An Abridged Version
of the
Vedic Wedding Ceremony
translated by
Swami Veda Bharati
The celebration of a full traditional ceremony make take between four hours and four days. Here only the most important aspects are included in the ceremony, which is expected to take approximately 55 minutes. For more information please write to: Swami Veda Bharati at the Meditation Center (info@themeditationcenter.org) or Swami Rama Sadhaka Grama (srsg@sancharnet.in)
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Summary of the Vedic Wedding Ceremony
The ceremony is performed in the Sanskrit language, the senior sister of Latin and ancient Greek, which is the most ancient surviving language of the Indo-European language family. As Latin is the sacred language of the Roman Catholic Church, and Greek is the sacred language of the Eastern Orthodox Churches, so Sanskrit is the sacred language of the ceremonies performed in India. The form of the ceremony was set approximately 35 centuries ago, and it continues to be followed to this day. The Mandala designs of the altar are symbolic of Divine forces which are invoked at this time. The offerings of incense and melted butter, or ghee, are made into a sacred fire which symbolizes the Divine Light.
1. The ceremony is normally performed in the bride's home. The bride and bridegroom are,
that day, a Princess and a Prince. The bridegroom arrives wearing a crown on his head and
riding a white horse. He is greeted with a shower of petals and a garland of flowers. He
comes to the altar and sends to the bride the clothing which be brought for her to wear for the
occasion. It is now the bride's privilege to keep the bridegroom waiting while she dresses.
2. Finally the bride arrives with a garland in her hand. The bride and bridegroom greet each
other with clasped hands and with heads bowed in respect and dedication.
The
bride garlands the bridegroom.
The
bridegroom also garlands the bride. In some places they exchange the
garland with each other three times.
The bride and bridegroom face east, the bride sitting to the right of her
bridegroom.
The priest sits to their right, toward the south.
3. When the bride and bridegroom sit down, the bride offers to her bridegroom a cup of yogurt
mixed with honey. She asks him to accept this as the sweetness of life.
The bridegroom responds,
I do accept.
The bride and bridegroom (or Priest) recite:
The breezes blow sweetly, the rivers
flow sweetly,
may the herbs and shrubs grow sweetly for us.
The nights are sweet, the dawns are sweet,
the very dust of the earth is sweet,
may our heavenly Father be sweet unto us.
May our plants be sweet to us,
may the sun be full of sweetness,
may our speeches be sweet unto each other.
4. The bride and bridegroom then take three sips of purifying water from their right hands.
They then touch the peace and purity of water to the various limbs.
5. The bride and bridegroom make offerings of incense, light, fragrant powders
and flowers.
These are made to the Guru, the divine spirit as teacher; to Ganesha, God as the remover of
obstacles, who brings auspiciousness to the occasion and to life.
An offering is made for the propitiation of astrological forces.
6. The bride's parents or someone acting as the parent gives away the bride.
The bride's hands are traditionally filled with some jewelry placed in dough, or with flowers.
The parent then places her hands, palms up, in the hands of her bridegroom.
7. The one who is giving away the bride recites:
On this day, 1,972,930,000 of the
current creation
at
the banks of _______ river, on _______ continent,
at this sacred place on _______ date at this time,
I give you this, my daughter, _______ (name), as a bride.
In all religious pursuits, in the worldly means, in the matter of desires,
may you not transgress her.
May you perform your duties of religion and life, sharing them with her.
May you not transgress her.
The bridegroom recites:
In all matters of religious life, material means and of desires
I declare that I shall not transgress her.
8. The flowers are then placed on the ground.
The bridegroom holds the bride's hand and addresses her:
Come into my life, you with auspicious eyes,
of
beautiful mind and brilliance.
Bring peace and auspiciousness to all in my home.
The great fortune holds thy hand,
the
solar one holds thy hand.
From this day, by law and duty, you are my wife.
From this day, by law and duty, I am your husband.
I declare to this assembly that I will protect her and nourish her
as
God has given her to me.
With me as a husband, she will live in peace for a hundred years.
He addresses the bride
again:
I declare to you that I wed you
Not for the beauty of the body,
but for the beauty of the mind.
I
eat not of theft,
but that I may release the bonds of necessity
with the labor of my own hands.
The bride replies:
May this ceremonial path leading to my new home
be blessed with sacred observances.
The flowers are placed in front at the altar.
9. The Priest invokes the presence of God, who is a Being of light as Divine Fire, and he kindles
the fire.
The bride and bridegroom place the burning camphor into the sacred fire.
As the Priest recites the prayers, the bride and bridegroom make their offerings into the fire.
10. The bride and bridegroom walk slowly around the fire together, returning to their original
seats.
11. They both stand, facing each other as they address one another:
When you are distant, I am close.
When I am distant, you are close.
I am music, you are wisdom,
I am heaven, you are earth.
Let this distance and this nearness,
this music and wisdom,
this heaven and earth, be ready together.
To share strength, may we bring forth progeny,
we of happy mind, loving and harmonious.
May we see together a hundred years,
hear together a hundred years,
live together a hundred years.
12. A clean and beautifully decorated rock has been placed in the northeast corner of the altar.
The bridegroom leads the bride to that rock, where her brother is also present.
The bridegroom addresses the bride:
Climb upon this rock.
May you be steady like a rock.
As a rock stands firm,
so may you stand firm
in all the storms of life.
The bride's brother assists in planting the bride's right foot upon the rock.
13. The bride leads the bridegroom as they walk around the fire in a clockwise circle three
times, taking the divine light into their lives.
They return to their place as before, where the bride's brother awaits with a small basket of
roasted grain.
The brother fills her hand with the roasted grain, which she shares with her husband.
Together they make an offering of the grain into the fire.
The bride says:
May God release me from my previous
bonds,
and never release me from my husband.
14. Together, they circle the fire a second time, and again a similar offering of the roasted grain
is made as the prayer is recited.
The bride makes the offering of the roasted grain and prays:
May my husband live long
and my new kinsman prosper.
15. They again encircle the fire and the third offering is made, as the verse
is recited:
I make this offering with a prayer:
May
there be prosperity and harmony of minds between us,
May the fiery Lord bless us.
16. In ancient India, the bridegroom used to sing this song at this point in
the ceremony:
I sing the song of praise for the womankind.
As
in the beginning the Mother Force (Sarasvati)
brought forth this universe,
So to this day, the woman brings forth and maintains this world.
I sing the song of praise for the womankind.
17. The bride and bridegroom make one more round of the fire, and silently make a final
offering.
18. At this time, the bridegroom used to lead the bride to a private chamber, where he unpinned
and rearranged her hair.
He places his right hand on her head, symbolizing the abandonment of her previous
attachments and the acceptance of new ones.
19. As the bride and the bridegroom stand side-by-side a married woman friend ties a knot in
their garments, placing some gold or silver coins inside the knot.
20. This is the most important part of the ceremony and the moment of the actual marriage now
takes place.
Seven small piles of colored rice have been placed on one side of the altar.
The bride and bridegroom take seven symbolic steps together; the bride places her right foot
on each of the rice piles, one by one, bringing her left foot only halfway with each step.
The bridegroom says to his bride:
Let us walk these seven steps
together.
The bride says:
All your wealth and grain you shall
place under my charge
and shall ever after honor and respect me.
The bridegroom responds:
It shall be so; do take this first
step towards the necessities of life.
The bride takes the
first step.
The bride says to him:
I shall guard your family and home,
ever speaking sweetly to you,
patient in sorrows, joyful in comforts.
The bridegroom answers her:
May it be so. Do take this second step towards strength and vigor.
She takes the second step.
She promises him:
I shall ever beautify and adorn myself
for you.
In mind, speech and body I shall play only with you, ever dedicated to you.
He responds:
May it be so. Do take this third step
towards prosperity and the luxuries of life.
The bride takes the third step.
The bride says to him:
I shall anoint you lovingly and adorn
you with fragrance,
with garland and with gold ornaments.
The bridegroom answers her:
May it be so. Do take this fourth step towards welfare and well-being.
The bride takes the fourth step.
The bride addresses the bridegroom:
In your sorrow I shall be unhappy;
I shall share your joys and pains,
and I say truthfully I shall act according to your wishes.
He responds:
May it be so. Do take this fifth step
towards progeny.
The bride takes the
fifth step.
The bride promises the bridegroom:
Wherever you are, there also shall I
be;
You, beloved, will not transgress me,
nor
shall I ever transgress you.
In all religious observances and acts of charity
I shall be with you; your companion in religious pursuits,
in material means, and in passionate desires.
The bridegroom answers her:
May it be so. Do take this sixth step
towards six good seasons
throughout all the years of our life.
The bride takes the sixth step.
She addresses her bridegroom:
All the deities know your mind and
mine;
We have made these promises in truth.
The bridegroom responds:
It is so; take this seventh step
towards lifelong friendship, friend.
The bride takes the seventh step.
21. They return to their original places with the bride on the right.
Note: The bride sitting on the right signifies that up to now the two were separate individuals. As she is invited to sit on the left side of the bridegroom, the two will become one person; on the right the active male aspect; on the left, like the heart, the woman sits as guardian of inspiration and emotion.
The bridegroom
beseeches the bride:
Will you now take your rightful place to my left?
The bride says:
I shall take my rightful place by your
side, if you will make seven promises. You shall not prevent
me from my religious observances and charities, which are the normal nature of women. You
will help me in this and share my religious life. If you promise this, I shall sit by your left side; if not, I shall remain at your right.
The bridegroom answers: I promise.
The bride says:
You will always bring to me beautiful
ornaments, jewels and gems, and you shall not ask
for anything in return. You, too, will perform necessary oblations and offerings alongside me.
If you promise this, I shall come to your left side; if not, I shall remain at your right.
The bridegroom responds: I promise.
The bride says:
You must always nourish and protect
the family, in youth or old age; whatever needfully I ask of you, you shall
always give me. If you promise this, I shall come to sit by your left side; if
not, I shall remain at your right.
The bridegroom responds: I promise.
The bride says:
Comforts and discomforts, pains and pleasures, always come to the life of a householder. You must always remain patient, steady and undisturbed. All income and expenditure, all grains and wealth, you will place under my charge. If you promise, I shall sit by your left side; if not, I shall remain at your right.
The bridegroom answers: I promise.
The bride addresses the groom:
I shall visit the places of song;
auspicious ceremonies in the homes of my kinsmen, even
uninvited, and you must honor the temple, help building, with your wealth, gardens, wells and other things for people's enjoyment and comfort. If you promise this, I shall come to sit on your left side; if not, I shall remain at your right.
The bridegroom responds: I promise.
The bride states:
All my kinsmen have given me to you,
with love and with many gifts. You will never utter dishonorable words for
them, nor shall you make undue demands upon them, but in your own land or by
traveling abroad, will earn the material means of our livelihood. If you will
promise this, I will come to sit by your left side; if not, I shall remain at
your right.
The bridegroom answers: I promise.
The bride says:
In all sacrifices, ceremonies and fasts, I will sit by your side. I will take half of your merit, none
of your sin. You will take half my sin and none of my merit. If you will promise this, I will sit by your left; if not, I shall remain at your right.
The bridegroom responds: I promise.
The bride states:
This sacrificial fire is our witness.
The bridegroom vows:
Though these promises are difficult to
observe, I shall always keep them as you will ever share them with me.
22. The bride and bridegroom sit.
The priest sprinkles a blessing of sacred water on their heads.
23. The bridegroom touches the bride's heart. He recites:
I take your heart unto my vows.
May your mind follow my mind.
May you listen to my voice attentively and lovingly,
for Lord the Progenitor appoints you unto me.
The bride also touches the bridegroom's heart and says:
I take your heart unto my vows.
May your mind follow my mind.
May you listen to my voice attentively and lovingly,
for Lord the Progenitor appoints you unto me.
24. The bride and bridegroom may now exchange rings.
25. The bridegroom places a red powder on the parting in the bride's hair,
symbolizing that he brings color into the bride's life.
Note: This placing of the powder on the
parting of the hair also has a physical significance. The powder, cinnabar, is
chemically mercuric sulfide; the mercury represents the cosmic male and sulfur
represents the cosmic female. The woman bears the burden of the union of the
two.
26. The bridegroom shows the bride the polar star (the Sanskrit word for which is Dhruva,
the Steady Star).
He says:
See the Steady Star.
The bride responds:
I
see the Steady Star.
You are steady, I am steady.
We shall be steady, too, with each other.
I, _______ (name) am now yours, _______ (name).
27. The bride and bridegroom again make offerings into the fire.
The last offering here is the offering of expiation for all previous failures and transgressions
in life.
Both of them recite:
All things that I ought not to have
done,
All things that I have not done that I ought to have done,
May
the Lord who fulfills, fulfill these gaps.
I make this offering of expiation.
With these words, they offer sweet food into the fire.
28. They hold one ball of sweet food each in their right hand, look at each
other, and say:
With this charm of sweetness,
with the thread of my very breath,
with this very strong thread,
with
the knot of truth,
I bind you and tie you,
both your heart and your mind.
That which was my heart now becomes your heart;
that which was your heart now becomes my heart.
29. The priest makes the offering of perfection:
This
is perfect; that is perfect;
The perfect is taken from the perfect,
When perfect is taken from the perfect,
that which remains is perfect.
30. At this point all the kinsmen and guests gather as close to the couple as possible, and sprinkle flower petals on their heads, with the shout of
May all be well! May all be happy! May all be auspicious!
31. The assembly stands with clasped hands and chants the peace chant:
May peace be in the heavens,
Peace be in the skies, peace on earth.
May the waters flow peacefully;
May the herbs and shrubs grow in peace;
May all the Divine beings bring to us peace.
The
supreme Brahman is peace.
May all be at peace.
Peace and only peace,
And may that peace come unto me.
(May that peace come unto this newly wed couple and to us all.)
Om,
Peace, peace, peace.