What Do The 7 Vows Of Indian Marriage Stand For?

Hindu weddings have a lot of customs and rituals that symbolise a happy married life. The 7 vows exchanged during the wedding ritual represent the seven promises that the bride and groom make to each other.

In Hindu weddings, a sacred fire (the symbol of God Agni) is created with wooden sticks and ghee. The couple recites the seven vows around this fire which becomes a witness to the promises.

The wedding priest sits beside the fire, chanting Vedic mantras. Amidst this setting, the couple pledges their undying commitment towards each other.

The seven vows are also known as Saptapadi  or 7 phrase. Though this is an integral part of the Hindu wedding, the act varies across regions in the country.

Hinduism believes that a married couple who walks seven steps around the sacred fire is bound together for a lifetime. At the start of the wedding, the bride sits on the right-hand side of the groom.

However, after taking the seven vows, she will sit on the left hand side, symbolising that she is closer to her husband’s heart. While taking the vows, the groom leads first with the four vows, and the bride completes the remaining three.

The 7 Vows

The first step of the 7 vows is to promise that the groom would provide a prosperous living for the bride and their family household. He promises that he will look after them while avoiding all that would mar their healthy living.

The second one is where the couple promise that they would develop their physical, mental and spiritual powers to carry a healthy lifestyle.

The third vow establishes that the couple would earn a living and increase their earnings through righteous and proper means, thereby, enabling their materialistic possessions to increase manifold.

The fourth vow is to gain knowledge, happiness and harmony by mutually respecting each other through love, understanding and faith.

The fifth vow is taken to promise that they would expand upon their lineage by having children. They vow that they will take care of their children responsibly. At same time, they also pray to be blessed with healthy, brave and honest children.

The sixth step of the 7 vows is the prayer for self-control of the mind, body and soul. They also recite a prayer for a long-lasting marital relationship.

Finally, the last vow is a promise that the bride and groom would remain loyal and true to each other. And that they would provide companionship to each other for a lifetime.