A Manual of Hindu Marriage

OM! BAHVORME BALAMASTU. (Both arms)

OM! OORVORME OJOSTU. (Both thighs)
OM! ARISHTAANIME-ANGAANI, TANOOSTANVAA ME
SAHSANTU-U-U. (Sprinkle on the body backwards with both hands)

PRITHIVEE POOJANAM
(Invocation of tolerance from motherly qualities naturally inherent in earth)
Sprinkle a few drops of water on earth with the mantra.
OM! PRITHVI TVAYAA DHIRTAA LOKAA, DEVI TWAM
VISHNUNAA DHIRTAA LOKAA, DEVI TWAM VISHNUNAA
DHRITAA. TWAM CHA DHARAI MAAM DEVI, PAVITRAM KURU
CHAASANAM.

VAR SATKAAR (Honoring the groom)

Being the most honorable guest, the groom is respectfully received with chanting
mantras.
Directions and Motivation
The groom is honorably received as an important guest. In family life, the lady in
charge of the house holds the supreme status. With all humility, the groom and
his well wishers come to bride’s house to ask for her hand. It, therefore, becomes
the prime responsibility of bride’s people to give due respect to the groom’s
party and reciprocate the goodwill expressed by latter in connection with the
noble cause of marriage.

Points to remember
For the bride’s people – Var literally means the one worthy of acceptance.
Therefore, agree for the matrimonial alliance only after thoroughly evaluating
the groom as an appropriate life-partner for the girl. Thereafter, the groom is
honored with this point of view and the grace of Almighty sought for
maintenance of this goodwill.
For the groom’s people – On being honored, do not feel unnecessarily egoistic.
Remember that our sages had made the system of honoring the groom for his
gentlemanly qualities like modesty, humility, duty consciousness and spirit of
cooperation. Hence in order to be instinctively appreciated by the bride’s family,
it is imperative to make these attributes manifest. Such a behavior is bound to
evoke a favorable response and an extremely cordial relationship between the
two families.
For both parties –The factor most detrimental for establishing congenital
relationship between the two families is the narrow selfish outlook instigating
insistence on desired transaction in cash or kind. On the pretext of rituals when
either party exert pressure for giving dowry, ornaments, clothes etc. or insist on
some sort of exhibitionism, the goodwill dissipates and undercurrents of

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