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Saṃskāra
Saṃskāra (Skt., saṃ, ‘together’, + kr, ‘make’). 1. The saṃskāras are the rituals through which high-caste or twice-born Hindus mark their transitions through life (and death), and may thus be regarded as rites of passage. The saṃskāras differ in number, depending on how many of the lesser moments which are marked by ritual (e.g. a child's first outing) are included. However, a fairly standard list of sixteen rites includes (i) Garbhādhāna, the securing of conception; (ii) Puṃsavāna, the securing of the birth of a male child; (iii) Sīmantonnayana, parting the hair of the pregnant woman to secure her from evil spirits (this again has reference to the birth of a male child; in W. India it is known as Dohada, and men cannot be present); (iv) Jātakarma, the securing and celebration of safe delivery; (v) Nāmakaraṇa, the giving of the name to the child on the twelfth day after birth; (vi) Niṣkramana, the making auspicious, by seeing the sun and going to a temple, of the child's first outing; (vii) Annaprāśana, the first feeding with solid food; (viii) Cauḍakaraṇa, shaving of the head during the first or third year; (ix) Karṇavedha, the piercing of the ear or nose between 3 and 5; (x) Vidyārambha, the learning of the alphabet; (xi) Upanayana, the sacred thread; (xii) on the day following, for those deemed competent, Vedārambha, the beginning of the study of the Vedas; (xiii) Keśānta, the first shaving of the beard; (xiv) Samāvartana, the end of student life; (xv) Vivāha, marriage; (xvi) Antyeṣṭi, funeral rites.2. In Hinduism the formations in consciousness which accumulate from thoughts and actions in earlier lives, and which constitute individual character. In Buddhism, see SANKHARA.
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JOHN BOWKER. "Saṃskāra." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions. 1997. Encyclopedia.com. 12 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. JOHN BOWKER. "Saṃskāra." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions. 1997. Encyclopedia.com. (February 12, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O101-Saskra.html JOHN BOWKER. "Saṃskāra." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions. 1997. Retrieved February 12, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O101-Saskra.html |
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saṃskāra
saṃskāra (Skt, formation; Pāli, saṅkhāra). The constructing activities that form, shape or condition the moral and spiritual development of the individual. The saṃskāra-skandha is the fourth of the five aggregates (skandha) that constitute the human person, and also the second link (nidāna) in the twelvefold scheme of Dependent Origination (pratītya-samutpāda). The term refers in particular to volitions and intentions (which may be morally good, bad, or neutral) and the way that these contribute to the formation of individual patterns of behaviour or traits of character. Repetition imprints a particular saṃskāra on the psyche and the imprint is carried over into the next life. The aim of Buddhist practice is to replace negative imprints with positive ones.
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Cite this article
DAMIEN KEOWN. "saṃskāra." A Dictionary of Buddhism. 2004. Encyclopedia.com. 12 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. DAMIEN KEOWN. "saṃskāra." A Dictionary of Buddhism. 2004. Encyclopedia.com. (February 12, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O108-saskra.html DAMIEN KEOWN. "saṃskāra." A Dictionary of Buddhism. 2004. Retrieved February 12, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O108-saskra.html |
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samskara
sam·ska·ra / səmˈskärə/ • n. Hinduism a purificatory ceremony or rite marking a major event in one's life. |
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Cite this article
"samskara." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Encyclopedia.com. 12 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "samskara." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Encyclopedia.com. (February 12, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O999-samskara.html "samskara." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Retrieved February 12, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O999-samskara.html |
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samskara
samskara
•jarrah, para, Tara
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•candelabra, macabre, sabra
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•zebra • ephedra • Porto Alegre
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•Electra, plectra, spectra
•Clytemnestra • extra
•chèvre, Sèvres
•Ezra
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Cite this article
"samskara." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Encyclopedia.com. 12 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "samskara." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Encyclopedia.com. (February 12, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O233-samskara.html "samskara." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Retrieved February 12, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O233-samskara.html |
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