"Samavartana" is a ceremony of Hindu families, which is celebrated, when the student comes back to his parental home from `Gurukul` after completing the discipline of `Brahmacharya` and the study of `Vedas` with their limbs and sub-limbs. By that time, he is supposed to have attained good knowledge with the learning of physical sciences. He is now eligible for entering into household life after doing a rightful marriage according to the scriptural dictates and authorities.

The "Samavartana" marks the end of student life and the start of a new journey of life. It is also called as `Snana` since bathing forms the most important part of the `samskara`. Some anthropologists say that bathing is done to wash away his divinity from the student, which he maintained during his `Brahmacharya` period in `Gurukul`. It is thought that if he does not wash off the divinity before returning to the ordinary world, he will pollute the divine attributes and will invite divine displeasure. Even the early Indian writers regarded Brahmacharya as a long sacrifice. So he takes the sacrificial bath at the end. According to Sanskrit literature, who has possessed great learnings is supposed to have crossed Great Ocean. So, the student completing his course of studies is compared to have crossed that ocean of knowledge. He is called as `Vidyasnataka` i, e, one who has bathed in learning and `Vratasnataka` i, e, one who has bathed in vows.

The student whose "Samavartana" is being conducted gives water to the Acharya, King, uncle, maternal uncle for washing feet first and then for washing mouth and then for sipping. Then, nice seat is given to sit and then offered honey mixed curd or the ghee mixed curd in a clean pot. This is called `Madhuparka`. There are three categories of students or `snatkas`- Vidyasnataka, Vratasnataka and Vidyavratasnataka. One, who takes bath of "Samavartana" after completing his education and the discipline of Brahmacharaya vows for 48 years, is fully eligible for his ceremony.

A student from a well to do family or from learned parents, offers a good seat to his Acharya and garlands him and gives him the gift of a cow, a dress as per his status, money etc. It is thought that the Brahmachari, who has gone by the disciplines of strict celibacy by controlling his semen and acted against the desires, attains the position of a good `Varna` and shines in the earth.

The time of "Samavartana" depends on the categories of Brahmacharya. On the day of the ceremony, the "Yajnakunda` is set up at the house of the Acharya as per the `Samanya prakarana`. The `Sthalipaka`, which is required for the ceremony is prepared earlier and also the ghee and pots etc should be kept ready near `Yajnashala`. Now, all the persons concerned with the `Yajna` take their respective seats on four sides of the `Kunda` and perform prayers of God. Then, the process of Agnyadhana and samidhadana continues with the sprinkling of water on the four sides of the `Kunda` as described in the `Samanya prakarana`.

The "Samavartana" ceremony continues with the Acharya taking his seat in the west and keeping his face eastward. Then he offers four Agharavajyabhagahuti, four Vyahriti Ahutis, four Svistakrit, one Prajapatyal and eight Ajahutis. The Brahmachari then piles together the fire of the `Kunda` along with the prescribed mantra. Then he offers three sticks in the fire of the `Kunda` along with a mantra and touches his mouth, limbs as prescribed in `Vedarambha`. He heats his hand-palm on the fire of `Yajna` and sprinkles a little water on it. In the next step of "Samavartana" ceremony, he takes one jug from the eight jugs earlier placed there in the north side of the Vedi of perfumes and herbaceous substances. The Brahmachari takes water from it and chants this mantra, "I renounce here the eight kinds of fire present in the waters including which is concealed, which heats the body, which destroys the strength, which reduces the power of mind, which spoils the body and which kills the organs and accept only that fire which is auspicious and destroyer of the diseases.

The brahmachari then takes bath with this water while pronouncing the following mantra, "I take bath with this water for the sake of beauty, spread of Vedic knowledge and propagation of Vedic rites and rituals." After this, the Brahmachari pronouncing the mantra takes water into another pot from the second jug of the eight jugs. Now, he takes bath chanting the following mantra, "May I attain by the grace of God that fame of the Ashvinis, the surgeon and whereby they increase pleasure of the organs, whereby they keep moistened the eyes always."

Afterwards, the Brahmachari first chants the mantra and takes water from three jugs and takes bathe pronouncing the prescribed mantras. Then he takes other three remaining jugs and takes bath remembering the previous three mantras. The Brahmachari now hands over his girdle and stick with the chanting of the prescribed mantras. Now, he meditates God standing before the sun while chanting this mantra, "O God! Thou art shining like Sun pervading with light everywhere, Thou art firm in thy powers followed by the various sharp sightedness in the morning. Thou art pervading in ten directions. Make me able to serve the mankind abiding in ten corners of the world. Thou give me power to attain three as thou know best my all the acts."

Curd and Sesame is then given to the `Snatak Bramachari` to eat. Then his hair of head, mouth is removed, nails are cut and he brushes his teeth with the dantdhavana of Ficus Glomerata with the pronouncing of the mantra, "O men! Brush and wash your teeth to take grain and preparations of cereal. This you know purifies and washes my prosperity in the society." The Brahmachari then smears perfumes on his body and bathes with clean water and wears a `dhoti` or a yellow cloth. Now, touching the holes of his eyes, mouth and nose, he chants, "O Almighty God! Make my prana and apana full of vitality, make my eyes full of sight, make my ears full of audibility." Then, the Brahmachari takes a little water in his hand and moves left side while keeping the face southward pronounces, "Let the Pitarah, the preserving or protecting powers of the nature be firm, and pure." Now, he moves right again and recites, "O God! May I be normal and good eye-sighted with my eyes, may I be handsome with my mouth and may I be a man of normal and good audibility with my ears." Then, he wears a nice and costly cloth chanting the prescribed mantra. He then takes a flower garland in his hand and pronounces this mantra, "I with fame and prosperity accept the garland made of those flowers which the man vowed to perform `Yajna`, bring for the sake of expressing faith, attaining mental pleasure fulfilling desire and gaining pleasure for limbs-by garlanding a great one."

As per the next step of "Samavartana" ceremony, the Brahmachari wears the garland while chanting this mantra, "Whatever great fame a King earns by using these flowers amongst his workers with that fame I tie to my neck this garland which is artistically prepared." Then he wears a turban, sheet and cap or taking crown in his hand pronounces the mantra given in "Upanayana" and puts it on his head. Then, he takes an ornament in his hand and wears it with this mantra, "This is an ornament and let it become the article of ornamentation." He applies ointment in the eyes with the prnouncation of this mantra, "O God! Thou art the illuminator of the black eye. Thus art the giver of eyes so please give me normally fit eyes." He then looks in mirror and chants, "This glass is transparent and beautiful."

Again, taking the umbrella, he pronounces, "This Umbrella is the cover of the King and learned, let it conceal me as ever from sins, and let it not conceal me from the fame." He then puts on the shoes along with this mantra, "These shoes save one from thorn etc, and let hem serve me in this matter." He will now take a smooth bamboo stick with this mantra, "Let this stick protect me from all the wicked."

As the Brahmachari comes back home during "Samavartana" ceremony, the parents and the relatives of him accept him with great pleasure and affection. The parents and the Brahmachari entertain the Acharya and the other participants of the "Samavartana" ceremony with good food and drinks while making them to seat properly.

Now they will continue with the other procedure of "Samavartana" ceremony, which includes `Madhupark`, offering good garland, gift of clothes and cow to the Acharya if their financial condition permits. Now, all the relatives and the parents of the Brahmachari praise the Acharya for his good nature and express their gratefulness for the knowledge he passed on the student. The Brahmachari now addresses the people in the following way- "Here you gentle men! This honourable Acharya has done a great good to me. Has saved me from brutality and has made me a celebrated scholar, I cannot compensate to him for whatever he has done for me, for this I only offer many thanks to my Acharya and with great respect salute him. I further pray him to make other students successful and accomplished as he had made me by imparting good education and instruction, as you have blessed me with imparting good education, I, in the same manner would make accomplished and happy other students, O Acharya, I can never forget the good you have done for me. May Almighty Divinity, the Master of the universe showing mercy on me, the other students and the whole world make all the men cultured, learned and blessed with the physical and spiritual strength and make all long-live, healthy, industrious and courageous in discharging the duties and fulfilling the task of philanthropy the act of good quality, So that all of us in the creation of God moulding our own qualities, acts and nature in correspondence to the quality, action and nature of God and accomplishing the fulfillment of Dhrama, Artha, Kama, and Moksha abide in pleasure an happiness for always.

Now days, "Samavartana" ceremony have been simplified a lot. It is performed either with the "Upanayana" or during the "vivaha" in hurry and that too without proper Vedic mantras.