Changes

Annam means cooked rice and prāśanam is feeding. The child is to be fed rice –<blockquote>जन्मनोऽपि षष्ठे मासि ब्राह्मणान् भोजयित्वा आशिषो वाचयित्वा दधिमधुघृतम् ओदनम् इति संसृज्य अवदाय उत्तरैः मन्त्रैः कुमारं प्राशयेत्। आपस्तम्बगृह्यसूत्रम् १६.१॥</blockquote><blockquote>janmano'pi ṣaṣṭhe māsi brāhmaṇān bhojayitvā āśiṣo vācayitvā dadhimadhughṛtam odanam iti saṃsṛjya avadāya uttaraiḥ mantraiḥ kumāraṃ prāśayet। Āpastambagṛhyasūtram 16.1॥</blockquote>

Annam means cooked rice and prāśanam is feeding. The child is to be fed rice –<blockquote>जन्मनोऽपि षष्ठे मासि ब्राह्मणान् भोजयित्वा आशिषो वाचयित्वा दधिमधुघृतम् ओदनम् इति संसृज्य अवदाय उत्तरैः मन्त्रैः कुमारं प्राशयेत्। आपस्तम्बगृह्यसूत्रम् १६.१॥</blockquote><blockquote>janmano'pi ṣaṣṭhe māsi brāhmaṇān bhojayitvā āśiṣo vācayitvā dadhimadhughṛtam odanam iti saṃsṛjya avadāya uttaraiḥ mantraiḥ kumāraṃ prāśayet। Āpastambagṛhyasūtram 16.1॥</blockquote>

== Annaprashana as directed in Ayurveda ==

== आयुर्वेदे अन्नप्राशनम् ॥ Annaprashana as directed in Ayurveda ==

Annaprashana Samskara (अन्नप्राशन संस्कारः) is described in detail in Kashyapa Samhita (काश्यप संहिता), an authoritative text on pediatrics in Ayurveda written by Acharya Kashyapa. Acharya Kashyapa has advised to perform the ceremony of Annaprashana (अन्नप्राशनम्) in the 6th or 10th month of age <ref>Kashyapa Samhita (Khilasthanam Adhyaya 12 Sutra 6-8,15)</ref> <ref name=":0">Arun Raj GR, Shailaja U, Prasanna N Rao.THE CHILDHOOD SAMSKARAS (RITES OF PASSAGE) AND ITS SCIENTIFIC APPRECIATION. Ayurpharm Int J Ayur Alli Sci., Vol.2, No.12 (2013) Pages 372 - 383</ref> While acharya Sushruta and Vagbhata have advised this ceremony in the 6th month of age only.<ref name=":0" /> Acharya Kashyapa has stated that at the 6th month of age when the child hasn't developed teeth, only the fruits or fruit juices (liquids) need to be introduced and slowly when in the10th month of age child develops teeth, soft solids like rice are to be introduced to the child. This samskara is usually celebrated as a ceremony and an detailed account on it has been given by Acharya Kashyapa.  

Annaprashana Samskara (अन्नप्राशन संस्कारः) is described in detail in Kashyapa Samhita (काश्यप संहिता), an authoritative text on pediatrics in Ayurveda written by Acharya Kashyapa. Acharya Kashyapa has advised to perform the ceremony of Annaprashana (अन्नप्राशनम्) in the 6th or 10th month of age <ref>Kashyapa Samhita (Khilasthanam Adhyaya 12 Sutra 6-8,15)</ref> <ref name=":0">Arun Raj GR, Shailaja U, Prasanna N Rao.THE CHILDHOOD SAMSKARAS (RITES OF PASSAGE) AND ITS SCIENTIFIC APPRECIATION. Ayurpharm Int J Ayur Alli Sci., Vol.2, No.12 (2013) Pages 372 - 383</ref> While acharya Sushruta and Vagbhata have advised this ceremony in the 6th month of age only.<ref name=":0" /> Acharya Kashyapa has stated that at the 6th month of age when the child hasn't developed teeth, only the fruits or fruit juices (liquids) need to be introduced and slowly when in the10th month of age child develops teeth, soft solids like rice are to be introduced to the child. This samskara is usually celebrated as a ceremony and an detailed account on it has been given by Acharya Kashyapa.  

=== Samskara vidhi or ceremony ===

=== संस्कारविधिः ॥ Samskara vidhi or ceremony ===

The samskara has been described in brief below,<ref>Kashyapa Samhita (Khilasthanam Adhyaya 12 Sutra 7)</ref>

The samskara has been described in brief below,<ref>Kashyapa Samhita (Khilasthanam Adhyaya 12 Sutra 7)</ref>

त लिन लोकाश्चैव यथा ह्यमी ! जुद्यमि तस्मात्छय्यन्नमग्नेऽमृतसुखोपगम् ॥ १७॥

त लिन लोकाश्चैव यथा ह्यमी ! जुद्यमि तस्मात्छय्यन्नमग्नेऽमृतसुखोपगम् ॥ १७॥

प्रजापतिरवमन्यतां साहा । (Kash. Samh. 12.16-17)<ref>Kashyapa Samhita (Khilsthanam Adhyaya 12 Sutra 16-17)</ref>

प्रजापतिरवमन्यतां साहा । (Kash. Samh. 12.16-17)<ref>Kashyapa Samhita (Khilsthanam Adhyaya 12 Sutra 16-17)</ref>

The food that is fed to the child in infancy should be of certain properties so as to suit his physiological and structural status at that time. That means the child's digestive system is not completely developed to digest complex substances and even teeth are not fully erupted thus he/she can not eat the food like grown up adults. However, child's growth and development are in very fast pace thus he/she requires food that will fulfill his/her nutritional demands but at the same time it would be suitable for a child to chew, bite, gulp and digest. Therefore acharya Kashyapa has given a guideline on how the food for infant should be selected especially for annaprashana samskara or while introducing food for the first time. The guidelines are as below,

The food that is fed to the child in infancy should be of certain properties so as to suit his physiological and structural status at that time. That means the child's digestive system is not completely developed to digest complex substances and even teeth are not fully erupted thus he/she can not eat the food like grown up adults. However, child's growth and development are in very fast pace thus he/she requires food that will fulfill his/her nutritional demands but at the same time it would be suitable for a child to chew, bite, gulp and digest. Therefore acharya Kashyapa has given a guideline on how the food for infant should be selected especially for annaprashana samskara or while introducing food for the first time. The guidelines are as below,

# '''The ingredients of the preparation''' : The child should be fed especially rice, shashti rice (a variety of rice that grows fully in 60 days thus considered light for digestion) which is old (an year old produce). It should be properly dehusked, washed with water and then roasted till becomes light. Then it is cooked in ample amount of water and the water that remains after cooking or gruel made from it (having liquid consistency) should be taken. Then sufficient amount of fats like ghee should be added to it along with the salt to taste. It should be served fresh and warm. Such preparation should be fed to the child.  A preparation made with this method is nourishing for the child and provides strength. Alternatively other grains like wheat, barley can be used sometimes instead of rice. If the child gets watery stools in this period, then the kodrava (kodo millet, food grain used in India traditionally, which binds the stools and helps stop loose motions) grain can be added in the meal. <ref name=":1">Kashyapa Samhita (Khilasthanam Adhyaya 12 Sutra 19-21)</ref>

# '''The ingredients of the preparation''' : The child should be fed especially rice, shashti rice (षष्टिशाली : a variety of rice that grows fully in 60 days thus considered light for digestion) which is old (an year old produce). It should be properly dehusked, washed with water and then roasted till becomes light. Then it is cooked in ample amount of water and the water that remains after cooking or gruel made from it (having liquid consistency) should be taken. Then sufficient amount of fats like ghee should be added to it along with the salt to taste. It should be served fresh and warm. Such preparation should be fed to the child.  A preparation made with this method is nourishing for the child and provides strength. Alternatively other grains like wheat, barley can be used sometimes instead of rice. If the child gets watery stools in this period, then the kodrava (कोद्रव : kodo millet, food grain used in India traditionally, which binds the stools and helps stop loose motions) grain can be added in the meal. <ref name=":1">Kashyapa Samhita (Khilasthanam Adhyaya 12 Sutra 19-21)</ref>

# The child who is having Pitta dominant [[Prakrti in Ayurveda (प्रकृतिः)|prakrti (प्रकृतिः)]], should be always given a jam made up of black currents, honey and ghee. This should be served along with the meals or mixed into the food preparation.<ref name=":1" />

# The child who is having Pitta dominant [[Prakrti in Ayurveda (प्रकृतिः)|prakrti (प्रकृतिः)]], should be always given a jam made up of black currents, honey and ghee. This should be served along with the meals or mixed into the food preparation.<ref name=":1" />

# The child with Vata dominant [[Prakrti in Ayurveda (प्रकृतिः)|Prakrti]] should be fed meal added with a pinch of salt and few drops of wild lemon (Matulunga मातुलुंग: Citron or wild lemon, Citrus medica Linn.) juice. <ref name=":1" />

# The child with Vata dominant [[Prakrti in Ayurveda (प्रकृतिः)|Prakrti]] should be fed meal added with a pinch of salt and few drops of wild lemon (Matulunga मातुलुंग: Citron or wild lemon, Citrus medica Linn.) juice. <ref name=":1" />

== Scientific aspects ==

== Scientific aspects ==

It is accepted even by western medical science that ideally the child should be exclusively breast fed up to the 6th month of age. It is till this time that his digestive system organs and their function is not fully matured. However, the child's growth and development happens in a fast pace. Till the age of 6 months, breast milk can fulfill all the requirements of the child. But, after 6 months, the child's digestive system get ready to digest complex food substances.<ref>Int. J. Ayur. Pharma Research, 2017;5(5):78-81</ref> The child starts sitting with own support, rolls from prone to supine position.<ref name=":4">Ayurpharm Int J Ayur Alli Sci., Vol.2, No.12 (2013) Pages 372 - 383</ref> Teeth eruption also starts in child by this time These activities certainly require more energy than sleeping or laying down activity of child previously. Thus the nutritional requirements of child increase. Breast milk is deficient in iron, vitamin A, D, K and calcium.. Rich carbohydrate, fatty & proteinaceous food in solid form can only fulfil the nutritional needs. Thus, this is the right time to introduce solid food to child in addition to breast feed. A child who receives solid food late, suffers from a number of deficiency diseases like rickets, scurvy etc.<ref name=":4" /> Therefore, by performing the ceremony and starting the external food like fruits and other easily digestible solid foods through Phalaprashana an dAnnaprashana samskara to the child, one can reduce the deficiency of essential vitamins and other nutrients and prevent deficiency diseases which might occur if the nutrition of the child is neglected.   

It is accepted even by western medical science that ideally the child should be exclusively breast fed up to the 6th month of age. It is till this time that his digestive system organs and their function is not fully matured. However, the child's growth and development happens in a fast pace. Till the age of 6 months, breast milk can fulfill all the requirements of the child. But, after 6 months, the child's digestive system get ready to digest complex food substances.<ref>Int. J. Ayur. Pharma Research, 2017;5(5):78-81</ref> The child starts sitting with own support, rolls from prone to supine position.<ref name=":4">Ayurpharm Int J Ayur Alli Sci., Vol.2, No.12 (2013) Pages 372 - 383</ref> Teeth eruption also starts in child by this time These activities certainly require more energy than sleeping or laying down activity of child previously. Thus the nutritional requirements of child increase. Breast milk is deficient in iron, vitamin A, D, K and calcium.. Rich carbohydrate, fatty & proteinaceous food in solid form can only fulfil the nutritional needs. Thus, this is the right time to introduce solid food to child in addition to breast feed. A child who receives solid food late, suffers from a number of deficiency diseases like rickets, scurvy etc.<ref name=":4" /> Therefore, by performing the ceremony and starting the external food like fruits and other easily digestible solid foods through Phalaprashana and Annaprashana samskara to the child, one can reduce the deficiency of essential vitamins and other nutrients and prevent deficiency diseases which might occur if the nutrition of the child is neglected.   

== References ==

== References ==

[[Category:Samskaras]]

[[Category:Samskaras]]