“promise”, is the ideological impression or commitment that someone makes to us, and the commitment we make to someone in return for prosperity. It becomes more special when it comes from our loving one. Marriage is not social acceptance letter of living under a single roof, it is also not about physical attachments or physical needs they are just a part of it. It is also not about you need your own children then you have to marry someone or you feel lonely, so you should marry. The only thing what marriage is about keeping your promises and commitments which you make or which you are going to make to your partner to lead a happy and good life.
Here I wish to mention the marriage oaths based on some of the religions.
7 Oaths (Sath phere) of Hindu marriage:
{First phera / first vow} – Pray to the Gods for pure and nourishing food and prosperity.
The Groom says
My beloved, our bond strengthens by your walking one step with me. You will offer me food and be helpful at all times. I will embrace you and provide for our welfare and happiness and also that of our children.
The Bride says
I humbly comply to you, my lord. kindly bestow upon me the responsibility of the household, food, and finance. I promise you that I shall carry out all responsibilities towards the welfare of the family and the children.”
{Second phera / second vow} – The couple appeals to the gods to give them the mental, physical and spiritual strength to lead a healthy life.
The Groom says
My beloved, now you have walked the second step with me. Fill me up with strength and courage so that together we can protect the household and the children.
The Bride says
My lord, in your sorrows, I shall fill your heart with courage and strength. In your joys, I shall rejoice. I promise you that I will please you at all times with sweet words and take care of the family and the children and you, in turn, shall love none other but me as your wife.
{Third phera / third vow} – Pray for the preservation of wealth and prosperity in life.
The Groom says
My beloved, now you have walked three steps with me. With your presence in my life, our wealth and prosperity are going to grow. We will educate our children and may they live long.
The Bride says
My lord, I will love you with single minded devotion as my husband. This is my commitment to you.
{Fourth phera / fourth vow} – The couple invokes the gods for joy and peace by mutual love and trust in all walks of life.
The Groom says
My beloved, it is a blessing that you have walked four steps with me. Your presence in my life has made it sacred and auspicious. May we be blessed with obedient and noble children and may they live long.
The Bride says
My lord, I will enrich myself from head to toe with sandalwood paste and fragrance for you. I will serve you and please you in every possible way that I can.
{Fifth round / fifth vow} – The couple appeals to the lords for the welfare of all living beings in this world and wishes for virtuous, noble and heroic children.
The Groom says
My beloved, now that you have walked five steps with me, you have adorned my life. May God bless you and may our loved ones live long and share in our prosperity.
The Bride says
My lord, I will share your happiness and grief. With your love in my life, I will trust and honor you. I will fulfill all your wishes.
{Sixth round / sixth vow} – The couple asks the gods to give them a blissful life together.
The Groom says
My beloved, you have filled my heart with happiness walking six steps with me. May you fill my heart with joy and peace at all times.
The Bride says
My lord, in all righteous acts, in material prosperity, and in the enjoyment of acts approved by the divine, I promise I will stand by you.
{ Seventh phera / seventh vow } – The couple prays for mutual understanding, loyalty and companionship.
The Groom says
My beloved, as you have walked the seven steps with me, our love and friendship are now eternal. We have attained a spiritual union blessed by god. Now you are one with me and I offer my life to you. Our marriage will be forever.
The Bride says
My lord, as per the laws of God and the sanctity of the Holy Scriptures, I am your wife now. Whatever promises we made, were made with a pure mind. We will be truthful to each other in all matters and we will love each other forever.
Oaths of Muslim Marriage:
Marriage in Islam is viewed as a religious obligation, a contract between the couple and Allah.
Vows and Blessings
The officiant may add an additional religious ceremony following the nikah, which usually includes a recitation of the Fatihah — the first chapter of the Quran — and durud (blessings). Most Muslim couples do not recite vows; rather, they listen as their officiant speaks about the meaning of marriage and their responsibilities to each other and to Allah.
Addressing the Bride:
(Bride name), you have known (Groom name) to be a believer and worshipper of God alone and you are entering this marriage to him with trust in him to be your husband and by your own free will?
Ans: Yes.
The dowry payable by (Groom name) to you has been mutually agreed upon and you are satisfied with it and the terms of execution?
Ans: Yes.
(Bride name), you are aware of the many verses God has taught us about marriage in His scripture. On that basis, you will know that marriage is a divine institution and you must, therefore, show your appreciation to God and sincerely work the marriage to the best of your ability. You must respect your husband, stand by him at all times, be patient, steadfast and understanding, and enjoin him to be righteous and steadfast in the worship of God alone. Shall we consider this to be a solemn pledge from you to sincerely do this the best you can with God’s support and guidance?
Ans: Yes, I pledge to do this God willing.
And with this (Bride name), I ask you: With God as your witness, do you take (Groom name) to be your husband (in sickness and in health, in good times or bad, and in joy as well as in sorrow)?
Ans: I do.
Addressing the Groom:
(Groom name), you have known (Bride name) to be a believer and worshipper of God alone and you are entering this marriage to her with trust in her to be your wife and by your own free will?
Ans: Yes.
The dowry payable by you to (Bride name) has been mutually agreed upon and you are executing the same as per the agreement between yourselves?
Ans: Yes.
(Groom name), you are aware of the many verses God has taught us about marriage in His scripture. On that basis, you will know that marriage is a divine institution and you must, therefore, show your appreciation to God and sincerely work the marriage to the best of your ability. You must respect your wife, stand by her at all times, be patient, steadfast and understanding, and enjoin her to be righteous and steadfast in the worship of God alone. Shall we consider this to be a solemn pledge from you to sincerely do this the best you can with God’s support and guidance?
Ans: Yes, I pledge to do this God willing.
And with this (Groom name), I ask you: With God as your witness, do you take (Bride name) to be your wife (in sickness and in health, in good times or bad, and in joy as well as in sorrow)?
Ans: I do.
(Groom name & Bride name), God willing in a short while after today, you both will sign a document that weds you both legally as per the human law of the land.* But this ceremony here today is a marriage between you two submitters in the presence of other submitters with God as the Divine Witness. He is the Knower of everything and innermost intentions of you both. Therefore, a verbal pledge here today between you both will make you husband and wife, to rightfully belong to each other with permission from God to live intimately in one home together. You are aware of this?
Ans: Yes, we are aware of this and we pledge to love and care for each other, support and be faithful to each other, God willing, as long as we live.
(* This will vary depending on the situation – when the couple signs a document that gives it legal recognition/registration in that country etc.)
I now ask both of you to exchange rings with each other as a symbolic gesture of love and bonding between you both forever. (Exchange Rings)
Bride says: In the name of God, Most Gracious, Most Merciful, I give this ring to you (Groom name) as a symbol of my love and commitment to be your faithful wife for as long as I live. May God guide me in my obligations to be your wife.
Groom says: In the name of God, Most Gracious, Most Merciful, I give this ring to you (Bride name) as a symbol of my love and commitment to be your faithful husband for as long as I live. May God guide me in my obligations to be your husband.
Christian Wedding Vows
During the vows, the two individuals make a promise to one another publicly, before God and the witnesses present, to do everything within their power to help each other grow to become what God has created them to be, despite all adversities, as long as they both live.
It is a sacred vow, expressing the entrance into a covenant relationship.
Couples often choose to write their own wedding vows. Keep in mind, the vows for the Bride and Groom do not have to be identical.
I take you ___, to be my (husband/wife), loving you now and as you grow and develop into all that God intends.
I will love you when we are together and when we are apart; when our lives are at peace and when they are in turmoil; when I am proud of you and when I am disappointed in you; in times of rest and in times of work. I will honor your goals and dreams and help you to fulfill them. From the depth of my being, I will seek to be open and honest with you. I say these things believing that God is in the midst of them all.
That was the marriage oaths as per some of the religions.
If marriage has to signify in a couple of words then it will all about keeping your promises, taking care of each other & giving respect to each other to lead a happy life. In every religion of the world, represents these words in a different manner but after summarizing them they all are same. Marriage not only the base block of a good relationship; it also acts as a base of a good society.
Marriage not only the base block of a good relationship; it also acts as a base of a good society.
If we all give respect to each other, try to keep our promises then it’s obvious that the picture of today’s Indian society will definitely change.
I personally believe that society doesn’t feed us, we feed our society. We are the creator of our society. Many times we found people in our surroundings talking, blaming about the dark sides of our society and our surroundings. If we need to change our surroundings then first we have to change ourselves, our views.
All the evil characters are written in myths and stories are actually not completely irrelevant. Their presence of evil signifies the value of the goodness.
In many religious books, it is also stated that all the evil and good qualities both belong to us. We need to kill the evilness of our mind and identify the goodness and spread that goodness in our surroundings which also lives inside of everyone’s mind.
Change is a slow but steady process. If we all bring positivity in ourselves and kill the destructiveness among us than harassment, rape, injustice, torture, crime etc. will run away from us and our surroundings.
That will make a change!!!!!
Thank You for reading the article.
Sources: Hindu Mythology, Religious Books & Internet
[This is not a religious post. This post is not written intentionally to hurt or to point any person or any religion.]
Raktim Chakraborty 