Theory and Practice of Samskaras in Bengal

Summary

This study explores the samskāras—purificatory rites that mark a Hindu’s life—from conception to death, focusing on their theory and practice in Bengal. The term ‘samskara’ means refinement or purification, and classical lawgivers prescribed a sequence of rites for the twice‑born castes to remove impurities and confer eligibility for each stage of life. Many of these rites have declined due to changing social values, yet important ones such as the sacred‑thread initiation (upanayana), marriage and funeral rites remain. The author reviews key medieval Bengali manuals on samskāras: Bhavadeva Bhatta’s Karmanusthāna‑paddhati (also called Dasakarma‑paddhati), Halāyudha’s Brahmana‑sarvasva and Raghunandana’s Samskāra‑tattva. These texts discuss the number of samskāras (ranging from forty to sixteen), their purposes, appropriate timings and ritual procedures. They reveal debates over which rites were obligatory and how local customs should adapt Vedic prescriptions. By examining these works chronologically and comparing their prescriptions with surviving practices, the article traces how Bengali Hindu society from the eleventh to sixteenth centuries interpreted, modified and sometimes abandoned traditional rites. The study highlights differences between normative texts and actual practice and shows how diminished priestly authority and evolving cultural attitudes led to the simplification or disappearance of many samskāras, while others endured as markers of identity.