Samskara
The samskaras ( Sanskrit , m., संस्कार , saṃskāra ) are the rituals of passage in Hinduism . The tradition knows up to forty samskaras, twelve of which the scribes paid special attention to. Three are indispensable for all "twice-born": initiation, marriage, the ritual of the dead.
Prenatal and Birth Rites:
- Garbhadharana: procreation
- Pumsavana: transformation of the womb into a male fetus
- Simantonnayana: parting of the hair of the pregnant woman
- Jatakarma: birth
childhood
- Namakarana: naming
- Nishkramana: first excursion
- Annaprasana: First solid food
- Chudakarana : tonsure
- Karnavedha : piercing the ear
Puberty and adolescence rites
- Vidhyarambha: start of learning
- Upanayana: Initiation (giving of the sacred cord )
- Vedarambha: beginning of the Veda study
- Keshanta: First shave
- Samavartana: end of studies
Adults
- Vivaha: Wedding
- Anthyesthi: cremation
- Shraddha : ancestral ritual