शास्त्रीय शिक्षण कॆन्द्र

Jatakarman

The Jatakarma ceremony was performed before the serving of the navel cord. This seems to have been the original time, but later writers state that if the time expired it was performed at the end of the ceremonial impurity of ten days. Or, if the birth took place during the impurity caused by a death in the family, the ceremony was postponed until its expiry. in later times the moment of birth was noted with meticulous care for preparing horoscope, as it was thought to be a determining factor in the life of the child. Then the good news was brought to the father. Different sentiments were expressed at the birth if boy and a girl, as different prospects were depending on them. The first born was liked to be a boy, as he freed the father from all ancestral debts. But for a sensible man a girl was not less meritorious, because hr gift in marriage brought merits to the father. After this, the father went to the mother in order to see the face of the son if he was not born in sinful star. Because by looking at the face of the newborn son the father is absolved from all debts and attains immortality. Having seen the face of child, he bathed with his clothes on, invited the elders and performed the Nandi-Šradha and Jatakarma ceremonies. Generally speaking, Šradha is an inauspicious ceremony. But the one performed here was an auspicious Šradha. It was meant for entertaining the father. Harita says, Merits arise from the happiness of the fathers at the birth of a son. Therefore, one should offer Šradha to them with pots full of sesame and gold, after having invited. . the Brahmanas. The Brahma-Puraņa also enjoins to perform the Nandi-Šradha at the birth of a son. जातंवात्सप्रॆणाभिमृश्य उत्तरॆण यजुषॊपस्थ आधाय उत्तराभ्यामभिमन्त्रणं मुर्धन्यवघ्राणं दक्षिणेकर्णॆजापः . Now the Jatakarma ceremonies proper commenced. The first ceremony was the Mĕdhajanana or production of intelligence. It was performed if the following way. The father with his fourth finger and an instrument of gold gave to the child honey and ghee or ghee alone. The formula employed was, Bhũr, Bhuvah, Svah, Bhũr Bhuvah Suvaha every think I put into thee: उत्तरया मातुरुपस्थ आधाय उत्तरया दक्षिणग्ग्ं स्तनं प्रतिधाप्य उत्तराभ्यां पृथिवीमभिमृश्य उत्तरॆण यजुषासंविष्टं . The Mĕdhajanana ceremony speaks of the high concern of the Hindus about the intellectual well-being of the child, which they thought their first business with it. The Vyahritis uttered on this occasion were symbolical of intelligence; they were recited with the great Gayatrimantra which contains prayers for stimulating talent. The substances, with which the child was fed, were also conducive to mental growth. According to Sušruta, the following are properties of ghee. It is producer of beauty: it is greasy and sweet: it is remover of hysteria, headache, epilepsy, fever indigestion, excess of bile: its increaser of digestion, memory, intellect, talent, luster, good sound, semen and life. The properties of honey and gold are equally favorable to the mental progress of the child. . According to the Gőbhila-Gruhyasũtras, at this time, a name was given to the child. This was the secret name known to the parents only. It was not made public, as they were afraid that enemies might practice magic on it and thus injure the child. . The father next performed another rite for the hardy, martial and pure life of the child. He asked the babe, be a stone, be an axe, be an imperishable gold. Thou indeed art the self called son; thus live a hundred autumns. After this the mother was praised for bearing a son, the hope of the family. The husband recited the following verse in her honor. In the process of Jatakarma, father will do some important Hőmas with white mustered seeds (sarshapa) उत्तरॆण यजुषा शिरस्त उदकुम्भं निधाय सर्षपान् फलीकरणमिश्रान् अंजलिनॊत्तरैःश्त्रिःश्त्रिः प्रतिस्वाहाकारग्ं हुत्वा