Samskaras an Upasana for nd

p personality dev p y velopment and individual e excellencea framework to Human life

T.V.Subr ramanian

Age enda
Why Wh we need S d Samskara ? k as? What are Samskaras? Purpose of Samskaras-Popular and Cultural (refined) Important Samskaras Constituents of Samskaras Prarthana and Upasana True significance of Upa asana Samskaras and upasan nasand Individual Excellence and personality development

script res tures t

Love all people and c creatures Difficulties in Impleme p entation Lessons from Nature Divinity is present in a creatures all Selfless LOVE and CREATIVITY are al the qualities of Divinity liti f Di i it g g g Not getting manifested in Human beings due to previous impressions or vasanas( s) Negative impressions

Meaning of S Samskaeas?
To refine or To purify the vasanas or impressions f i i formed th d through previous h i karma Samskarah is giving shape to such g excellent qualities as inner balance, s refinement and polis shed and civilized behavior . Samskarah also me eans an obligatory sacred rite or a religious ceremony or a rite of passage. g

Popular purpose P l
The Removal of Ho ostile Influences Attraction of Favora able Influences The Material gain g Samskaras as a me eans of Selfexpression (S i l p i (Social purpose) )

Other p rpose purpose

Cultural C lt l purpose:
Help in p p purification of bodily impurities such y p as seminal and uterin impurities ne Social privileges and r g p g rights were also connected with the Sa amskaras.

Moral purpose p p
Prepares and equips t person to acquire the the eight g g good q qualitie of the soul,(Atma es ,( gunas) viz., mercy, forbearance, freedom from envy, , y, , y, purity, calmness, right behavior, and freedom t from greed and coveto ousness

Development of Personality D l t fP lit

Cover the full span of life, including the life after death throug the cult of soul ugh They id Th guide and di ect the life of an d dire t th lif f individual according to his growth to live a full life of discipline and his energies e flowed into a well-gu guarded and purposive p p channel

. Spiritual S Significance
Hindus transformed the Samskaras into a spiritual Sadhana. Sadhana They are an outward visible sign of an y d g inward spiritual grace e. Hindu looked beyond the ceremonial performances and felt something invisible which sanctified his whole personalit hich whole personality. So, for the Hindus the Samskaras were a , living religious experie ence and not a dead formalism.

Spiritual Spirit al significance nificance.

Samskaras make the body a valuable possession, possession purify and sanctify it so it, that it might be a fitti instrument of the ing spiritual intelligence embodied In It It. Through them the re ecipient realizes that all life properly unde life, erstood, erstood is a sacrament and ever physical action ry should be referred to and connected o, o with, the spiritual rea ality

16 important Samskaras t
Garbhadana Pumsavana Simanta Jatakarma Namakaran Nishkramana Annaprashana A h Karnavedha Chudakarana Vidyarambha Upanayana Samavartana Vivaha Vanaprastha Sanyasda S d Antyeshti

Constituents of Constit ents o Samskaras

Fire (Agni) Water Prayers Sacrifices

Upasana-Significance S

Prarthana a Upasana and

Prarthana (Prayer): Requesting for some benrfits from GOD.
One develops a faith in the POWER of the Almighty Eventually asks for ben nefits of a lasting nature.

Upasana means Sit tting near GOD or moving closer to GO becoming more OD; intimate to GOD

Upasdana methods a
Pooja Japa Dhyana (Neditation)

Upas sana
GOD is the parent for all of us. p As a parent GOD h provided us all has the things necessa t lead h lth th thi ary to l d healthy and prosperous life p p e Intellect, Healthy emotions, Physical y energy

True pasana Tr e Up
True upasana is ex T i xpressing gratitude t i tit d to GOD for all that he has provided. e Fulfilling HIS expec ctations by properly making use of all th HE has hat providided. Make the M k th PARENT proud of you. T d f Offering all successes at his feet (Samapana bhava) and treat all that we receive in this world as HIS prasada Upasana as a Role model concept e

True pasana Tr e Up
Connecting oneself to the source of f CREATIVITY and LO OVE. OVE Any good conducto of heat becomes or hot if connected to a source of heat; Electrical devices co onnected with a power generator get charged by the t electrical current Similarly, Similarly a true devotee starts receiving the grace and glow o DIVINITY by of

Enablers of E cellence f Excellence

Negative tendencies are washed away s and energies are cha annelrd to purposeful action Development of Disc cipline and focused act o action Development of Holistic personality Connection to Supre eme force develops creativity. creativity

With Samsk karas and Upas sana

Physically energized y y g Emotionally connected y Mentally focused y an nd Spiritually aligned y
a pers is son