Samskaras

[Vinayaka]

I'm fortunate to witness child samskaras quite often. The most common is the annaprashana, probably followed by the first lessons. They vary a bit by community (some are exclusively Brahmin, others are by gender, and the timing varies according to local custom). Here is the wikipedia article on it. It goes into great detail.

Which ones did you have, which ones would you like to have, and which ones would you have done for your children. I really only have one more left now, and I somehow doubt I'll see it.

Samskara also has a more general meaning outside of specific rituals, that of any event that left a mark. In this general use of the word, we can have negative samskaras as well ... those that leave a negative mark on the subconscious.

Thoughts?

 

[Viraja]

We have performed majority of the samskaras due upon the children since their birth and then at major milestones. like tonsure ceremony when 1 yr old, upanayanam (for son), the puberty ceremony (for daughter), etc.

I gather they were fun moments. When daughter was 1 yr old, we went to Tirupathi for the tonsure ceremony, along with my husband's nieces. My daughter used to be very thin at that time, a tiny, very fair, sorta sickly-looking child she was. She happened to wear an orange outfit by chance, and after the tonsure, my hubby's nieces started calling her 'sanyasi baby'. It was so funny. We all had a good laugh.

At son's upanayanam, so many relatives gathered, some of whom I haven't seen for ages. When browsing those pictures, brings back precious memories.

 

[Vinayaka]

We have performed majority of the samskaras due upon the children since their birth and then at major milestones. like tonsure ceremony when 1 yr old, upanayanam (for son), the puberty ceremony (for daughter), etc.

I gather they were fun moments. When daughter was 1 yr old, we went to Tirupathi for the tonsure ceremony, along with my husband's nieces. My daughter used to be very thin at that time, a tiny, very fair, sorta sickly-looking child she was. She happened to wear an orange outfit by chance, and after the tonsure, my hubby's nieces started calling her 'sanyasi baby'. It was so funny. We all had a good laugh.

At son's upanayanam, so many relatives gathered, some of whom I haven't seen for ages. When browsing those pictures, brings back precious memories.

Have you ever done adult tonsuring? Yes, samskaras are joyous. I can see the orange robed child in my mind.

 

[Viraja]

Have you ever done adult tonsuring? Yes, samskaras are joyous. I can see the orange robed child in my mind.

No. I have not.

 

[Aupmanyav]

Which ones did you have, which ones would you like to have, and which ones would you have done for your children. I really only have one more left now, and I somehow doubt I'll see it.

Yeah, I have been through many 'samskaras'. 'Garbhadhana', some time during the winter vacation in 1941 when my father must have come from Mumbai where he was completing his medical education, 'Pumsayana', when my mother must have told my grandmother that she is pregnant (myself being the first grandchild), 'simantonnayana' otherwise known as 'gode bharana', perhaps I was a six month old fetus, 'Jatakarman', when I was born, 'Namakrana', when I may have been 11 days old, 'Annaprashana', when I was six month old, 'Chudakarman' when I was 3 year old, 'vidyarambham', when I was 4 year old, 'Upanayana', when I was 16 year old, 'Vivaha' when I was 24 year old. As you said now only one 'samskara' remains, which will be performed by my son.

We have done the same with our children and grandchildren (grandsons need to go through 'Upanayana' which is the most important other than 'vivaha'). Hopefully someday soon.