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 Vaak daanam
Elders represent the groom and go to the Bride-to-be's house and ask the elders there for her hand in marriage to their boy. If all goes well, the vaak dhanam ends in a betrothal.
Kanyaa daanam
The father of the bride seats the groom facing East and washes the feet of the future son-in-law, considering him as Lord Himself. After the ceremonial washing of the feet of the groom by the father-in-law , the groom is given madhu parka (a mixture of yogurt, honey and ghee) to the accompaniment of selected Veda mantras.
Vara prekshanam
The bridegroom and the bride look at each other formally for the first time.
The bride groom recites a mantra after the prohit and wipes the eyebrows of the bride with a blade of darbha grass, as if he is chasing away all evil. The darbha grass is thrown behind the bride.
Mangala snaanam
Five Veda mantras are recited to sanctify the bride in preparation for the subsequent stages of the marriage. This aspect of the marriage is known as mangala snanam. The sun god (Surya), water god (Varuna), and other gods are invoked to purify the bride in preparation for a harmonious married life.
Maangalya dhaaranam
The groom takes the mangal sutra in his hands and recites the following verse:
mangalyam tantunanena mama jIvana hethuna |
kanthe: badhnami subhage! sanjIva aarada: satam ||
(meaning: This is a sacred thread. This is essential for my long life. I tie this around your neck, O maiden having many auspicious attributes! May you live happily for a hundred years (with me).
Paani grahanam
After maangalya dhaaranam, the groom lowers his right palm and encloses it over the right hand of the bride. He covers all the five fingers of the right hand of the bride with his right palm through this act of paani grahanam. He recites mantras in praise of Bhaga, Aryama, Savita, Indra, Agni, Suryan, Vayu and Saraswati, while holding the bride's hand. He prays for long life, progeny, prosperity and harmony with the bride during their married life. The closed fingers of the right hand of the bride is said to represent her heart. The paani grahanam ritual symbolizes the bride surrendering her heart in the hands of the groom during the occasion of the marriage.
Sapta padi
During this ritual, the groom walks with the bride to the right side of the sacred fire. At the conclusion of the seven steps, he chants a mantra where he addresses his wife thus:
Dear Wife! By taking these seven steps, you have become my dearest friend. I pledge my unfailing loyalty to you. Let us stay together for the rest of our lives. Let us not separate from each other ever. Let us be of one mind in carrying out our responsibilities as householders (grihasthas). Let us love and cherish each other and enjoy nourishing food and good health. Let us discharge our prescribed Vedic duties to our elders, ancestors, rishis, creatures, and gods. Let our aspirations be united..
Pradhaana homam
After sapta padi, the couple take their seat on the western side of the sacred fire and conduct pradhaana homam. Sixteen mantras are recited to the accompaniment of pouring a spoon of clarified butter into the sacred fire at the end of recitation of each of the mantras. These mantras salute Soma, Gandharva, Agni, Indra, Vayu, the Aswini Devas, Savita, Brihaspati, Viswa Devas and Varuna for blessing the marriage and beseeches them to confer long wedded life, health, wealth, children and freedom from all kinds of worries.
Stepping on the grinding stone
After pradhaana homam, the husband holds the right toe of his wife and lifts her leg and places it on a flat granite grinding stone on the right side of the sacred fire. The husband recites a Veda mantra when he places the right foot of his wife on the stone:
May you stand on this firm stone. May you be rock-firm during your stay on this grinding stone. May you stand up to those who oppose you while you carry out your time-honored responsibilities as a wife sanctioned by the Vedas and tradition. May you develop tolerance to your enemies and put up a fair fight to defend your legitimate rights as the head of the household in a firm manner, equal to the steady strength of this grinding stone.
Laaja homam
Here, the wife cups her hands and the brothers of the bride fill the cupped hands with parched rice. The husband adds a drop of ghee to the parched rice and recites five Veda mantras. At the end of each of the recitation , the parched rice is thrown into the sacred fire as havis (offering) to Agni. Through these mantras, the wife prays for long life for her husband and for a marriage filled with peace and harmony.
Griha pravesam
This ceremony relates to the journey of the wife to her husband's home. There are many Veda mantras associated with this journey. These mantras pray to the appropriate Vedic gods to remove all obstacles that one can experience in a journey. The bride is requested to become the mistress of the house and is reminded of her important role among the relatives of her husband. After reaching her new home, she puts her right foot first in the house and recites the following Veda mantra:
I enter this house with a happy heart. May I give birth to children, who observe the path of righteousness (dharma)! May this house that I enter today be prosperous forever and never be deficient in food. May this house be populated by people of virtue and pious thoughts.
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