Marriage Ritual-Saptapadi

Introduction

Saptapadi ritual in a Hindu marriage comes afterKankanaBandhana.

Taking the bride’s hand to lead her to the Saptapadi ceremony, the bridegroom says, “Thy hand do I take to get good progeny! Mayest thou live with me, thy protector, till thou gettest old and feeble! Bhaga, Aryama, Savita, (names of the sun at different periods) the all-knowing, have given me thee for garhapatya. After this communication he leads her, and chants more Riks.

The Oath of living together

The Saptapadi ceremony is gone through. They go around in seven steps. He then stops and says to her, “Become thou now my partner, as thou hast paced all the seven steps. Aye! Partners we have become, as we have together paced all the seven steps. Thy partnership have I gained; apart from thee now I cannot live; apart from me do thou not live. We shall live together, and we shall will together; we each shall be an object of love to the other; with mutual good-will shall we live together, sharing equally all foods and powers. Combine I now they mind, they actions, thy senses with mine.”

“Rik thou art, Sama I am; Sama I, Rik thou; Dyaus I am, Earth thou art; I am Rethus (the living seed), thou art the bearer thereof; mind I am, speech thou art; Sama I, Rik thou. Being what thou art, come thou now unto me, O sweet and pure, for bringing forth sons, wealth and progeny.”

The subliminal message

How noble and loving this speech is, and how true! Our bridegroom knows, indeed, how to love and be loved. Fortunately has a spouse, who being a Sadhvi can reciprocate his love.

Without Saptapadi, there cannot be any Aryan marriage. How very glaring the inconsistency is when the marriage is pre-pubescent one!

The mantra in its true subliminal form suggests, “Apart from thee now I cannot live; apart from me do thou not live,” The bridegroom is made to say also: – “combined I now thy mind, thy actions, thy senses with mine.” We request the advocates of pre-pubescent marriage to act according to these rules. Can they do so?

The spiritual link

One more remark has to be made. Saptapadi establishes an indissoluble link between the husband and the wife. Each has to care for the spiritual welfare of the other.

The surviving party should perform the funeral ceremonies of the other, unless a son is born to relieve the surviving party of this duty.