Marriage Rituals: The Basis of all Ethics

Marriage Rituals: The Basis of all Ethics Traditionally, marriage is the union of two souls and two families from similar or different cultures. Marriage can also be defined as union between two entities. The day you join your school, college, profession or business, you get married to that. The main Vedic ritual involved in any marriage as depicted in Vedas over 1000 years BC involved riding on a female horse called ghudchadi; bowing to each other in front of the society while garlanding each other called Varmala and finally taking four vows (circles around the holy fire) of Dharma, Artha, Kama and Moksha. The female horse in Vedic philosophy denotes our uncontrolled sensory senses and a childlike behavior. Riding the female horse signifies leaving one’s childish behavior by tightening the reins of one’s senses to enter a new era. Bowing to each other in front of the community for varmala or garlanding reminds the bride and the groom to learn to live with humility. Mangal Phera or the steps of vows around Agni (fire of knowledge) is to earn righteously with a desire to fulfil inner happiness (Dharma, Artha, Kama and Moksha). It teaches to take conscious- based decisions. The marriage with your profession similarly is to be practiced by controlling one’s senses, practicing humility, not indulging into corruption and by taking conscious-based decisions. Dr KK Aggarwal National President IMA & HCFI