The samashrayana (Sanskrit: समाश्रयणम्, romanized: Samāśrayaṇam) or the panchasamskara (Sanskrit: पञ्चसंस्कार, romanized: Pañcasaṃskāra)[1] is a Hindu sacrament generally associated with the Sri Vaishnava tradition.
[2] It consists of five rites of initiation performed by a shishya (disciple) to be formally initiated into the tradition by an acharya (preceptor).
[3] Samāśrayaṇam is Sanskrit for, "taking refuge with God".
[4] The samashryana consists of the five rites according to Sri Vaishnava tradition:[5][6]