Saptapadi

Part of a series on
Hinduism
Hindu History
Concepts God Brahman Ishvara Views on monotheism God and gender Life Atman Maya Karma Samsara Purusharthas Dharma Artha Kama Moksha Ethics Niti shastra Yamas Niyama Ahimsa Asteya Aparigraha Brahmacharya Satya Damah Dayā Akrodha Ārjava Santosha Tapas Svādhyāya Shaucha Mitahara Dāna Liberation Bhakti yoga Jnana yoga Karma yoga
Schools Six Astika schools Samkhya Yoga Nyaya Vaisheshika Mimamsa Vedanta Dvaita Advaita Vishishtadvaita Other schools Pasupata Saiva Pratyabhijña Raseśvara Pāṇini Darśana Charvaka
Deities Trimurti Brahma Vishnu Shiva Other major Devis / Devas Vedic Indra Agni Prajapati Rudra Saraswati Ushas Dyaus Pita Bhumi Varuna Vayu Puranic Lakshmi Parvati Shakti Durga Kali Ganesha Kartikeya Rama Krishna Hanuman
Texts Scriptures Vedas Rigveda Yajurveda Samaveda Atharvaveda Divisions Samhita Brahmana Aranyaka Upanishad Upanishads Rigveda: Aitareya Kaushitaki Yajurveda: Brihadaranyaka Isha Taittiriya Katha Shvetashvatara Maitri Samaveda: Chandogya Kena Atharvaveda: Mundaka Mandukya Prashna Other scriptures Bhagavat Gita Agama (Hinduism) Other texts Vedangas Shiksha Chandas Vyakarana Nirukta Kalpa Jyotisha Puranas Vishnu Purana Bhagavata Purana Nāradeya Purana Vāmana Purana Matsya Purana Garuda Purana Brahma Purana Brahmānda Purana Brahma Vaivarta Purana Bhavishya Purana Padma Purana Agni Purana Shiva Purana Linga Purana Kūrma Purana Skanda Purana Varaha Purana Mārkandeya Purana Itihasas Ramayana Mahabharata Upavedas Ayurveda Dhanurveda Gandharvaveda Sthapatyaveda Shastras and Sutras Dharma Shastra Artha Śastra Kamasutra Brahma Sutras Samkhya Sutras Mimamsa Sutras Nyāya Sūtras Vaiśeṣika Sūtra Yoga Sutras Pramana Sutras Charaka Samhita Sushruta Samhita Natya Shastra Divya Prabandha Tirumurai Ramcharitmanas Yoga Vasistha Swara yoga Shiva Samhita Panchadasi Stotra Sutras Text classification Śruti Smriti Timeline of Hindu texts
Practices Worship Puja Temple Murti Bhakti Japa Bhajana Yajna Homa Vrata Prāyaścitta Tirtha Tirthadana Matha Nritta-Nritya Meditation and Charity Tapa Dhyana Dāna Yoga Asana Hatha yoga Jnana yoga Bhakti yoga Karma yoga Raja yoga Rites of passage Garbhadhana Pumsavana Simantonayana Jatakarma Namakarana Nishkramana Annaprashana Chudakarana Karnavedha Vidyarambha Upanayana Praishartha Keshanta Ritushuddhi Samavartana Vivaha Antyeshti Ashrama Dharma Ashrama: Brahmacharya Grihastha Vanaprastha Sannyasa Festivals Navaratri Vijayadashami (Dasara) Diwali (Deepavali) Shivaratri Holi Kumbha Mela Ratha Yatra Vishu Bihu Baisakhi Mesha Sankranti Puthandu Ganesh Chaturthi Onam Rama Navami Janmashtami Raksha Bandhan Durga Puja
Gurus, saints, philosophers Ancient Gautama Angiras Aruni Ashtavakra Annamacharya Jaimini Kanada Kapila Pāṇini Patanjali Raikva Satyakama Jabala Valmiki Vyasa Yajnavalkya Medieval Nayanars Alvars Adi Shankara Basava Akka Mahadevi Allama Prabhu Siddheshwar Jñāneśvar Chaitanya Gangesha Upadhyaya Gaudapada Jayanta Bhatta Kabir Kumarila Bhatta Madhusudana Madhva Namdeva Nimbarka Prabhakara Raghunatha Siromani Ramanuja Sankardev Purandara Dasa Kanaka Dasa Jagannatha Dasa Vyasaraya Sripadaraya Raghavendra Swami Gopala Dasa Śyāma Śastri Vedanta Desika Tyagaraja Tukaram Tulsidas Vachaspati Mishra Vallabha Vidyaranya Modern Aurobindo Coomaraswamy Chinmayananda Dayananda Saraswati Gandhi Krishnananda Saraswati Narayana Guru Prabhupada Ramakrishna Ramana Maharshi Radhakrishnan Sivananda U. G. Krishnamurti Vivekananda Yogananda Ramachandra Dattatrya Ranade Mata Amritanandamayi
Other topics Calendar Criticism Denominations Iconography Mythology Nationalism (Hindutva) Persecution Pilgrimage sites Hinduism and Jainism / and Judaism Hinduism by country
Glossary of Hinduism terms Hinduism portal

Saptapadi (English: seven steps, saptapadī) is the most important rite (Sanskrit, Hindi: rītī) of a Hindu marriage ceremony. The word, Saptapadi means "Seven steps". After tying the Mangalsutra, the newly wed couple take seven steps around the holy fire, that is called Saptapadi. After the seventh step, the couple legally become husband and wife.

Saptapadi is sometimes referred to as Saat Phere.^[1]

Description

In Eastern India, South India and Western India, during Hindu wedding, the couple say these words as they complete the seven steps of Saptapadi:

"Now let us make a vow together. We shall share love, share the same food, share our strengths, share the same tastes. We shall be of one mind, we shall observe the vows together. I shall be the Samaveda, you the Rigveda, I shall be the Upper World, you the Earth; I shall be the Sukhilam, you the Holder - together we shall live and beget children, and other riches; come thou, O sweet-worded girl!"^{[2][3][4][5][6]}

In North Indian weddings, the bride and the groom say the following words after completing the seven steps:

"We have taken the Seven Steps. You have become mine forever. Yes, we have become partners. I have become yours. Hereafter, I cannot live without you. Do not live without me. Let us share the joys. We are word and meaning, united. You are thought and I am sound. May the night be honey-sweet for us. May the morning be honey-sweet for us. May the earth be honey-sweet for us. May the heavens be honey-sweet for us. May the plants be honey-sweet for us. May the sun be all honey for us. May the cows yield us honey-sweet milk. As the heavens are stable, as the earth is stable, as the mountains are stable, as the whole universe is stable, so may our union be permanently settled."^{[7][8][9][10]}

In Culture

• In 1961, a Bengali film was released in Tollywood, directed by Ajoy Kar, named Saptapadi. It is a love story with a twist set in Bengal in pre-independent India (early 1940); the time when young Indian students were competing equally with British 'goras' in all fields, whether it be education or sports.
• In 1981 a Telugu film was released named Saptapadi, directed by Kaasinathuni Viswanath; this film won a National Award in Indian Films.
• Saptapadii, a Gujarati film directed by Niranjan Thade, was released in 2013. The music of the film is given by Rajat Dholakia & Piyush Kanojia. Popular TV actor Manav Gohil stars opposite Swaroop Sampat. It also stars child actor Heet Samani. Produced by Amitabh Bachchan’s AB Corp and leading event management company Slash Production, the film is written by Niranjan Thade, Chandrakant Shah & Kaajal Oza Vaidya. It's Worldwide Distributor is Different Strokes Communications Pvt. Ltd. (Dr. Devdatt Kapadia and Mrinal Kapadia)

See also

• Hindu wedding

References

^ Sapthapathi Manthras - Its meaning, http://bnaiyer.com/Hindu-Part-3/paths-13.html, retrieved 2016-02-19, "... they both say: "Now let us make a vow together. We shall share the same food, share the strengths ..."

External links

• http://www.vivaaha.org/saptapad.htm