Why are there 7 pheras ? Is there a significance?

Originally posted by: TheAphrodite

Hello Everybody ,

I have a question whyare there 7 pheras ? Is there any significance , I was thinking along the lines of 7 janam - 7 pheras ?

Originally posted by: TheAphrodite

Hello Everybody ,

I have a question whyare there 7 pheras ? Is there any significance , I was thinking along the lines of 7 janam - 7 pheras ?

Originally posted by: varaali

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Pheras - or - circumambulation of the agni - is a phenomenon that developed much later in the northern regions of India. The southern cultures do not have this- we have only the saptapadi - or seven steps. No seven times revolution around the fire.

So how did thissaptapadi / saat pheras evolve -?

If we refer to the earliest grahya sutras available, there are a lot more than just seven vows/ promises etc etc. In the 10th mandala of the Rig Veda, where the marriage b/w soma and a girl called Surya we find many more promises /oaths . (Oath / promise is actually a very loose English replacement )

Initiallya married person was calledshapta-padi.- Which refers to a - A man / woman who walks (and hence,lives) bound by an oath. He / she is oath- bound to his / her partner for life.

In course of time the shapta (promise) got corrupted to sapta (seven) and to give sanctity to this word "seven", seven phrases came into prominence. The actual list is much more

Now- days-of course rituals vary from custom to custom and in the traditions of Northern India the sapta-padi got modified into seven pheras