Exchange of Rings
The groom places the ring on the Bride’s finger. The Bride then places a ring on the Groom’s ring finger
They both say:
Please accept this ring as a mark of my undying love.
With this ring, I give you my companionship and love1
- The exchange of rings has become a tradition of every wedding. It captures the sentiments of the pradakshina (circumambulation of the fire) in this exchange of the rings.
One important aspect of the ring is the (recommended) yantras that are supposed to be designed unto it.
a. The circle is a part of sacred geometry. The ring’s open circle symbolizes wholeness, completion, stillness within motion, and a unifying order of cycles that repeat in time.
b. Circles are a pure distillation of both the shapes of the planets and their cyclical course through the sky. The circle has always been used to represent the sun – as well as the path of the planets going around the sun.
c. The circle of the ring also represents clarity, awareness, completion with renewal, and the integrated self.
d. The ring represents the all-encompassing and all-embracing qualities of God, the all-encompassing quality of nature, and the endless compassion and love of God. May all of these be reflected upon the life of the married couple.
e. The ring is circular—“without beginning; without end.” So be the love of the bride and groom for each other.
f. The precious metal of the ring symbolizes that there is extrinsic and intrinsic value to the vows exchanged by the couple. They both make physical adjustments to their lifestyles and make mental and spiritual changes. They now live together, pray together, and share a common course of life.
g. The ring is placed on the fourth finger. Our ancient civilization, through Ayurveda, believed that the blood vessels of this finger are directly connected to the heart. Thus, this is the vein of love, and by wearing rings, the couple symbolically declares their eternal love for each other (modern medicine has disproved this belief, but the tradition continues). Western civilizations place rings on the fourth finger of their left hand. In India, Germany, and Chile, the ring is worn on the fourth finger of the right hand – the left hand is related to the ‘negative hand’ or the hand with lesser dexterity. Whatever hand is comfortable and practical (work, hygiene etc) for each is ideal.
h. The designs on the face of the ring are supposed to represent the intrinsic designs of the yantras.
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