Jātakarma (Birth Ceremonies),
5. Nāmakaraṇa (Name giving),
6. Niṣkramana (First outing),
7. Annaprāśana (First feeding with the solid food),
8. Cuḍākarana (Tonsure Ceremony),
9. Karṇavedha (Boring the ears),
10. Vidyārambha (learning of alphabet),
11. Upanayana (Investiture with the sacred thread),
12. Vedārambha,
13. Keśānta (Shaving of beard) or Godāna, Samāvartana or Snāna (End of Studentship),
14. Vivāha (marriage), and
15. Antyeṣṭi (Funeral rite).

These Śoḍaśa Saṃskāra were performed on the person of an individual, either by mother before nativity, or on the male child after birth. They conditioned his life. But of these the Saṃskāras, the main educational Saṃskāra were–the Vidyārambha Saṃskāra, the Upanayana, the Vedārambha, the Keśānta and the Samāvartana Saṃskāra. Of these educational Saṃskāras the Upanayana and the Samāvartana have been observed all through the ages. But the Vidyārambha, the Keśānta and the Vedārambha have not been observed all through the ages. Whereas Mārkaṇḍeya Purāṇa, Kālidāsas Raghuvaṃśa, Kautilya’s Arthaśāstra and the Bhavbhutis Uttararāmacarita give little bit information about the Vidyārambha Saṃskāra. Some authorities mentioned that through this Saṃskāra, a boy started his educational life.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

RV. III.8,4-5; X.14,16,18;X.85; X.183,184; Atharvaveda XI.5.

[2]:

Niṣekādi śaṃśānānto mantrairyasyodito vidhiḥ |Manusmṛti II.16; 26;29 ṣaṭtriṃśadāvdikaṃ caryaṃ gurau traivedikaṃ vratam…………….guruṇānumataḥ snātvā samāvṛtto yathāvidhi|Ibid.III.1-4.

[3]:

Yājñavalkya-Smṛti II.