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Annaprasana (Samskrit:अन्नप्रासनम्) is the samskara of feeding the child with solid food for the first time in its life. Feeding with solid food is the next important stage in the life of the child after stepping out of the house. Until this stage the child was fed on mother's milk. As the child develops it requires greater amount of nutrients. Hence around six months of age the child is started on increased nourishment. It is introduced with different types of food, along with mother's milk for additional supplements.<ref name=":12">Pandey, Raj Bali. (1949) ''Hindu Samskaras, A Socio-religious study of the Hindu Sacraments.'' Banaras: Vikrama Publications. (Pages 151-157)</ref>
Annaprasana (Samskrit:अन्नप्रासनम्) is the samskara of feeding the child with solid food for the first time in its life. Feeding with solid food is the next important stage in the life of the child after stepping out of the house. Until this stage the child was fed on mother's milk. As the child develops it requires greater amount of nutrients. Hence around six months of age the child is started on increased nourishment. It is introduced with different types of food, along with mother's milk for additional supplements.<ref name=":12">Pandey, Raj Bali. (1949) ''Hindu Samskaras, A Socio-religious study of the Hindu Sacraments.'' Banaras: Vikrama Publications. (Pages 151-157)</ref>
== Introduction ==
== परिचयः ॥ Introduction ==
Anna (अन्नम्), is a lifegiving substance and has long been recognised as the constituent of the Annamayakosha, the physical body. People were aware from the ancient time that there was something mysterious about it from which life emanated. That source of energy was to be infused into the child with the help of deities.<ref name=":12" />
Anna (अन्नम्), is a lifegiving substance and has long been recognised as the constituent of the Annamayakosha, the physical body. People were aware from the ancient time that there was something mysterious about it from which life emanated. That source of energy was to be infused into the child with the help of deities.<ref name=":12" />
== Etymology ==
== Etymology ==
Annam means cooked rice and prāśanam is feeding. The child is to be fed rice mixed with ghee and other items–<blockquote>जन्मनोऽपि षष्ठे मासि ब्राह्मणान् भोजयित्वा आशिषो वाचयित्वा दधिमधुघृतम् ओदनम् इति संसृज्य अवदाय उत्तरैः मन्त्रैः कुमारं प्राशयेत्। आपस्तम्बगृह्यसूत्रम् १६.१॥ 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 mixed with ghee and other items–<blockquote>जन्मनोऽपि षष्ठे मासि ब्राह्मणान् भोजयित्वा आशिषो वाचयित्वा दधिमधुघृतम् ओदनम् इति संसृज्य अवदाय उत्तरैः मन्त्रैः कुमारं प्राशयेत्। आपस्तम्बगृह्यसूत्रम् १६.१॥ janmano'pi ṣaṣṭhe māsi brāhmaṇān bhojayitvā āśiṣo vācayitvā dadhimadhughṛtam odanam iti saṃsṛjya avadāya uttaraiḥ mantraiḥ kumāraṃ prāśayet। Āpastambagṛhyasūtram 16.1॥</blockquote>
== वेदेषु अन्नप्राशनविषयाः ॥ Annaprashana in Vedic times ==
Food has been regarded as the most important tattva of human existence in [[Vedas (वेदाः)|Vedas]] and [[Upanishads (उपनिषदः)|Upanishads]] and many mantras are dedicated to its praise but the ceremony of celebrating the first solid diet to the child seems to have originated in the much later times. We find multiple mantras in Yajurveda relating the importance of Anna, and they are uttered during the process of Annaprāśaṇa Saṁskāra.<blockquote>अन्नात्पुरुषः । स वा एष पुरुषोऽन्नरसमयः । (Tait. Upan. 2.1.1)<ref name=":32">Taittriya Upanishad ([https://sa.wikisource.org/wiki/%E0%A4%A4%E0%A5%88%E0%A4%A4%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%A4%E0%A4%BF%E0%A4%B0%E0%A5%80%E0%A4%AF%E0%A5%8B%E0%A4%AA%E0%A4%A8%E0%A4%BF%E0%A4%B7%E0%A4%A6%E0%A4%A4%E0%A5%8D/%E0%A4%AC%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%B0%E0%A4%B9%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%AE%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4% Brahmananda Valli])</ref></blockquote>From Anna came forth the [[Purusha (पुरुषः)|Purusha]]. Man's body is made up of essence (ras) of Annam (food).
As the child grows in age, it demands more nutrition. The child must adapt to the regular sources of nutrition, but it is not until he has gained some strength and grown the system of digestion to assimilate the food that forms the regular diet of human beings. The religious dimension with this ceremony was attached for the purpose of seeking blessings as feeding the solid diet was introduction of something unusual and considered to be sensitive. Hence it was thought important that divine blessings be sought so that everything went well and child stayed unharmed.<ref name=":5">Chahal, Mandeep (2020) Ph.D Thesis Titled: ''[http://hdl.handle.net/10603/309999 Samskaras in the Grihyasutras historical account of Jatakarma Upanyana Vivaha and Antyeshti.]'' (Chapter 2)</ref> Atharvaveda describes the importance of Anna as follows.<ref name=":02">Pt. Madhavacharya Shastri and Pt. Shrikanth Shastri (1952) ''[https://archive.org/details/whykyondharmadigdarsanpurvardhamadhavacharyashastri1952_248_E Kyon? Dharma Digdarshan, Purvardha.]'' Delhi: Madhav Pustakalay (Page 440 - )</ref><ref name=":33">Dr. Tulsi Ram (2013) ''Atharvaveda, Vol 1.'' Delhi: Vijaykumar Govindram Hasanand</ref><blockquote>शिवौ ते स्तां व्रीहियवावबलासावदोमधौ । एतौ यक्ष्मं विबाधेते एतौ मुञ्चतो अंहसः ॥१८॥ (Atha. Veda. 8.2.18)</blockquote>Let rice and barley (because they are food for devatas) be good and auspicious for you, nourishing, health giving, exhilarating, resistant to debilitating and consumptive conditions (such as tuberculosis). They protect you against sickness, disease and ailments and save you from papam (sin) and anxiety.<ref name=":33" />
== अन्नप्राशनम् ॥ Annaprashana Samskara ==
== अन्नप्राशनम् ॥ Annaprashana Samskara ==
According to many Grhyasutras, the ceremony was to be performed in the sixth month after the birth of the child.<blockquote>षष्ठे मासेऽन्नप्राशनम् १ (Para. Grhy. Sutr. 1.19.1)
According to many Grhyasutras, the ceremony was to be performed in the sixth month after the birth of the child.<blockquote>षष्ठे मासेऽन्नप्राशनम् १ (Para. Grhy. Sutr. 1.19.1)
षष्ठेऽन्नप्राशनं मासि यद्वेष्टं मङ्गलं कुले । । २.३४ । । (Manu. Smrt. 2.34)</blockquote>Langakshi however, differs about the time and prescribes an individual test when the child could digest solid food. He gives the option, "Or after teeth come out." Teeth were the visible signs that the child was able to take solid food. Giving food before the fourth month was strictly prohibited. For weak children further extension of time was allowed. The feeding ceremony should be performed in the sixth solar month after the birth; if postponed, in the eighth, ninth or tenth month; some view that it might be performed when the child is one year old. Even months for boys and odd ones for girls were prescribed.
षष्ठेऽन्नप्राशनं मासि यद्वेष्टं मङ्गलं कुले । । २.३४ । । (Manu. Smrt. 2.34)</blockquote>Langakshi however, differs about the time and prescribes an individual test when the child could digest solid food. He gives the option, "Or after teeth come out." Teeth were the visible signs that the child was able to take solid food. Giving food before the fourth month was strictly prohibited. For weak children further extension of time was allowed. The feeding ceremony should be performed in the sixth solar month after the birth; if postponed, in the eighth, ninth or tenth month; some view that it might be performed when the child is one year old. Even months for boys and odd ones for girls were prescribed.<ref name=":12" />
=== Different kinds of Food ===
=== Different kinds of Food ===
The types of food were also mentioned in the texts. The simple prescription was that food of all kinds and of different sorts of flavours should be mixed together and given to the child to eat. Some prescribe a mixture of curd, honey and ghee. Different kinds of food, including meat, were recommended for different ends. The later-day tendency, however, was towards vegetarianism, it was due to the belief in non-violence which influenced the Indian diet to a great extent. But animal products like curd, ghee and milk were still retained and regarded as the choicest articles of food for the child. The Markandeya-Purana recommends a mess of milk and rice with honey and ghee. It later on became a practice of giving milk and rice during Annaprasana and even in daily routine.<ref name=":12" />
The types of food were also mentioned in the texts. The simple prescription was that food of all kinds and of different sorts of flavours should be mixed together and given to the child to eat.<ref name=":12" /> At this time of growth there is requirement of salt in the food for the child. Since it is also the teething time, children tend to consume mud and as such giving food with salt helps to stop such activities.<ref name=":02" /> Some prescribe a mixture of curd, honey and ghee. Different kinds of food, including meat, were recommended for different ends. The later-day tendency, however, was towards vegetarianism, it was due to the belief in non-violence which influenced the Indian diet to a great extent. But animal products like curd, ghee and milk were still retained and regarded as the choicest articles of food for the child. The Markandeya-Purana recommends a mess of milk and rice with honey and ghee. It later on became a practice of giving milk and rice during Annaprasana and even in daily routine.<ref name=":12" />
Whatever the type of food may be, one thing was kept in mind that it should be light and conducive to the health of the child. Sushruta says, “One should feed the child in the sixth month with light and suitable food’’.
Whatever the type of food may be, one thing was kept in mind that it should be light and conducive to the health of the child. Sushruta says, “One should feed the child in the sixth month with light and suitable food’’.
=== Samskara Vidhi ===
=== Samskara Vidhi ===
The auspicious day is chosen as per the panchanga. On the day of the feeding ceremony 'the materials of sacrificial food were first of all cleansed and then cooked with appropriate Veda mantras. Speech, vigour, breath, and sense organs are invoked with appropriate mantras for the well being of the body which is made of "Anna". Here "Anna" is used in a wide sense. The prayer was offered that all the senses of the child should be gratified so that he may live a happy and contended life. In the end the father set apart food of all kinds and flavours for feeding the child and fed it silently or with the syllable “Hant (well!)’’. The ceremony terminated with the feasting .of the Brahmans.<ref name=":12" />
The auspicious day is chosen as per the panchanga. On the day of the feeding ceremony 'the materials of sacrificial food were first of all cleansed and then cooked with appropriate Veda mantras. Speech, vigour, breath, and sense organs are invoked with appropriate mantras for the well being of the body which is made of "Anna". Here "Anna" is used in a wide sense. The prayer was offered that all the senses of the child should be gratified so that he may live a happy and contended life. In the end the father set apart food of all kinds and flavours for feeding the child and fed it silently or with the syllable “Hant (well!)’’. The ceremony terminated with the feasting .of the Brahmans.<ref name=":12" />
At this time another cultural aspect is included in the sacrament. A pen, a book, toys, sweets, some astra (like a knife) like things, gold ornaments and many such things are kept in front of the crawling child. The child is left free to find out what things attract the child's attention to a great extent. The kind of thing that the child has an attraction for, it is said, describes the child's future interests in life and so the elders have a clue about the direction in which the child has to be encouraged.
=== Significance ===
=== Significance ===