Upaveshana Samskara (उपवेशन संस्कारः)

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Upaveshana samskara is described in Ayurveda texts under childhood samskaras. The term upaveshana refers to the act of sitting. Thus it is the samskara done in the period wen the child is made to sit for the first time in life. Making a baby sit with or without support, baby's ability to do so by own and the effects of sitting for a long time all these aspects are related to health of the baby. Thus Ayurveda scholars seem to have meticulously studied it and proposed an appropriate method for it under Upaveshana samskara.

Etymolgy

उप + विश--भावे ल्युट् । (वसा) १ आसने २ स्थापने (Vachaspatyam)

The term is made up of 2 parts, 'Upa' and 'Visha'. Collectively it refers to the act of sitting.

Time to perform upaveshana samskara

Ayurveda acharyas have proposed following time to perform this samskara.

1. Ashtanga Samgraha, : Upaveshana samskara to be done in the 5th month
2. Kashyapa Samhita : It is to be performed in the 6th month.

According to Kashyapa Samhita, this samskara is performed along with the Phalaprashana Samskara in 6th month.

Samskara vidhi

Samskaras practiced in Sanatana dharma were supposed to be celebrated in a ceremonious manner. Upaveshana samskara is not an exception to it. It is the time when the newborn child is made to sit for the first time in his/her life. Usually before this the child in always kept in lying down position and all his/her activities are performed in that same position only. Now when the child develops sufficient strength to hold his neck, back, hold his weight against gravity he/she enters a new phase of life. For this the child has to develop certain amount of strngth in muscles, bones, joints etc. Thus when this samskara or act of making child sit with or without support is not done properly it can lead to serious adverse effects on the child's health. Hence Ayurveda acharyas have given guidelines and instructions so as to make this transition smooth and trouble-free.

Preparation of baby

Preparation of the sitting place: उपलिप्ते शुचौ देशे शख्चतोयाभ्निवजिते ।

उपविष्टं सक्रच्चैनं न चिरात् स्थापयेद् बुधः ॥ ६ ॥ (Ka. Sam. Khil 12. 9)

Worship of deities

The process

Duration of sitting

Frequency

Adverse effects if the child is made to sit for a longer time than prescribed - स्तैमित्यं कटिदौबैल्य प्रष्टमङ्गः श्रमो वरः ।

विर्मूत्रानिलसंरोधाभ्मानं चात्युपवेशनात् । १०॥

मन्निकाक्रिमिकीटानां वेलाफञ्मानिलस्य च ।

सर्पाुनङ्लादीनां गम्यो भवति नित्यशः ॥ १६॥।

Adverse effects of making child sit before 5th or 6th month- आसीनस्यातिबालस्य सततं भूमिसेवनात् ।

आसन्नान्येव दुःखानि निघातं गात्रभेदनम् ।॥ ११॥

निर्घाताल्नजेराङ्गत्वं वेदना रसंभवः।

ततो न बृद्धिर्बालस्य कटोराङ्गत्वमेव च ॥ १२ ॥

Daily the child is trained to sit for a while and thus by 12 months of age, he shall be able to sit without support. This is a method of giving stimulus for the ability to sit in a normally growing child. It also assess the different milestones such as rolling over, sitting with support, sitting without support, crawling, creeping etc. (.Arun Raj GR1*, Shailaja U2, Prasanna N Rao. Ayurpharm Int J Ayur Alli Sci., Vol.2, No.12 (2013) Pages 372 - 383

It is a ceremony of making the baby sit without support in a proposed manner to ensure the activity, growth and development of baby. Age of child Acharya Vagbhata: 5th month. Acharya Kashyapa: 6th month. Duration of sitting: 1 Muhurata (not more than 48 minutes). Preparation of baby The baby should be bathed, adorned and dressed in intact clothes. The ceremony should be done, after worshiping of god and satisfying the Brahmins by diets and donation. The site of sitting has to be smeared with cow dung and toys should be placed hereby. The baby should be made to sit for a Muhurata at a time facing eastwards in the middle of the site. After this, child should be lifted up carefully. The whole process has to be repeated daily. One has to take care that child should not made to sit for long duration as it can result in weakness of hip, tiredness, fever, retention of feces, urine and flatus etc. Importance of Upaveshana Samskara

 Upaveshana Samskara explains accurate timing for sitting of child. Sitting in early age can leads to complications like vitiation of Vata Dosha, fever, pain and arrest in further growth.

 According to modern science also, child should start sitting in tripod position by this age. So it helps in assessment of gross motor milestone of child. By this age child should developed unidextrous reach for a toy or object.

 Introduction to toys in this ceremony provides visual, auditory and sensory stimulation to child, so finally helps in better growth and developments. Toys introduction to child also provides psychological satisfaction to child. (Shobhit Kumar. A Critical Appraisal on Various Samskara’s with their Scientific and Medical Importance in Pediatric Age Group. International Journal of Ayurveda and Pharma Research. 2017;5(5):78-81.)