Essay name: Glories of India (Culture and Civilization)
Author: Prasanna Kumar Acharya
This book, “Glories of India on Indian Culture and Civilization”, emphasizes the importance of recognizing distinct cultural traits across different societies. The historical narrative of Indian civilization highlights advancements in agriculture, medicine, science, and arts, tracing back to ancient times. The author argues for the need to understand the past to meaningfully engage with the present and future.
Page 45 of: Glories of India (Culture and Civilization)
45 (of 510)
External source: Shodhganga (Repository of Indian theses)
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16
INDIAN CULTURE AND CIVILIZATION
the barrenness and other defects in the wife suitable
provisions were made to meet
to meet
the situation without
injuring the social discipline and the national and
spiritual ideals¹.
SACRAMENTS
The sacramental nature of marriage is clear from
the nupital ceremonies described above. The other com-
monest sacraments follow directly from married life.
These vary in number but they are observed in all coun-
tries and by all civilized races. Baptism of the Chris-
tians, circumcision of the Muslims and initiation of the
Hindus are well known and imply the same idea of the
formal admission of the child to the particular con-
munity and the creed. But the Hindu system looks to
the pre-natal and post-natal care of the child, its educa-
tion and settlement to householder's duties after marri-
age. Thus the system begins with marriage and should
end in marriage. Counted from this point of view they
are popularly known as dasa-saṃskāras (ten chief sacra-
ments) and comprise vivaha (marriage), garbhidhāna
(conception), simantonnayana (parting or up-brushing of
hair of wife's head by way of formal announcement of
motherhood), pumsavana (special ceremonies to regu-
late the sex of the child to be born), jātakarman (rites
observed on birth to ensure health, long life and good
character of the child), nama-karaṇa (naming the child),
anna-prasana (first feeding of solid food), chaula-karaṇa
(tonsure or first hair cut), upanayana (initiation, lit.
sending to school), veda-vratas (vows of learning) other-
wise known as brahmacharya (student's career), and
samāvartana (home-return after completion of study) and
settling down to householder's life after marriage (vivaha).
The leading schools of legislators do not, however,
with regard to the number of sacraments and
agree
sacrifices. The schools of Gautama. Angirasa and
1 Nashṭe mrite pravrajite klive cha patite patau,
2 Sacraments and
Sacrifices
Gautama
School
Angirasa
School
Alvalayan
School
Grihya Sutra Gṛihya sūtra
(Kalpasūtra)
1.
Garbhadhna
1 1
2. Pumsavana
1 1
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