Pre-natal Samskaras (जन्मात्पूर्वसंस्काराः)

The Samskaras performed before the birth of the child, starting from conception can be grouped under this heading. We learn from the ancient Indian texts the immense importance given to the pre-natal rites and ceremonies. The Saṁskāras of ancient times have been referred to as sacraments, though other terms such as ceremony, rituals, and rites are also employed. In the concept of sixteen Saṁskāras (Śodaṣa-Saṁskāras) three Saṁskāras comprise the pre-natal sacraments; Garbhadhāṇā, Puṁsāvana and Simāntonayana.

परिचयः ॥ Introduction

Genesis is perhaps the most astonishing event that could have occurred in nature. Needless to say, why birth in Indian traditions is regarded as such and celebrated with much vigor, enthusiasm and generosity. For generations together the set traditions have been followed by communities, even by those who are unfamiliar with its relevance, social significance or even origin. Lokacharas have also been added over the centuries of development of these sacraments. Many times we find that the procedures involved in Samskaras they differ slightly based on the Veda Shakas and the Sutra literature followed by people. While there appear to be some parts of these sacraments which are presently beyond the reach of logic; hence are neglected for myths and fables, there are aspects that were previously unexplored but lately many logically plausible explanations are being uncovered to explain the rationale behind these samskaras. It is highly significant to delve deep into these sacraments as we discern that they arose not as fabrications of a fanciful mind but have been guided by logical, biological, medical, social and psychological deliberations. It is even more important to understand that from the earliest Rigvedic times ancient seers were compiling these sacraments to promote but not undermine anyone belonging to a specific place, gender, varna or ashrama.

The Three Pre-natal Samskaras

The three pre-natal samskaras include

1. Garbhadhana (गर्भाधानम्)
2. Pumsavana (पुंसवनम्)
3. Simantam (सीमन्तः) or Simantonnayana

Garbhadhāṇā, the ceremony of conception is not only about encouraging the procreation and keep the cycle of life on earth moving, rather it is about giving the free vent to natural tendency of any beings, to replicate, to reproduce, create family, community and ultimately a niche which could make things a lot easier from the perspective of leading life. Thus natural instincts, socio-economic, and biological reasons mainly drove the formation of such a sacrament.

The two genders on which the grhasthashrama was reliant on, were physically distinct identities each with a specific role and function in the bigger unit of the society. However, the birth of male child, as it started as a predominant practice of engendering, was perhaps conceived to be advantageous for the community, which later on became a fixed tradition to give rise to Pumsavana Samskara.

Deliberations to cause progeny at any cost, even by going to the extent of recommending the punitive measures points to the economic and political need for manpower but some scholars also perceive these differently, as a tool to reflect upon the condition of women in early societies. But there is another perspective to it; societies in early India were comparatively smaller in size with vast land resources and scanty human power to control and harness them. Vast tracts of land were burnt (though this practice was condemned and prohibited in later periods) and brought under extensive cultivation and habitation as the societies grew in size. Such a scenario demanded expansion in societies which could settle in far flung areas given the availability of resources and the fertility of the soil suitable for agriculture. Preference of male child over a female at this juncture could perhaps have been more to satiate the economic and political rather the social one. The need for human resource was so much so that every birth was considered to be the blessing of the divine and extinction of the family was inauspicious and the one who caused it, was a sinner. The male child was given more importance keeping in mind his economic importance, the intensity of labour he could contribute and social aspects were attached to it subsequently. With it the rites for engendering the foetus gained prominence. It was because of such economic and political conditions that sacraments like Garbhadhana and Pumsavana were made a binding practice. Almost every Gṛhyasūtra has touched upon the question of Puṁsāvana in ancient India, Āśvalayāna , Gobhilā, Baudhayana and Pārāskara Gṛhyasūtras have highlighted it in particular.

Purpose of the three Samskaras

As seen in the previous section where Garbhadhana samskara involved a complex web of social, economic, dharmik and political situations in the development of this rite, here we come across people who approached their wives with a definite purpose of procreating children, in a definite manner calculated to produce the best possible progeny and with the religious serenity which, they believed, would consecrate the would-be-child.

The significance of the Pumsavana consisted, in its main features. It should be performed when the moon was on a male constellation. ‘This time was. regarded as favourable for producing a male issue, inserting the juice of the banyan tree was a device meant for preventing abortion and ensuring the birth of a male child. Jn the opinion of Susruta the banyan tree has got the properties of removing all kinds of troubles during pregnancy, e.g. excess of bile, burning etc. The Nasya vidhi where three or four drops of medicinal juice is instilled in the right nostril of the pregnant woman has been mentioned commonly in Ayurvedic medicine texts. Therefore, it is evident that the ritual prescribing it was undoubtedly founded on the' medical experience of the people. Putting a dish of water on the lap was a symbolical performance, nevertheless, such activities promote psychological health of the expectant mother. A pot full of water denoted life and spirit in the would-be child. Touching the womb emphasized the necessity of taking every care by the expectant mother, so that the foetus should be healthy and strong in the womb and abortion may not take place.

The purpose of the Simantonnayana Samskara was partly superstitious and partly practical. People believed that a woman in her pregnancy was subject to attacks of evil spirits and some rite should be performed to ward them off. The primary objective of the ritual appears to be to wish a healthy development of the baby and safe delivery to the mother, although the ritual does take into consideration to destroy factors that want to destroy the foetus.

Aspects about Maternity

The Smrti-writers realized that every conduct of an expectant mother influenced the unborn child. So, after laying down rules and regulations about the pre-natal Samskaras, they prescribed the duties of a pregnant woman and her husband. These duties can be grouped into three classes.

• supra-natural beliefs - based on the superstitious belief that evil spirits try to injure the pregnant woman. Therefore, she should be protected from them.

• limiting physical activities - rules aimed at maintaining the health of the mother, preventing physical overexertion

• preserving the physical and mental health of the mother

To begin with the first class, we find in the Markandeya-Purana the following, observation:

“There are terrible fiends and witches bent on devouring the foetus of a pregnant woman. Therefore, she should be always protected from them by ever observing purity, writing sacred mantras and wearing beautiful garland. 0 Brahmana, Virupa and Vikrti generally dwell in trees, trenches, ramparts and seas. They are always in search of pregnant women. Hence they should not visit these places. The son of Garbhahanta is Vighna, and Mehini is his daughter. 'The first (Vighna) enters the womb and eats away the foetus. The second (Mehini) having entered it causes abortion. From the mischief of Mehini are born snakes, frogs, tortoises from the womb of a woman.”

गर्भिणीधर्माः ॥ Rules for the Expectant Mother

In Samskararatnamala we find Kashyapa's advice to Aditi as mentioned in the Padmapurana. Here find the duties of the expecting mother. A summary is given below.

नावस्करेषूपविशेन्मुसलोलूखलादिषु । जलं च नावगाहेत शून्यागारं विवर्जयेत् ॥

वल्मीकं नाधितिष्ठेत न चोद्विग्नमना भवेत् । विलिखेन्न नखैर्भूमिं नाङ्गारेण न भस्मना ॥ न शयालुः सदा तिष्ठेद्व्यायामं च विवर्जयेत् । न तुषाङ्गारभस्मास्थिकपालेषु समाविशेत् ॥

वर्जयेत्कलहं गेहे गात्रभङ्गं तथैव च । न मुक्तकेशा तिष्ठेत नाशुचिः स्यात्कदाचन ॥

न शयीतोत्तरशिरा न चैवाधःशिराः क्वचित् । न वस्त्रहीना नोच्छिष्टा न चार्द्रचरणा तथा ॥

नामङ्गल्यं वदेद्वाक्यं न च हास्याधिका भवेत् । कुर्याच्छ्वशुरयोर्नित्यं पूजां माङ्गल्यतत्परा ॥

तिष्ठेत्प्रसन्नवदना सदा भर्तुर्हिते रता" इति । (Sams. Ratn. 2.2)

• She should not sit on ordure (excreta, dung etc), a mace or pestle and a mortar ; nor on an antihill
• she should not bathe in a river, nor she should go to a deserted house;
• she should never be mentally disturbed ;
• she should not be sleeping and dormant always ;
• she should not scratch the earth with her nails, charcoal and ashes ;
• she should avoid physical exercise ;
• she should not touch husk, coal, ashes and skull;
• she should avoid quarrel in the family and cutting of her limbs ;
• she should not leave her hair dishevelled and never remain impure
• she should not utter inauspicious words nor laugh too much
• while sleeping she should not place her head towards north and downwards and remain naked, disturbed and wetfooted
• she should always be busy with good work, worship her father-in-law and mother-in-law, and wish for the welfare of her husband; and remain happy.

In the Bhavishya Purana, Kashyapa mentions some more duties of the expectant mother to his second wife, Diti.

संध्यायां नैव भोक्तव्यं गर्भिण्या वरवर्णिनि । स्थातव्यं न च गन्तव्यं वृक्षमूले च सर्वदा ॥

न दुर्मुखी सदा तिष्ठेत्खट्वाछायां विवर्जयेत् । सर्वौषधीभिः कोष्णेन वारिणा स्नानमाचरेत् ॥

कृतरक्षा सुभूषा च वास्तुपूजनतत्परा । दानशीला तृतीयायां पार्वत्या नक्तमाचरेत् ॥

गर्भिणी कुञ्जराश्वादिशैलहर्म्यादिरोहणम् । व्यायामं शीघ्रगमनं शकटारोहणं त्यजेत् ॥ शोकं रक्तविमोकं च साहसं कुक्कुटासनम् । व्यवायं च दिवास्वापं रात्रौ जागरणं त्यजेत् ॥ अतिरुक्षं तु नाश्नीयादत्यम्लमतिभोजनम् । अत्युष्णमतिशीतं च गुर्वाहारं परित्यजेत् ॥

इतिवृत्ता भवेन्नारी विशेषेण तु गर्भिणी । यश्च तस्यां भवेत्पुत्रः स्थिरायुर्वृद्धिसंयुतः ॥ अन्यथा गर्भपतनमवाप्नोति न संशयः॥ (Sams. Ratn. 2.2)

A pregnant woman

• should not take her meals during twilights
• she should not stand or pass by under a tree ; avoid the shade of a tree
• she should not be always sleeping ;
• she should bathe with warm water mixed with medicinal herbs, remain protected and decorated
• she should worship the deities and have danasheelata (quality of offering charity) ; she should observe Parvati-vratas on the third day of a month ;
• she should avoid mounting an elephant, horse, mountain and many-storeyed buildings ;
• she should give up exercise, swift-walking, journey in a bullock-cart, sorrows, blood-letting, sitting like a cock, exertion, sleeping in the day, and keeping awake in the night
• she should avoid highly saline, sour, hot, stale and heavy food.

The son of a woman observing the above rules becomes 'long-lived and talented ; otherwise abortion takes place without doubt.

In other Smrtis, it has been mentioned that the pregnant lady should not

• climb up or down the trees
• cross rivers by swimming,
• climb on a wheel
• consume strong medicines
• engage in sexual intercourse
• carry heavy weights.

The Varaha Smrti prohibits consuming meat during pregnancy.

She is strictly prohibited from

दानं पक्वान्नभिक्षायाः परिवेषणमेव च । पचनं च न कर्तव्यं गर्भिण्या सर्वथैव तु ॥ (Sams. Ratn. 2.2)

She can serve the food cooked by others but cannot cook it and serve food as dana.

Other Nibandhas like Dharmasindhu advocate that a preganant lady should avoid going out or watching an eclipse (Solar or Lunar). She should remain indoors well protecting her womb using Kusha grass or Darbha bed.

गर्भिणीपतिधर्माः ॥ Duties of the Husband

The first and foremost duty of the husband was to fulfil the wishes of his pregnant wife.

गर्भिणीवाञ्छितं द्रव्यं तस्यै दद्याद्यथोचितम् । सूते चिरायुषं पुत्रमन्यथा दोषमर्हति इति ॥ (Sams. Ratn. 2.2)

According to Yajnavalkya,

दौहृदस्याप्रदानेन गर्भो दोषं अवाप्नुयात् । वैरूप्यं मरणं वापि तस्मात्कार्यं प्रियं स्त्रियाः । । ३.७९ । (Yajn. Smrt. 3.76)

By not meeting the wishes of a pregnant woman, foetus becomes unhealthy ; it is either deformed or miscarried. Therefore, one should do as desired by her. As per Kalavidhi text,

क्षौरं शवानुगमनं नखकृन्तनं च युद्धं च वास्तुकरणं त्वतिदूरयानम् । उद्वाहमौ(औ)पनयनं जलधेर्वगाह आयुष्क्षयो भवति गर्भिणिकापतीनाम् इति ॥

The husband after the sixth month of her pregnancy, should avoid cropping hair and nails, following a dead person taken for crematory activities, participating in a fight (war), construction activities, travelling to very far off places, performing marriage or Upanayana.” 2s