Guest guest Posted March 28, 2006 Report Share Posted March 28, 2006 advaitin , " Durga " <durgaji108 wrote: advaitin , " Ram Chandran " <ramvchandran@> wrote: > > Namaste Sri Toni: > > I believe that you really want to know the meaning of Samsara and due > to a typo, it became Samskara! Srimathy Dhyanasaraswati and ProfVK > have provided detailed answers to both these special concepts of > Hinduism. > > Let me provide briefly my understanding of Samsara. > > In both Hinduism and Buddhism terminology, Samsara literally implies > the eternal cycle of birth, suffering, death, and rebirth. Samsara > is this world, filled as it is with so much pain and sorrow. All > beings in this world are subject to the law of karma and the > consequences can occur in this life, or in a future life. The Hindu > philosophers began to develop the concept of samsara in line with > other aspects of Vedantic thought. They considered that the material > world as fragmented and constantly changing and this changing aspect > of the universe came to be called samsara. Samsara can also be > interpreted as " reincarnation based on past actions. " This > interpretation is based on the assumption that all our actions must > produce some action in the future; the only way this can happen for > all our actions is if we have lives in the future. > > As Vedantins, our goal is to get liberated from Samsara and we do > recognize that this liberation is only possible by acquiring Vidya > (wisdom) and removing avidya (ignorance). The Hindus often make the > casual remark - 'Samsara Sagarm.' This is just to indicate that > crossing the worldly life is a very difficult task and is similar to > crossing the ocean (sagaram). > > Warmest regards, > > Ram Chandran > > advaitin , " Tony OClery " <aoclery@> wrote: > > > > Namaste, > > > > I know its meaning of wandering together but what does it literally > > mean in Vedic or Sanskrit? How is it compounded to form sam > > sara...?.Tony ..Thanks Namaste all, I have been told by my teacher that the word, samsara, derives from the Sanskrit word, sre, which means, to change, or to move. And also that the word samsara can be broken in this way, samyak saraha, which means that which changes very well. Therefore samsara refers to everything in duality, as all of duality is constantly changing. I apologize if my transliteration of the words is not correct, as I have never seen them written, only heard them spoken. I understand from my teacher that many words in Sanskrit can be traced back to their infinitive root form, and that by doing so, one can discover how to use the word properly in the unfoldment of the Upanishads. I am only a very beginning student, and I hesitate to make any comment on the Sanskrit language in this arena, which must include many who are far more advanced in all aspects of the study than I. Yet this is what my teacher, who is fluent in Sanskrit, and a highly trained teacher of Vedanta, has said. My pranams, Durga --- End forwarded message --- Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 30, 2006 Report Share Posted March 30, 2006 advaitin , " dhyanasaraswati " <dhyanasaraswati wrote: Tony-ji: may i also list the 16 Samskaras that are currently in vogue in the life of a devout hindu? These 16 Samskaras (purificatory rites) are performed from the time of conception of any individual continuing up to the last rites performed after death. It is believed that by performing these sixteen samskaras ( shodasha samskaras) , one develops positive qualities which in turn purifies the soul. (chitta shuddhi). These Sixteen Samskaras are : Garbhadana Samskara - is performed by a married couple when conceiving a child. This important Samskara raises the act of conception to a sacred occasion, and is powerfully purifying and uplifting for the unborn child. 2. Pumsavana Samskara - is usually performed between the second and fourth month of pregnancy. Its purpose is: first, to promote the birth of a male child (for perpetuation of the family line and tradition); second, to insure the good health of the foetus and the proper formation of its organs, regardless of gender. 3. Simantonoyana Samskara - In the fourth or fifth month of pregnancy, the mind of the foetus begins to develop. This is when simantonoyana Samskara is performed. Its purpose is to protect the foetus–especially its newly forming mind–from all negative influences, and also to stimulate the development of the unborn child's intellect. 4. Jatakarma Samskara is the ritual performed at the birth of a child. It awakens the child's intellect, gives it strength, and promotes long life for the child. 5. Namakarana Samskara - On the eleventh day after the child's birth, namakarana Samskara is performed. In this ceremony, the child receives its name. 6. Nishkramana Samskara - The baby's first outing into the world, beyond the confines of the home, is the occasion of nishkramana Samskara 7. Annaprashana - The first feeding of solid food to the baby, usually in the sixth month after birth, is the occasion of Annaprashana Samskara 8. Karnavedha Samskara - usually performed in the sixth or seventh month after birth, consists of the piercing of the baby's ear lobes, so earrings may be worn. 9. Chudakarana Samskara - At the end of the first year after birth, or during the third year, the child's hair is shaved–all but a tuft on the top of the head. This ritual shaving of hair, performed with ceremony, prayers, and chanting of Vedic hymns, is chudakarana Samskara This Samskara is for both boys and girls. 10. Vidyarambha Samskara - begins a student's primary education by ceremonially introducing the child to the alphabet 11. Upanayana Samskara - initiates the formal study of the Vedas. It is one of the most important and esteemed of the samskaras. Upon performance of Upanayana, a boy traditionally moves from home to live in the ashram of the guru. 12. Samavartana Samskara - With samavartana Samskara the disciple graduates from his Vedic studies and returns from the house of his guru. Thereafter, the disciple will marry and raise a family, and so enter the stage of householder, grihasthashrama. 13. Vivaha Samskara - The traditional Hindu wedding ceremony is known as vivaha Samskara It is considered by many to be the most important of all the samskaras. 14. Panchamahayagna Samskara - A married couple performs the panchamahayajna, or five great sacrifices, daily. In this Samskara, one honours, in turn, the rishis (ancient seers of Truth), the gods, the ancestors, humankind, and all created beings. 15. Vanaprastha Samskara - According to the Vedic tradition, vanaprastha is the third stage of life, following brahmacharya (Vedic student/disciple) and grihasta (householder). Here, a man leaves behind his life in the world and retires to the forest (with or without his wife), to live an ascetic life devoted to study of the scriptures and to meditation. 16. Antyeshti Samskara - The final sacrament, the funeral rites, are known as antyeshti Samskara http://www.amritapuri.org/cultural/samskara/shodasha.php - 19k - ********************************************************************* * Tonyji, as you know i went to Sacramento recently to participate in the " seemandham' ceremony of my niece - is it a coicidence that Sacrament and samskara mean one and the same thing? smile ... Catholics also perform 'christening' etc , right? ON another note there is a 'world' of difference between Samskara and Samsara - the difference is not only in the spelling and pronounciation ! smile ! Samskara are purifying 'Rituals' wheras Samsara is ocean of worldly existence ! at your service Y advaitin , " V. Krishnamurthy " <profvk@> wrote: > > advaitin , " Tony OClery " <aoclery@> wrote: > > > > Namaste, > > > > I know its meaning of wandering together but what does it > literally > > mean in Vedic or Sanskrit? How is it compounded to form sam > > sara...?.Tony ..Thanks > > > Namaste, Tony-ji > > Here are the meanings from a Learner's Sanskrit Dictionary published > by the Sanskrit Education Society, Mylapore, Chennai 1982. > > samskAra: (Noun, masculine) > 1. accomplishment, perfecting > 2. purifying > 3. refining > 4. educating, training > 5. decorating > 6. cooking, preparation of food > 7. preparation > 8. impression, shape > 9. idea > 10. effect of action > 11. faculty of remembering > 12. sacred or purificatory rite > 13. religious ceremony. > 14. funeral ceremonies. > > samsAra : (Noun, masculine) > 1. course of worldly life > 2. series of lives > 3. illusion about the world > 4. world > 5. course, path of. > > PraNAms to all lovers of Sanskrit. > profvk > --- End forwarded message --- Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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