Samāvartana
समावर्तन
Also written: samavartana · samāvartana · samavartana sanskar · samavartana ceremony
Samāvartana (समावर्तन) is the fourteenth of the sixteen saṃskāras. Graduation — the return from the teacher's house to the world.
| Number | 14 of 16 |
| Stage of life | Education |
| Performed | At the completion of study |
| Purpose | Graduation — the return from the teacher's house to the world. |
What the rite is and why
The ceremonial bath (snāna) that ends studentship; the graduate is thereafter called snātaka, 'one who has bathed'.
The teacher's final address is given here — the passage from the Taittirīya Upaniṣad that ends 'speak the truth, practise dharma', and instructs the student to imitate only the blameless conduct of his teachers and to judge for himself in doubt.
The student sets down the marks of studentship, receives new clothes and ornaments, and is now qualified to marry and to enter the householder stage.
Where it stands today
The direct ancestor of the convocation ceremony; the Taittirīya address is still recited at graduations in traditional institutions.
The sixteen Saṃskāras
From before conception to the final fire: the sixteen refinements that mark a human life, what each one actual…
Garbhādhāna
Garbhādhāna — the first saṃskāra, performed before conception. The conscious invitation of a life, rather than…
Puṁsavana
Puṁsavana — the second saṃskāra, performed third or fourth month of pregnancy. Protection and healthy developm…
Sīmantonnayana
Sīmantonnayana — the third saṃskāra, performed sixth to eighth month. The mother's wellbeing, and the child's …
Jātakarma
Jātakarma — the fourth saṃskāra, performed at birth, before the umbilical cord is cut. Welcoming the child, an…
Nāmakaraṇa
Nāmakaraṇa — the fifth saṃskāra, performed eleventh or twelfth day after birth. The giving of the name — an id…
Last revised 2026-08-16. Corrections are welcome — see how this site is written.