i hold thy hand

गृह्णामि त्वाम् सौभगत्वाय हस्तं
मया पत्या जरदष्ठिर् यथासः।
भगो अर्यमा सविता पुरन्दिर्
मह्यम् त्वादुर् गार्हपत्याय देवाः।
ऋग्वेदं १०-८५-३६  अथर्वणवेदं १४-१-५०
gṛhṇāmi tvām saubhagatvāya hastaṁ
mayā patyā jaradaṣṭhir yathāsaḥ|
bhago aryamā savitā purandir
mahyam tvādur gārhapatyāya devāḥ|
ṛgvedaṁ 10-85-36  atharvaṇavedaṁ 14-1-50

gruhnami twaam saubhagatvaaya hastham
mayaa patyaa jaradhashtir yadasah
bhago aryamaa savitaa purandir
mahyam twaadur gaarhpatyaaya devaah

I take your hand in mine for good fortune with the prayer that you also will grow  old along with me, your husband.
Deities bhaga, aryamaaa savitha and purandhi have given you to me to be the mistress of my house.
This paanigrahana mantram has united couples of India for thousand of years.  The word garhapathyam implies that the good wife becomes the real leading spirit of the household taking the husband to her protection and affection. There is another aaseervadahmanthram in vedas, दशास्याम् पुत्राणम् अन्ते पतिमेकादशम् कृधि daśāsyām putrāṇam ante patimekādaśam kṛdhi, you beget ten sons and make your husband the eleventh son..  the position given to woman as a wife in our cuture was indeed very exalted

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