Seven Promises In Hindu Weddings
As the couple takes a step or circle, the priest chants these seven hymns written in the Vedas, each signifying a promise that the couple makes to one another. In the cultures where they follow four circumambulations, each one stands to represent dharma (righteous path), Artha (wealth), Kama (love), and moksha (liberation) which is what the couple aligns their future life with. While the depth behind each Sanskrit hymn is hard to capture, the following brief overview is what each vow stands for.
Vow 1: To respect and honor each other. With the first step that they take, the couple seeks the blessings of the Lord and takes the step with the promise of nourishment forever enriching their lives, focusing on the basic needs of life.
Vow 2: To always support each other with the physical, mental, and spiritual strength needed to lead a healthy life.
Vow 3: To be faithful to each other and wish to lead a wealthy, wisdom-instilled, and prosperous life for themselves and their children.
Vow 4: To satisfy all carnal needs. They vow to stand by each other through thick and thin and thank each other for bringing happiness into each other’s lives.
Vow 5: To bear and raise noble and virtuous progeny. This promise also focuses on all living creatures and the responsibility that the couple has towards everything around them (the universe as a whole).
Vow 6: To grow old together. The couple vows to sail through sickness and toast to health and lead long lives filled with peace and prosperity.
Vow 7: To build a life filled with friendship, love, and mutual trust. The seventh and final step is where the couple accepts each other as husband and wife and takes an eternal vow of marriage.
These seven promises are believed to provide a foundation around which strong and eternal relationships are built. Though we have come far along from the Vedic era, all of these hold true when both the bride and the groom promise these to one another as equals.
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