SANSKARA. SANS%. In Hinduism, essential rites, social and domestic, of which the Hindu religion has about 40, but the more important are as under :— 1. Garbbadhana, worship on a wowan's evincing signs of pregnancy; sometimes on attaining maturity.
2. Punsavana,, worship on quickening, to obtain ft male child. The Mahrattas perform this.
3. Anavalobhana, to obviate miscarriage.
4. Simantonnayana, partino. the hair of the head of a pregnant woman, on the 4th;s6th, or 8th month.
5. Vishnubali, amongst the Alahrattas a sacrifice to Vishnu, on the 7th month.
6. Jata karma, ceremonies at birth, amongst others putting of ghi into the child's mouth with a golden spoon, before cutting the navel-string.
7. Nama karanam, naming the child on the 10th, llth, 12th, or 101st day after birth.
8. Nishkramanam, taking thc child out of the house when three months old to see the moon in the third light fortnight.
9. Suryanilokanam, showing the sun to tbe child when four months old.
10. Annaprasana, feeding the child with its first rice, on 6th or 8th month.
11. Karnavedha, boring the ears.
12. Chudu or Chula karanam, on the lst or 3d year and not later than the 5th year, shaving all the head save one lock, called the Chuda or crest.
13. Upanayana. investiture with the sacrificial thread, which falls from the left shoulder to the right hip ; for a Brahman on the 8th to the 16th year • for a Kshatriya on the llth and not later than the 2211' year ; and for a, Vaisya on the 12th and not later than the 24th. This constitutes the Dwija or second birth of these three races.
14. Savitri maha namya, at the time of or four days after the Upanayana, when the Gayatri is taught and repeated.
15. Samavarrttana, the ceremony on the student's completion of his studies and return home.
16. Vivaha, marriage.
17. Swargarohana, ascending to heaven ; funeral cere monies.
Of these, the 3d, 9th, llth, 14th, and 15th are either local or modifications of others, and 17 is not a purification ceremony ; and if these and others be excluded, the number is reduced to 10. Women have also the Sanskara of marriage.— Glos.; As. Res. xvii. p. 309 ; TVard's Hindoos, p. 71 ; Barth, p. 51.