Samskara #14 of 16 · Student (Brahmacharya)
समावर्तन
Samavartana
Samāvartana
Timing: End of formal Vedic studies (originally ~25 years old), the "graduation" rite
Purpose
To mark the completion of brahmacharya (student stage) and the formal return home, qualified to enter grihastha (householder) life.
The ritual
The student takes a ceremonial final bath (snātaka), discards the staff + deer-skin of brahmacharya, receives new garments + ornaments from the guru, gives dakshina, and is formally released as a "snātaka" (graduate). He is now eligible for marriage.
Key elements
- ●Snāna (ceremonial graduation bath)
- ●Dakshina to guru
- ●New garments + ornaments
- ●Title "snātaka" conferred
- ●Marriage eligibility
Performed by
Guru in his ashram
Modern relevance
Echoes preserved in convocation ceremonies + the symbolism of bath + new clothes; the spirit lives in modern graduations.