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සප්තපදී මන්ත්ර

Saptapadi Mantra (Seven Steps / Seven Vows) in Sinhala · සිංහල

🕉️ hindu·📿 1× repetitions·🕐 During the wedding ceremony, immediately after Panigrahana and the Mangalya Dharana·📜 Hindu Vivaha Samskara — Grihya Sutra ritual; Saptapadi rite performed before Agni

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हिन्दी / देवनागरी తెలుగు தமிழ்ಕನ್ನಡ മലയാളം ગુજરાતી বাংলা ଓଡ଼ିଆ ਪੰਜਾਬੀ Englishසිංහල𑌗𑍍𑌰𑌨𑍍𑌥

Origin & Story

Hindu Vivaha Samskara — Grihya Sutra ritual; Saptapadi rite performed before Agni · Traditional (Vedic Grihya ritual liturgy) · Vedic / Classical (ancient ritual tradition)

In the Grihya (domestic) ritual tradition, the marriage sacrament culminates in the Saptapadi, performed before Agni, the fire-witness of all sacred acts. The bride and groom, garments tied together, take seven steps; with each, a blessing is invoked in the name of Vishnu — for food, strength, vows, happiness, progeny, the seasons, and the sacrificial fires. The closing verses turn the union into a covenant of eternal friendship. So central is this rite that classical Hindu jurisprudence holds the marriage to be complete and irrevocable only when the seventh step has been taken.

✦ As told in scripture

It is traditionally held that a marriage solemnised by the Saptapadi before Agni cannot be undone, for the seven steps bind two souls under the witness of the eternal fire and the protection of Vishnu — a bond believed to endure across this life and beyond.

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Complete Text with Meaning

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Verse 1

ඕං ඒකමිෂේ විෂ්ණුස්ත්වාන්වේතු. ඕං ද්වේ ඌර්ජේ විෂ්ණුස්ත්වාන්වේතු. ඕං ත්රීණි ව්රතාය විෂ්ණුස්ත්වාන්වේතු. ඕං චත්වාරි මායෝභවාය විෂ්ණුස්ත්වාන්වේතු. ඕං පඤ්ච පශුභ්යෝ විෂ්ණුස්ත්වාන්වේතු. ඕං ෂඩ් ඍතුභ්යෝ විෂ්ණුස්ත්වාන්වේතු. ඕං සප්ත සප්තභ්යෝ හෝත්රාභ්යෝ විෂ්ණුස්ත්වාන්වේතු.

Oṁ ekam iṣe viṣṇus tvānvetu। Oṁ dve ūrje viṣṇus tvānvetu। Oṁ trīṇi vratāya viṣṇus tvānvetu। Oṁ catvāri māyobhavāya viṣṇus tvānvetu। Oṁ pañca paśubhyo viṣṇus tvānvetu। Oṁ ṣaḍ ṛtubhyo viṣṇus tvānvetu। Oṁ sapta saptabhyo hotrābhyo viṣṇus tvānvetu।

Meaning:(As we take the first step) may Vishnu follow you for nourishment; the second, for strength; the third, for the keeping of sacred vows; the fourth, for happiness; the fifth, for progeny and prosperity; the sixth, for harmony with the seasons; the seventh, for lifelong devotion and the sacred fires. Having taken these seven steps with me, become my companion; by these seven steps we have become friends. May I gain your friendship; may I never be separated from your friendship, and may you never be separated from mine.

Verse 2

සඛා සප්තපදී භව. සඛායෞ සප්තපදී බභූව. සඛ්යං තේ ගමේයම්. සඛ්යාත් තේ මා යෝෂම්. සඛ්යාන්මේ මා යෝෂ්ඨාඃ..

Sakhā saptapadī bhava। Sakhāyau saptapadī babhūva। Sakhyaṁ te gameyam। Sakhyāt te mā yoṣam। Sakhyān me mā yoṣṭhāḥ॥

Word-by-Word Meaning

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ඒකම් ඉෂේ🔊ekam iṣefirst step — for nourishment (food / sustenance)

ද්වේ ඌර්ජේ🔊dve ūrjesecond step — for strength and vigour

ත්රීණි ව්රතාය🔊trīṇi vratāyathird step — for the keeping of vows / righteous resolves

චත්වාරි මායෝභවාය🔊catvāri māyobhavāyafourth step — for happiness and well-being

පඤ්ච පශුභ්යඃ🔊pañca paśubhyaḥfifth step — for progeny, cattle and prosperity

ෂඩ් ඍතුභ්යඃ🔊ṣaḍ ṛtubhyaḥsixth step — for harmony with the seasons (a life in tune with nature)

සප්ත සප්තභ්යෝ හෝත්රාභ්යඃ🔊sapta saptabhyo hotrābhyaḥseventh step — for the sevenfold sacrifices / lifelong friendship and devotion

විෂ්ණුඃ ත්වා අන්වේතු🔊viṣṇuḥ tvā anvetumay Lord Vishnu follow (accompany and protect) you

සඛා සප්තපදී භව🔊sakhā saptapadī bhavahaving walked seven steps with me, become my friend (companion)

සඛායෞ සප්තපදී බභූව🔊sakhāyau saptapadī babhūvaby these seven steps we two have become friends

සඛ්යං තේ ගමේයම්🔊sakhyaṁ te gameyammay I attain (and keep) your friendship

සඛ්යාත් තේ මා යෝෂම්🔊sakhyāt te mā yoṣammay I never be parted from your friendship

සඛ්යාන් මේ මා යෝෂ්ඨාඃ🔊sakhyān me mā yoṣṭhāḥmay you never be parted from my friendship

Benefits of Chanting Saptapadi Mantra (Seven Steps / Seven Vows)

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Completes and seals the Hindu marriage as a sacred, lifelong bond

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Invokes seven distinct blessings — nourishment, strength, vows, joy, progeny, seasonal harmony and companionship

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Calls upon Lord Vishnu to accompany and protect the couple at every step of life

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Transforms the relationship into a vow of equal, eternal friendship (sakhya)

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Establishes the foundation of dharma, mutual devotion and shared duty in grihastha (married life)

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Recited before Agni, the divine witness, making the union spiritually binding

How to Chant Saptapadi Mantra (Seven Steps / Seven Vows)

Repetitions1times

Best TimeDuring the wedding ceremony, immediately after Panigrahana and the Mangalya Dharana

Saptapadi is performed once, as part of the wedding rite, under the guidance of the priest. The couple's garments are knotted together; the bride places her foot on each of seven small heaps (often of rice) or takes seven steps northward beside the sacred fire, the groom leading. As each step is taken, the corresponding line ('Om ekam ishe Vishnus tvanvetu...') is recited, invoking the blessing of that step. After the seventh step, the friendship verses ('Sakha saptapadi bhava...') are spoken, completing the marriage. Couples may recite the friendship vow again on anniversaries to renew their bond.

Frequently Asked Questions

This page shows the complete Saptapadi Mantra (Seven Steps / Seven Vows) written in the Sinhala script — the same Sanskrit/Hindi verses, transliterated character-by-character so you can read and chant comfortably. Tap any line (or the ▶ button) to hear it recited aloud.

Yes — only the script changes; the words and their meaning are the original. The verse-by-verse meaning, benefits and how-to-chant guidance on this page apply exactly the same.

Saptapadi, the 'seven steps', is the rite in which the bride and groom walk seven steps together by the sacred fire, each step carrying a specific blessing. In Hindu tradition and law it is the decisive moment of the wedding — the marriage is considered legally and spiritually complete only after the seventh step is taken.

The seven steps invoke, respectively: nourishment (ishe), strength (urje), the keeping of vows (vrataya), happiness (mayobhavaya), progeny and prosperity (pashubhyah), harmony with the seasons (ritubhyah), and lifelong devotion through the sacred fires (saptabhyo hotrabhyah) — with the prayer 'may Vishnu accompany you' at each step.

It means 'having taken seven steps with me, become my friend (companion).' After the seven steps, the partners vow eternal friendship — 'by these seven steps we have become friends; may I never be parted from your friendship, and may you never be parted from mine' — beautifully framing marriage as a union of equal, lifelong friends.

Lord Vishnu, the preserver and sustainer of life and dharma, is asked to 'follow' (accompany and protect) the couple at every step, ensuring that the blessings of food, strength, righteousness, joy and progeny are upheld throughout their married life.