Significance of Sathabhishekam

[Badri]

I am posting this on behalf of Shoba, but I would like info as well! Shoba is trying to put together a presentation on Indian Birthday celebrations and needs this info.

In many Indian Hindu households, the 80th birthday of a grandfather is a grand gala event! It is known as Sathabhishekam, and it is an occassion for the entire family to gather around the (great)grandparents. In fact, even total strangers walk in when they hear a Sathabhishekam is being celebrated to fall at the feet of the elder and seek his blessings.

Last year, I had the good fortune of being at my grandad's 80th b'day celebrations, and it was a fun event, alright!

But what is the significance of this event? Why is it celebrated with such gusto? Is reaching 80 such a big achievement which is why it is being thus feted? Also, why is it called Sathabhishekam? They say the person has seen a 1000 full moons since his birth; then why not call it Sahasra abhishekam (sahasra=1000 in sanskrit) or something similar?

Or is it actually Sadaabhishekam, as in
sada = always, and Abhishekam = auspicious?

[Sudhaama]

(1) Brahmacharyam, (2) Grihastham, (3) Vaanaprastham, (4) Mumukshu / Mukthi-abheeshtam (Bliss-Seeking)

... are the Four stages of Life prescribed by the Indian Tradition for every Human-being..

Shashti-abdha-poorthi... on completion of 60 years age.... Completion of Grihastham.. Commencement of Vaanaprastham

Bheema-ratha-Santhi... on Completion of 70 years of age... as also Vaanaprastham-1st Stage.

SATHA-ABHISHEKAM ... on completion of 80 years of age :-- Completion of Vaanaprastham-2nd and Final Stage... as well as the Commencement of Mumukshu (Seeker of Bliss / Leberation from Rebirths)

All these have specific sugnificance in one's Life...

... indicating the completion of the Specific-Stage...

... as well as the Successful achievement of the relevant Stage-duties in Life.

The word "Satha" also means 100... but here it does not mean so.

But another relevant meaning as "STABLE".... as also... Uninterrupted / Complete

According to Indian-Culture by Tradition... every Man bound by the duties as the Head of the Family... is expected to ...

...complete his Family-duties to his Children by Education and Marriage before reaching his age of 60.

... and Hand over his Family-duties along with the Properties to be managed by his Sons

... while the Father will perform only the Advisory-service to his Sons.

... and he has to concentrate more on Pious-activities... including Pilgrimage, praying for the welfare of the whole family.... Such duties he should finish off within the ensuing 10 years... imparting adequate training to his Children to independantly Manage the Family-duties, even in his absence.

Such a date of Handing over of Family-duties... is the Age of 60.

Besides... his Children pay back their gratitude to their parents for getting them married and making them well-settled in Life... and so the Children re-enact the conduct of the Marriage of their parents and worship them with due honour.

Such a due clearance of commitments and achievements of their parents in Life is PROUDLY celebrated collectively by the children on his 60... Shashtiabdha-poorthi. day.

BHEEMA-RATHA-SAANTHI:---

The remnant duties for the children including their Training for independant management of Family-Life, is supposed to be completed before reaching 70.

His 70th Birthday Bheema-ratha-Saanthi .. is celebrated by the Children and Grand-Children as the celebration of his successful achievement of the relevant stage-duties... alongside an opportunity to pay their gratitude to the Head of the Family... as also celebrate the Grand-parents Marriage.

This is the day the Grand-parents seriously start praying for the fulfilment of Family-ambitions on Earth mostly for the sake of Children and Grand-children to get fulfilled within their Life-time.

This is also the day when the Grand-parents complete the 10 year Life-Training for their children

... as also the Commencement day of Concentration of Training the Grand-children during the ensuing 10 years.

SATHA-ABHISHEKAM

The Man has completed all his Family-duties and Mundane-commitments... gets trotally relieved from the Monetary-involvements, since handed over to his children to continue on their own independantly on reaching 80.

... The day of Pride and Joy for the Children and Grandchildren who along with all the relatives celebrate such an achievent...

... and conduct the Marriage of the Grand-olds... as a mark of Gratitude and enjoyment of conducting their marriage in return...seeking their blessings.

This is the day of Commencement of Prayer to God... declaring that he has completed all his commitments on Earth ...

...and is free to leave the world towards Liberation from Rebirths... so to say Mukthi / Moksha / Bliss

[viggop]

Sudhamaa Sir
I had pm'ed you about a slokam sometime back.Please respond.Thanks

[S.Balaji]

Dear Mr. Sudhaama,

Your explanation about the various stages and celebrations is excellent. It was quite useful and meaningful.
Thank you very much.
Amazing to note about the vision and systematic planning of our ancestors on how to lead one's life.

I also heard one more thing on Sadhabishekam that if somebody sees 1000s new moon in life... Is it so ?

Pls enlighten me on this .

[solomon]

Friends,

We have to also understand, Psycological reasons for Celebrating this festivals in Family.

Average Life time for Indians around 45 during Independance, which of course have improved to around 75 now.

So to encourage elders, who would have lost all their friends of same age, these functions came in, but its Historical position is equivally important, as put by my Seniors.

Kanagabishekam is another which Sudamagi can explain.
MosesMohammedSolomon

[S.Balaji]

Friends,

We have to also understand, Psycological reasons for Celebrating this festivals in Family.

Average Life time for Indians around 45 during Independance, which of course have improved to around 75 now.

So to encourage elders, who would have lost all their friends of same age, these functions came in, but its Historical position is equivally important, as put by my Seniors.

Kanagabishekam is another which Sudamagi can explain.
****

Solomon,

Yours is a very interesting analysis ... on age factor before independence... Could be possible....
Is that one of the reasons that our ancestors had too many children.... as the medical facilities were not that great those days and children had died even on small small problems ??
Take for example my Grand father ( from Amma's side ).. He had in total 8 children... 6 survived ( 5 of them were women ) and 2 died while they were kids... for lack of medical support....
Besides, I have also observed from my relatives and friends, the same trend those days....a family with minimum 5 or 7 children....

[Yamuna]

--- Off topic ----, don't know where to post this query .....

Can the gayathri mantra be recited by ladies also ? As my husband is not much into religious rituals, I have been reciting this over the past few years, for general well-being of the family .
But recently read only males should recite, not the women folk. Is this true ? If so, why ?

[Sudhaama]

--- Off topic ----, don't know where to post this query ....

Can the gayathri mantra be recited by ladies also ? As my husband is not much into religious rituals, I have been reciting this over the past few years, for general well-being of the family .
But recently read only males should recite, not the women folk. Is this true ? If so, why ?

I have replied to this Question under the relevant Comprehensive-Thread... Today.

LARGE-HEARTED Indian-Heritage ... Exemplary for Mankind.

http://forumhub.mayyam.com/hub/viewtopic.php?p=221221#221221

Further discussions... either on this Thread-Topic .. Sathabhishekam etc....or any other point relevant to the Comprehensive-aspect of Indian-Heritage....

... may be continued in that Comprehensive-Thread... which will be better purposeful... in the wider outlook of Viewers angle..

... as well as for intra-relative references at any time in future.

In view of such a convenience... I have included this Thread- contents... in that Thread of Overall-Totality.

[sundararaj]

Thanks for the info.