HAPPY WEDDING ANNIVERSARY – BLISSFUL RADHA KRISHNA WEDDING AT BHANDIRAVANA

Today is the happy wedding anniversary of Radha and Krishna. They got married at Bhandiravana (Vrndavana) in the sacred presence of Lord Brahma, who officiated as the priest and performed the Vedic rites that solemnized their blissful union. Chapter XV of the Brahmavaivarta Purāṇa (Kṛṣṇa Janma Khaṇḍa) amazingly describes this auspicious celebration.
जय जय श्रीराधे

LESSONS FOR UNITY OF MARRIED COUPLE FROM WORDS AND DEEDS OF THE DIVINE MOTHER SITA -- PART I

There are many lessons to learn for maintaining the harmony and unity of married couple from the words and deeds of divine mother SrI sItA as enunciated in SrI VAlmIkI RAmAyaNam.

For a chaste wife upholding loyalty, living with one’s husband even in the fearful forest is enjoyable like residing in her own father’s house.

सुखम् वने निवत्स्यामि यथा एव भवने पितुः |

अचिन्तयन्ती त्रीम्ल् लोकामः चिन्तयन्ती पति व्रतम् ||  

अहम् गमिष्यामि वनम् सुदुर्गमम् |

मृग आयुतम् वानर वारणैः युतम् |

वने निवत्स्यामि यथा पितुर् गृहे |

तव एव पादावुपगृह्य सम्मता ||  

In separation from the husband, even heaven is not liked by her.

स्वर्गे अपि च विना वासो भविता यदि राघव |

त्वया मम नर व्याघ्र न अहम् तम् अपि रोचये ||

Father, mother, brother, son, daughter-in-law, each one gets the fruit of one’s own action.

आर्य पुत्र पिता माता भ्राता पुत्रः तथा स्नुषा |

स्वानि पुण्यानि भुन्जानाः स्वम् स्वम् भाग्यम् उपासते ||  

Accordingly, wife shares the fortune of the husband and hence has to accompany him even in forest.

भर्तुर् भाग्यम् तु भार्या एका प्राप्नोति पुरुष ऋषभ |

अतः चैव अहम् आदिष्टा वने वस्तव्यम् इति अपि ||  

For the chaste woman,neither  father, mother, son, self or friend is the recourse. Only the husband is the true recourse in this life and thereafter as well.

न पिता न आत्मजो न आत्मा न माता न सखी जनः |

इह प्रेत्य च नारीणाम् पतिर् एको गतिः सदा ||  

To be with the loving proximity of the husband is better than residing in a palace or travelling in the aeroplane or flying in the sky or attaining all positions of esteem.

प्रासाद अग्रैः विमानैः वा वैहायस गतेन वा |

सर्व अवस्था गता भर्तुः पादच्छाया विशिष्यते ||

जय जय श्रीराधे

WHAT ARE THE FIVE KEY CONSTITUENTS OF VEDIC VIVAHA?

The following are the five key constituents of Vedic VivAha:

(1)VAk dAnam

(2) KanyA dAnam

(3) VaraNam

(4) PANigrahaNam

(5) saptapadI

vAgdAnam ca pradAnam ca varaNam PANi PIdaNam !

saptapAdIti pancAngo vivAha; parikIrtita: !!

By proper performance of the vivAha as per Vedic scriptures with sraddhA (faith), all the graha doshas (planetary deficiencies) get fully neutralised and the couple lead a joyful, prosperous and harmonious long life.

mAngalyam tantunAnena mama jIvanahetunA !

kaNthe badhnAmi subhage sanjIva Saradah Satam !!

जय जय श्रीराधे 

WHAT ARE THE IMPORTANT ASPECTS OF VEDIC VIVAHA?

The following are the important aspects of Vedic VivAha (Wedding) :

1. vAk dAnam

2. kanyA dAnam

3. vara prekshaNam

4. mangala snAnam

5. mAngalya dhAraNam

6. pAni grahaNam

7. saptapadi

8. pradhAna homam

9. aSma ArohaNam

10. lAja homam

11. gruha praveSam

12. praviSya homam

By proper performance of the vivAha as per Vedic scriptures with sraddhA (faith), all the graha doshas(planetary deficiencies) get fully neutralised and the couple lead a joyful, prosperous and harmonious life.

mAngalyam tantunAnena mama jIvanahetunA !

kaNthe badhnAmi subhage sanjIva Saradah Satam !!

जय जय श्रीराधे

WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THE SAPTAPADI MANTRA CHANTED DURING VIVAHA ?

In the Vedic culture, the bride and groom are considered as loving friends as they perform the saptapadi ritual wherein the groom holds the right leg of the bride and together they take seven steps to the north of the homa kuNda on the wedding day.

BhagavAn Sri LakshmI NarAyaNa is propitiated through the Vedic hymns by the Groom for attainment of the following by the bride:

(1) Anna samruddhi (Plentiful food) by the first step

(2) Vrddhi ( multiple development) by the second step

(3) Sat karma siddhi ( Good deeds) by the third step

(4) Sukham (Pleasure) by the fourth step

(5) paSu samruddhi (Cattle wealth) by the fifth step

(6) Kshema (welfare) in all the six Rtus (seasons)by the sixth step

(7) Performance of Yajnas (sacrifice) like soma yAga by the seventh step

Having walked together seven steps, the groom and bride have become loving friends.

The Vedic hymns are intended to seek life-long loving and sweet companionship between the bride and groom without any separation at any point of time. Thus mutual love and affection based friendship is established between the couple.

Ekamisha VishNus tvAnvetu

Dve Urje VishNus tvAnvetu

trINI vratAya VishNus tvAnvetu

catVAri mayobhavaya VishNus tvAnvetu

panca paSubhya: VishNus tvAnvetu

shat Rtubhyah VishNus tvAnvetu

sapta saptabhyo hotrAbhyo VishNus tvAnvetu

sakhA sapta padA bhava

sakhAyau saptapadA babhUva

sakhyante gameyam

sakhyAtte mayosham

sakhyAnme mAyoshthA:

--- EkAgni kAnda i-3-7 to14

By proper performance of the sacred vivAha ritual  using Vedic Mantras with utmost faith and devotion , all the graha doshas   (planetary deficiencies) get fully neutralised and the couple enjoy a long life with mutual love, prosperity, peace and sound health.
जय जय श्रीराधे

KANYA DANA MANTRAM

According to Smrtiratnam, the following mantra is to be recited at the time of performing kanyA dAnam during vivAha :

kanyAm lakshaNa samyuktAm kanakAbharaNairyutAm!

dAsyami vishNave tubhyam brahmaloka jigIshayA !!

Desiring to reach the abode of Brahma, I give as kanyA DAnam  the bride with good features and decked with golden ornaments to you (a deserving groom) who is VishNu svarUpa .

MARRIAGE HYMNS FROM RIG VEDA

1. Marriage Vow

Grbhnāmi te Saubhagatvāya hastam mayā patyā jaradashtir yathāsah !
Bhago aryamā savitā purandhir mahyam tvādur gārhapatyāya devāh !!
---- Rig Veda X-85-36
I take thy hand in mine for happy fortune that thou mayst reach old age with me thy husband.
Gods, Aryaman, Bhaga, Savitar, Purandhi, have given thee to be my household's mistress.

2. Prayer for Marital Unity

samañjantu viśve devāh samāpo hrdayāni nau !
sammātariśvā sandhātā samu deshtrī dadhātu nau !!
---- Rig Veda X-85-47

So may the Universal Gods, so may the Waters join our hearts.
May Mātariśvan, Dhātar, and Destri together bind us close.

Ihaiva stam mā vi yaushtam visvamāyur vyasnutam !
Krilantau putrair naptrubhir modamānau sve grhe !!

---- Rig Veda X-85-42

Be ye not parted; dwell ye here reach the full time of human life.
With sons and grandsons sport and play, rejoicing in your own abode.