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Veda mantras or sacred hymns play a key role in every step of the traditional Hindu marriage.
The mantras for this ceremony come mostly from the ṛks housed in the tenth mandala of the Rg
Veda, where Sūrya, the daughter of the sun god, is given in marriage to a bridegroom by the
name of Soma. These mantras are mostly from Section 10.85.
Many Divya Desams have references in their traditional histories (sthala purâṇas) to the Lord
seeking the hand of Maha Lakshmi, who is raised by a maharishi after discovering her as an
infant of divine origin (ayonijâ). For instance, in Oppiliappan Koil, Markandeya Maharishi
accedes to the request of Sriman Narayana who seeks the hand of his daughter Bhūmi Devi. She
was found as a child in the tulasi forest by the Maharishi. At Kumbakonam, Sarngapani weds
Komalavalli, the daughter of Hema Maharishi. At Thiruvahindrapuram, Hēmâmbujavalli, the
daughter of another rishi, marries Dēvanâthan in a Vedic ceremony. At Tirupati, Srinivasa
marries Padmavati after seeking her hand from her father, Akasa Rajan. At Tiru Idavendai, the
Lord got the name of Nitya Kalyâṇar through his marriage to the 360 daughters of Kalava Rishi.
He married them each one a day and made them all into one named Akhilavalli Nacciyar.
The most celebrated one is the wedding of Andal and Ranganatha. Ranganatha seeks the hand of
Andal from her father Periyalvar and weds her in a ceremony at Srivilliputtur. Andal had
previously dreamt about this marriage and recorded the wedding in detail in her Nacciyar
Tirumozhi, Varanamayiram section, exactly as prescribed in the Vedic ceremony.
In the following sections, I will describe the steps of a Vedic wedding and their significance.
Dear Wife! By taking these seven steps, you have become my dearest friend. I pledge my
unfailing loyalty to you.
This series of Veda mantras starting with “sakhâ saptapadâ bhava…” and ending with “pumse
putrâya…” are rich with meaning and imagery.
I enter this house with a happy heart. May I give birth to children, who observe the path of
righteousness (dharma)! May this house that I enter today be prosperous forever and never be
deficient in food. May this house be populated by people of virtue and pious thoughts.
At the end of the above homam, a child is placed on the lap of the bride and she offers a fruit to
the child, while reciting a prescribed Veda mantra. Yet another mantram asks the assembled
guests to bless the bride and then retire to their own individual homes peacefully. During the first
evening of the stay in her new home, the couple see the stars known as Dhruva (pole star) and
Arundhati. The husband points out the pole star and prays for the strength and stability of the
household thru a Veda mantra. Next, the husband points out the Arundhati star to his wife and
describes to her the the story of Arundhati and her legendary chastity.
The rich and meaningful ceremony of the Hindu marriage (Kalyâṇa Mahotsavam of the temples)
is thus carried out in concert with sacred Veda Mantras. The bride and bridegroom should
enunciate clearly the Veda mantras and reflect on their meanings during the different stages of
the marriage ceremony. This way, they can be sure of a long, happy and prosperous married life
and play their appropriate role in society to the fullest extent. Srinivasa Kalyanam is performed
in the temples to remind us of these hoary Vedic traditions behind a Hindu marriage.
lokâḥ samastâḥ sukhino bhavantu |
sarvamaṅgaḷâni santu ||