Vaidic Samskaras for Vaishnavas & Vaishnavis is that part of the sastra which needs to be followed by devotees of Krishna.

The usual samskara manuals are
compiled by those who are interested in karma (accumulating material
fruits), and prescribe worship of the devatas and pitrs for material
prosperity. Srila Gopal Bhatta Goswami has compiled Sat Kriya Sara
Dipika as a vaidic samskara manual for the Vaisnava. Recognising that
most of the Vaisnavas are grhasthas, and that they should perform the
samskaras, he has given a procedure that is not contradictory or
offensive to the Vaisnava ideals.

The first half of his manual
is an argument for the worship of Visnu to the exclusion of devatas,
with ample scriptural evidence. Accordingly, in his practical procedure
for samskaras, he substitutes worship of Visnu and his associates for
worship of Ganesa, the material saktis, and planetary deities. Whereas
worship of devatas (who are mixed devotees), brings only material
auspiciousness, worship of Visnu and his associates (who are pure
devotees), brings spiritual deliverance.

Gopal Bhatta Goswami cites the alternative for the Vaisnava according to the Padma Purana:

ananya sarano bhakto nama mantresu diksitah
kada cin narcayed devan ganesadims tu vaisnavah
yatra yatra surah pujya ganesadyas tu karminam
visvaksenam sa sanakam sanatana matah param
sananda sanat kumara pancaitan pujayet tatah

"The
devotee interested in pure devotion to the Lord, and initiated with
Vaisnava mantra should never worship Ganesa and other devatas. Wherever
the karmis prescribe worship of Ganesa and the devatas, the Vaisnava
should worship the pure devotees of Visnu. Thus instead of worshipping
Ganesa to remove material obstacles, the devotee should worship
visvaksena and the four Kumara brothers to remove obstacles on the
spiritual path.
Padma Purana, cited in Sat Kriya Sar Dipika


In
the same way, instead of worshipping the nine planetary deities one
should worship the nine yogendras, and instead of worshipping the dik
palas (protectors of the directions) one should worship the maha
bhagavatas. Instead of worshipping the matr gana (sixteen expansions of
Durga, in charge of material energy) one should worship the Lord4s
consorts who are the shelter of spiritual energies.

Srila
Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakur has accepted Sat Kriya Sara Dipika as
the authorised Vaisnava manual for samskaras, just as he has accepted
Hari Bhakti Vilasa as the authorised scripture for arcana, and has
recommended that all Vaisnava grhasthas should follow its procedures.

Furthermore,
in all cases the performance of yajna or other ceremonies must always
be accompanied by the chanting of the Holy Names of the Lord.

mantratas tantratas chidram
desa kalarha vastutah
sarvam karoti nischidram
anausankirtanam tava

"There
may be discrepancies in pronouncing the mantras and observing the
regulative principles and more over, there may be discrepancies in
regard to time place, person and paraphernalia. But when Your
Lordship4s holy name is chanted, everything becomes faultless."
SB 8.23.16

yadyapi anya bhaktih kalau kartavya, tada kirtanakhya bhakti samyogenaiva.

"The other eight processes should be executed, but they must be preceded and followed by kirtana, the chanting of the holy name.
C.c. Madhya v. 6 p. 53
from Bhakti Sandarbha, Jiva Goswami


Elements of The Vaidic Samskara:

Following are the main elements of a samskara:

acama
svasti vacana, managala acarana: prayers for auspiciousness
sankalpa: vow
ghata sthapana: establishing ghata for worship
Visnu puja: in the ghata
adhivasa: presenting auspicious articles (usually performed the preceding night to the ceremony)
sattvika vrddhi sraddha: Visnu, maha bhagavata and sakti puja, cediraja puja (vasudhara) and worship of guru
parampara by offering Visnu prasadam (usually performed on the morning of the ceremony)

*samskara rites: activities of the specific samskara

kusandika: preparing the kunda and fire
*ahuti: offering oblations different for each samskara
udicya karma: concluding rites
accidra vacana: pardon for offence
dana: gifts to the Vaisnavas and feast

The
elements which differ with each samskara are starred (*). The other
elements are the common elements. These are written out only once at
the beginning but should be performed for all the samskaras at the
appropriate time.

These elements are present in a major
samskara. Usually the wedding is the major samskara, lasting several
days, even in a poor family, and thus adhivasa and elaborate worship
are usually reserved for this samskara. There is, however, no
restriction on the elaborate execution of any Vedic samskara, as the
purpose is to invoke auspiciousness.

The standards of
cleanliness and purity of mind for the samskaras is the same as for
Deity worship. As the first activities (acamana, svasti vacana,
sankalpa, ghatana sthapana, avahana, puja) are parts of Deity worship,
one should consult the puja manual for more details.

Samskara Dipika:

(Introductory Note)

Srila
Gopal Bhatta Goswami has written the Sat Kriya Sara Dipika as a manual
Vaisnava. Samskara Dipika he is presenting as a manual for the Vaisnava
who is about to renounce his home and enter the bhiksu asrama. Srila
Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakur states that since the time of Lord
Caitanya the devotees on the path of renunciation have been following
this manual.


All men have a right to enter the grhastha
asrama, but the three upper varnas (vaisya, ksatriya and brahmana) have
a right to the other three asramas (brahmacari, vanaprastha and
sannyasa). According the rules of varnasrama, for women, sudras and
dvija bandhus these asramas are forbidden. The sudra is a person
without samskara or purification, and his characteristics is
lamentation (sucana). Lamentation is due to ignorance, which is part of
his nature. How is it possible that such a person can become a
brahmacari, or take to any of the activities requiring higher spiritual
interest. This is the scriptural statement.

However, though the
Puranas place restrictions in this way, the knower of truth can
understand that this stricture applies to non Vaisnavas. The
restrictions apply to a person born in a sudra family who is not a
Vaisnava, and does not apply to a person who, though born in a sudra
family, happens by the grace of the Lord to take to the path of pure
devotion. If a person, through association, takes an the qualities of a
brahmana, he can no longer be considered a sudra. Thus it is stated in
scripture: na sudra bhagavad bhakta (the devotee of the Lord cannot be
considered a sudra). This is illustrated by the story of Satyakama
Jabala in the Upanisads. The samskaras given in the Sat Kriya Sara
Dipika are meant to raise a person to the level of sannyasi, a pure
devotee of the Lord. When any person, whether he be brahmana, ksatriya,
vaisya or sudra or less by family birth, attains actual qualification
for sannyasa through the practice of devotional service, he may take
the sannyasa asrama. But until that qualification appears, he should
remain a grhastha Vaisnava.

Vaisnavas are of two kinds, ordinary
and sampradayika (belonging to a bona fide sampradaya). The ordinary
(or tantrika) Vaisnavas are those who have not taken initiation from a
guru in a bona fide parampara system. Sampradayika (or vaidic)
Vaisnavas are those who have taken shelter of a bona fide guru
parampara. The sampradayika Vaisnavas are divided into two types,
householders and renunciates. Those who take panca samskara (five
samskaras) are qualified as Vaisnavas householders, whereas those who
take ten samskaras are qualified as sannyasis. Sannyasis are of two
types also: brahma sannyasis and Visnu sannyasis. The brahma sannyasis
take up the mayavada philosophy and take one among ten different names.
The Visnu sannyasis are those who follow the path of devotional service
to Visnu or Krsna.

A brahmana is respected as the very body of
the Lord because he practices sad dharma. However when he can give up
the material identification of position as a brahmana and practices sad
dharma, he is called a Vaisnava. Whereas the brahmana is the body of
the Lord, the Vaisnava is considered to be the very atma or soul of the
Lord. One who gives up the markings of varna becomes a sannyasi, and
when that sannyasi gives up the markings of asrama, he is an avadhuta
paramahamsa. He is most glorified of all, because of his unsurpassed
unalloyed devotion of Krsna.

yatha kancanatam yati kamasyam rasa vidhanatah
tatha diksa vidhanena dvijatvam jayate nrnam

As
bell metal may be turned into gold by the process of alchemy, a man (of
whatever varna or asrama) may achieve the status of dvija or twice born
by the process of pancaratrika diksa.

antyaja aci tad rastre sankha cakradi dharinah
samprapya vaisnavim diksam diksita iva sambabhuh

Thus,
if even an outcaste, by the process of bhakti, becomes qualified to the
point of taking initiation, he attains a position equal to the brahmana.

A
person is qualified as a brahmana by taking into consideration three
factors: tapasya (austerity), sruti (knowledge of the Vedas), and yoni
(birth in a brahmana family). A person with these three qualifications
may be considered as the guru for the four varnas. A person, upon
taking Vaisnava diksa, attains second birth, and when he attains a
taste for renouncing household life he becomes qualified for sannyasa.
And even if one is not born in a brahmana family, but has the nature of
a brahmana, he must be considered a brahmana in the highest sense, for
in Kali Yuga the qualification of yoni or birth in a brahmana family
does not apply. The main considerations for status as a brahmana are
therefore tapas and sruti. This is confirmed by Mahabharata,
Bhagavatam, Manu, Jabala Upanishad and Vraja Sucira Upanishad. One born
in a sudra family, if he attains pure devotion, is the dearest to the
Lord, whereas anyone among the varnas and asramas, if he does not
attain devotion to the Lord, is considered a sudra.

api cet suduracaro bhajate mam ananya bhak
sadhur eva sa mantavyah samyak vyavasito hi sah

(A person of the lowest conduct, who takes to my worship must be considered saintly. He is rightly situated.)

mam hi partha vyapasritya ye4pi syuh papa yonayahstriyo vaisyas tatha sudras te4pi yanti param gatim

(Even sinful persons, women, vaisyas and sudras, if they take shelter of me, go to the supreme abode.)

The example of this is Vidura, who, though considered a sudra by his birth, entered the avadhuta asrama.

aho bata svapaco4to gariyan ayj jihvagre vartate nama thubyam
tepus tapas te juhuvuh sasnur arya brahmanucur nama grnanti ye te

(The
outcaste who chants your name is most exhalted. He has performed all
austerities, all sacrifices, and studied all the Vedas.)

smartavyah satatam visnur vismartavyo na jatucit
sarve vidhi nisedhah syur etayor eva kinkarah

(The sum and substance of all rules an regulations is to always remember and never forget Visnu.)


Here
one should understand the intention of scripture. One may take the
external meaning (varnasrama) or the internal meaning (Krsna bhakti).
Those who are incapable of anything else must follow the external rules
of varnasrama including charity, vrata, homa, etc., and gradually they
attain the qualification for taking the internal meaning and following
the path of bhakti. At that time the necessity of following all the
external rules decreases. The essential purport of the scriptures is
that everyone should always remember Visnu and never forget him. One
who realises and follows this precept is the knower of all scripture.
He is truly qualified as brahmana, sannyasi or paramahamsa avadhuta.

Thus
principle of taking sannyasa may be stated as follows: taking diksa
according to the pancaratrika injunctions from a bona fide guru, a
person attains the status of dvija or twice born, and as a result of
practice, as a householder one attains detachment an qualification for
Visnu sannyasa and acyuta gotra. When one can give up the marks of the
sannyasa asrama one attains the status of paramahamsa. In the same way
that a qualified woman Vaisnava is allowed to worship the salagrama
sila, so a qualified woman Vaisnava may also take up two pieces of
cloth as a brahmacari or renunciate.

Examples of sannyasa in
Lord Caitanya4s sampradaya are Svarupa Damodara, who gave up his thread
and sikha and donned kaupin, thus attaining his natural position
(svarupa) as sannyasi: Madhavi Devi, a woman who took to the renounced
order; and Ragunatha das (kayastha class), who was given kaupina by
Nityananda Prabhu himself.

Sri Caitanya himself stated the principle of sannyasa when he quoted a verse from Srimad Bhagavatam after taking sannyasa.

etam samastyaya paratma nistham upasitam purvatair maharsanbhih
aham tarisyami duranta param tamo kumundanghri nisevayaiva

jnana nistho virakto va mad bhakto va4napeksakah
salinganasramams tyaktva cared avidhi gocarah

(I
take shelter of ideal method for concentrating on the Supreme Lord, the
sannyasa asrama, which has been respected as such by all the ancient
sages, and by which I can perfect service to the lotus feet of Sri
Krsna. In this way I shall cross over the ocean of material existence.

Whether
one is fixed in knowledge or devotion, one should come to the stage of
giving up all signs of asrama one should perform activities
transcendental to all rules.)

The word etam in the sloka refers
to the markings of external sannyasa, i.e., kaupina, cloth, etc. which
are characteristics of both the brahman and Visnu sannyasi. Udayana
Acarya has criticised Sankaracarya for giving up the sikha and thread
but taking on the markings of a sannyasi as a further designation.

When
the Vaisnava takes on the external signs of sannyasa one should
understand that this is for teaching the general populace the necessity
of renunciation in accordance to the scripture. The sum and substance
however is the worship of the Supreme Lord apart from all material
hankerings by any and all means either by adopting the markings of
asrama and/or giving up all material designation of varnasrama.

The
system of taking sannyasa is consistent with tradition and scriptural
injunctions. In the Ramanuja Sampradaya, first the place is prepared
and the candidate is shaved and dressed. Visnu homa is performed, the
previous acaryas are worshipped and the five Vaisnava samskaras are
enacted on the candidate. Then the vaidic samskaras are performed unto
and including upanayana (giving the gayatri). Having given the
particular mantras of the sampradaya, the person then performs worship
of the guru parampara and salagrama. Then the one who is qualified for
sannyasa is given the dress, bag, covering and mantra of the sannyasa
asrama.

In the Gaudiya sampradaya the system is similar. After
purifying the place (house or temple), Visnu homa and worship of the
acarya sampradaya should be performed using five articles of worship.
Then the qualified candidate may be given Vaisnava diksa. Or,
alternatively one may simply establish asanas and worship the acaryas
and Caitanya Mahaprabhu and his associates and then give diksa. Or, one
may simply worship the panca tattva with five upacaras and then give
diksa.