Samskaras
Daily Rites & Rituals For All Occasions 
Pt. Jaya Tirtha Charan dasan's Page

Home - Rituals- Muhurta Astrology - Marriage Compatibility - Samskaras

akamah sarva-kamo va moksa-kama udaradhih / tibrena bhakti yogena yajeta purusam param  

"A person, though he may be full of desires or may have no desires, still he may follow this  infallible Bhakti Yoga process to the Purusha, Visnu for the attainment of complete perfection."

Yes, even as we go through our daily lives we can gradually make advancement to returning back to home, back to Godhead. How is that, its simple, because Krsna gives us His blessings, and protection, as we turn towards Him, and take shelter of Him, Bhagavad Gita assures us 18:56.

sarva karmany api sada kurvano mad vyapasrayah / mat prasadad avapnoti sasvatam padamavyayam

"As one engages in all different kinds of activities, my devotee, who is under My protection, reaches the eternal and imperishable abode by My grace."

It doesn't take much, to perform devotional service, one can remember Him, offer Him something nice, to chant the Hare Krsna Mahamantra, or sing His glories, read a book concerning His transcendental pastimes, or perform some little puja, or prayer, or combinations of ALL the above........ so much can be done. He is the solution to all our challenges. In every culture in the World ritualistic symbolism is used as a medium to approach the Lord; some through prayer; some through ritual; some through remedial action, but all focused on Him, The Supreme Lord, and His Representatives - the Devas. Celebrate life's crucial junctures by partaking in holy sacraments, or rites of passage, called samskaras, which impress the subconscious mind, inspire family and community in sharing and invoke the Lords' blessings.

His Divine Grace, Srila A.C.Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada was very keen to see that this culture, of genuine appreciation of God, Krishna culture, be again established for all persons irrespective of material social status (Varna or Ashram), colour or creed. We recognise that as spirit souls with material bodies, we need to redirect our attention toward Him, our constitutional position at all of the conditional / maturational / developmental stages of life. We as members of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness are trying to fulfil those wishes by making available pujas in your home, or at our local temple, with the view to helping us all redirect ourselves closer towards Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

"I want to take this opportunity to fully endorse the providing of SAMSKAR SERVICES for the congregation as a means of helping them advance in Krishna consciousness as well as making them feel a part of the Krishna consciousness family.  It makes the temple relevant to their lives when temple authorised brahmanas perform the samskaras. It creates a community spirit as the samskara event also becomes a social event inviting families and friends to come and witness the specific ceremony and accept a feast, etc. Every temple should strive to provide these kind of Krishna conscious samskaras. HH Bhakti Vidya Purna Swami Maharaja, based in Mayapur, has published an English translation of Gopal Bhatt Goswamis (of the 6 Goswamis) Sat-kriya Samskara Dipika which contains all the principle samskars. It always impressed me that if one of the 6 Goswamis took the trouble of writing these samskaras then it is obvious that we should utilise them. I hope you can get some ideas for your congregational development through providing samskara facilities in your area. Yours in service, Jayapataka Swami".(HH Jayapataka Swami. [Text 1458601 from COM] Camp: Nama Hatta Festival & Seminar - Sri Gaura-Nitai Temple Wroclaw, Poland.)

Specifically what I am offering as a purohit, functionary domestic priest is this Samskara service to the community, following the teachings of the previous great Acaryas of Narad Pancharata,  Agama shastra, Hari Bhakti Vilas Vaishnava Tantra, Sat Kriya Sara Dipika samskara viddhi, Kalaprakashika, Muhurtha Tatthwa, & Panjika and Panchanga shastra..........!

Here is a list of some of the ceremonies which I am available to perform for you:-
Denotes primary samskaras.

VIVAHA --------------------------------Vedic wedding ceremony (and Civil in NZ.).
ANNIVERSARY PUJA-----------------Replica of marriage on the wedding anniversary (re-affirming your bond & vows).
GRHA RAMBHA------------------------Foundation laying for a new house.
GRHA PRAVESHAM-------------------Moving into the new house.
SANTI HOMA----------------------------Making a place peaceful.
DEVA GRHA RAMBHA------------------Foundation laying for Temples.
DEVA GRHA PRAVESHAM-------------Deity installation in home or temple.
GARBHADANAM-----------------------Advice before conception of a child into the womb.
PUMSAVAN-----------------------------Invoking a male child ( 3 months pregnancy).
SIMANTONNAYANAM---------------(swadabhaksanam), Purification of child in the womb at 7 Months.
SOSYANTI KARMANA----------------For safe delivery.
JATA KARMA---------------------------Birth ceremony.
NAMA KARANA-----------------------Name giving ceremony.
NISKRAMANAM-----------------------First time to the Temple for the new child.
PAUSTI KARMAN----------------------(Ayusma), For the continuing well being of the child.
NYASAM----------------------------------Mantras for protection of the child.
ANNA PRASNAM-----------------------Formal giving of first grains, usually around six months of age.
PUTRA MURDHABHIGHRANAM------Observing the child's well being, smelling the head.
CUDA KARAN --------------------------(Mundan),  First head shaving, one year, three years, five years.
KARNA BEDA---------------------------Ear piercing ceremony.
VIDYA RAMBHA------------------------Beginning of  formal education.
UPANAYANAM-------------------------(Yajnopavit), Sacred thread given by the father.
DIKSA------------------------------------Formal initiation into the Brahma, Madhwa, Gaudiya, Sampradaya.
                                                                      Subject to local Temple President and Gurus' approval.
SAMAVARTANAM-----------------------Graduation from schooling, college or University.
JATA VRATAM----------------------------How to observe one's own birthday.
NAVANNA--------------------------------Blessing of the first grains, or crops of the harvest.
ANNADANAM / ANNAKUTA-----------Sponsoring offerings to the Deity in the Temple in the name of
                                                                       one's self or a loved one, or a special family day, birthday,
                                                                       anniversary, etc., to invoke the blessings of the Lord upon them.
GO KRD / GODANAM / GOPUJA--------Worship of Mother Cow.
ANTYESTHI KRIYA-----------------------Directions how to perform last funeral rites.
VAISNAVA SRADDHA PATA------------Commemorative service for departed devotees.
NARAYANA BALI-------------------------Requim Service for who has left prematurely,disease,accident,suicide.
SUDARSHAN TATAH HOMA-------------For protection of yourself or your community.
NRSIMHA PUJA / KAVACHA-------------Invoking Sri Nrsimhadeva for protection.
TAPTAH MUDRAS-------------------------Heat Mudras.
RATNA RAMBHA--------------------------Installation of Gemstones.
MARRIAGE COMPATIBILITY------------Vedic synastry; dhanam, yoni kuta, stree dirgham, rasyadhipata, vedhai etc.
PANCANGAM / PANJIKA----------------Muhurtha sastra choosing good times to do various activities.
JANMA RASI / NAKSHATRA-------------Birth chart, Vedic astrology.
YANTRAS----------------------------------Geometrical plate representations of deities.
TANTRIC RITUALS------------------------How to find lost articles, or gain new ones, repair relationships,
                                                                         for attracting wealth, charms, removal of problems..........etc., etc.

And much more!!!! 

"As for the various fruitive results, such as the attainment of rain, a son, or residing in a celestial material planet, that are offered to the followers of the karma-kanda rituals in the Vedas. These benefits are offered to attract the minds of ordinary men. When ordinary men see that these material benefits are actually attained by performing Vedic rituals, they become attracted to study the Vedas. By studying the Vedas they become able to discriminate between what is temporary and what is eternal. In this way they gradually become averse to the temporary things of this world and they come to hanker after Brahman. In this way it may be understood that all the parts of the Vedas describe the Supreme Personality of Godhead.  Vedic rituals bring material benefits as a result only when the performer of the ritual is filled with material desire. If the performer is materially desireless, then he does not gain a material result, but rather the result he obtains is purification of the heart and the manifestation of spiritual knowledge. Therefore the meaning of the verse 'tam etam vedanuvacanena brahman vividisanti', 'brahmanas study the Veda to understand the Supreme Personality of Godhead'(Brhad Aranyaka Upanishad 4:4:22.) is that in the Vedic rituals when one is required to worship a particular deva, one does so as a limb or representative of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and thus by worshipping them one is actually worshiping the Supreme Lord, the result being that one gradually becomes pure in heart and awake with spiritual knowledge." (Baladev Vidyabhushana. Govinda Bhasya commentary on Vedanta Sutra 1:4:4. Adhkarana sutra 4.)

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