The Vedic Wedding Ceremony !! Part I !!

Jai Sriman Narayana !!

Courtesy :(By Oppiliappan Koil Sri  Varadachari Sadagopan swami)

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, when Sūrya's daughter  was given in a 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 was 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  Sri Bhūmi Devi. She was found as a child in the tulasi shrubs by the Maharishi. At Kumbakonam,  Sri Sarngapani weds  Sri Komalavalli Thayar, the daughter of Hema Maharishi. At Thiruvahindrapuram, Sri Hēmâmbujavalli Thayar, the daughter of another rishi, marries Sri Dēvanâthan in a Vedic ceremony. At Tirupati, Sri Srinivasa marries Padmavati Thayar after seeking her hand from her father, Akasa Rajan. At Tiru Idavendai, the Lord got the name of Sri 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 was the wedding of Andal Nachiyar and Sri Ranganatha. Sri 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 mentioned their wedding in detail in her Nacciyar Tirumozhi, Varanamayiram section, exactly as prescribed in the Vedic ceremony.

The following sections are the steps of a Vedic wedding and their significance.

Will be continued........

Jai Sriman Narayana !!


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