Vows of a Sacred Marriage

In the Vedic tradition, a human life is believed to comprise four stages (called “ashramas”) and every man or woman should ideally go through each of these stages: 1) the First Ashrama – “Brahmacharya” or the Student Stage, 2) the Second Ashrama – “Grihastha” or the Householder Stage, 3) the Third Ashrama – “Vanaprastha” or the Hermit Stage and 4) the Fourth Ashrama – “Sannyasa” or the Wandering Ascetic Stage.

For me, marriage happened before I fully understood the sacred vows of a marriage.  A few days ago, an article in Nithyananda Times (June 2013 issue) about “Saptapadi”, the Sacred Vows of Marriage caught my attention because this is one aspect that I am seeking higher guidance so that I can play the different dimensions of my life unclutched. As a Grihastha (householder), I want to understand the spiritual dimensions of a sacred marriage as a path to liberation which was prescribed by the ancient masters, sages and saints centuries ago.

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