15. Vivāha
Marriage — the central saṃskāra
Vivāha begins the gṛhastha (householder) stage and is considered the central saṃskāra, since the household supports all the others. Its core is a Vedic homa: the bride's family gives her hand (kanyādāna), the groom takes it (pāṇigrahaṇa), the couple walk around the sacred fire, and take the seven steps (saptapadī).
Families usually match horoscopes and fix a muhūrta in advance. The wedding is explained step by step in the sections below.
Begins gṛhastha āśrama · Saptapadī