Nishkramana Samskara (निष्क्रमणम्)

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Nishkramana Samskara is one of the Shodasha Samskaras practiced in Sanatama dharma. It signifies new born child's first outdoor visit or first exposure to environment outside home. It is celebrated as a ceremony of socializing the newborn for the first time. It is the time when 1st in his/her life the baby goes to the place outside home thus as a first place to visit, the baby is taken to the temple. God's blessing are invoked by offering prayers to various devatas for the well being of the baby.

Time to perform Nishkramana Samskara

Nishkramana is performed when the child becomes 4 months old. The time described for this is appropriate as by this time baby develops enough immunity and tolerance to external environment. The presence of a Vaidya (pediatrician) on this occasion provides an opportunity for routine check up and examination of normal milestones development in baby.

Some developmental milestones of a child at 4th month

A newborn child develops slowly and gradually achieves different growth and developmental milestones. At the age of 4 months of life the child usually achieves following milestones,

• Develops head control and hence carrying child becomes bit easier.
• Child can turn his head towards the source of sound indicating evolving maturity of hearing
• The child can fixate his eyes intently on an object shown to him suggestive of his properly developing vision or eyesight.
• The child can laugh loudly, recognize mother and can react to social contact by a smile which could be related to the social and speech related milestones of the child.
• Bidextrous grasp to approach an object is developed indicating his developing motor organs.

During this Sanskara the baby gets in an unfamiliar environment when his reaction in form of social smile, anxiety, fear, laugh or reaction to sound of bell can be observed. Persistence of primitive reflexes, if any can also be noticed. Therefore this samskara can provide an opportunity for assessment of developmental milestones of a child by a vaidya and also as a celebration to have achieved these milestones successfully.

Samskara vidhi

In this Samskara, the child is brought out of his room/home to the outside of home. Ayurveda acharyas describe 'Kumaragara', a special room designed for a newborn to protect him and keep him in a room having controlled environment suitable for his health. The design and interior of the Kumaragara is done entirely by keeping focus on protecting the newborn from any external injuries or infectious agents. Thus various antimicrobial herbs and drugs are routinely kept in kumaragara and the newborn is strictly to be kept in this room till Nishkramana Samskara performed in the forth month. Therefore as a part of Nishkramana samskara various rituals are performed as below,

• The baby having given bath, adorned and worn new clothes.
• Rakshoghna dravya dharana : Vedic texts and Ayurveda describe some herbs and medicinal substances that possess potential to enhance the immunity and defend the infections when those are just even carried along or worn on body. These are called as Rakshoghna dravyas. Ayurveda acharyas have given immense importance and utmost attention to following various measures that will prevent any infection to child body and ward off affliction of child's developing mind by external harmful factors like grahs and bhutas etc. Thus in every step of newborn care, use of Rakshoghna dravyas has been suggested. Thus clearly when the child is being brought in the outside environment in Nishkramana samskara for the first time, acharyas have advised to carry rakshoghna drvayas like Sidharthaka, honey, Ghrita, gorochana etc. These should be kept near the child when the baby is taken outside. Also, Shankha Nada and chanting of Vedic mantras to be done while bringing him/her out of the house.
• The baby should be made enter in the temple after worshiping the burning fire; Brahman’s, god Vishnu, Skanda and receiving their blessing should reenter their own house. In the temple religious offering should be offered to the god. The baby should be blessed by the priest and elders and should be taken back home. Thereafter worshiping the Agni (burning fire) with Ghrita and Akshata and then after venerating the Brahmana, God Vishnu, Skanda, Matrikas and other family gods with Gandha (fragrances), Pushpa (flowers), Dhupa (fumigations), Mala (garlands) etc. gifts and eatable substances and so many other methods; thereafter reciting the Brahmanas and taking their blessings and saluting the Guru, should re-enter own house;
• A pediatrician should be present when the baby comes back home. He should bless him and do a thorough routine checkup. having entered, the physician should recite the mantra for offering prayer

Relevance and importance

This Samskara is important for observing the developmental milestones. As the child meets many unknown persons its reaction in the form of social smile, laugh, fear, anxiety or curiosity can be observed. By the end of 4th month child develops head control. In temple, the child reacts to sounds of bell by turning the head around. Here lifting of the head with complete head control can be observed. Also the disappearance of grasping reflex (3-4 months), placing reflex (3-4 month), stepping reflex (3-4 months), rooting reflex (3-4 months), tonic neck (2-6 month) and Moro‟s reflex (3-4month). But persistence of these reflexes indicative of cerebral palsy.According to Acharya Kashyapa, the teeth inseminated in fourth month are weak, decay early and are afflicted with many diseases.[30] At fourth month age, following developmental changes appear in infant such as the infant been able to reaching out for objects with both hand (Bidextrous reach), able to rolls over the bed, recognizes the mother and responds to her voice, anticipate the feeds, laugh loudly when talked by someone, responds to sound well, starts cooing, curious and shows interest in surrounding environment, Able to fix eyes on external objects and adaptation to external environment begins.[31] (Arun Raj GR, Shailaja U, Prasanna N Rao. The childhood samskaras (Rites of passage) and its scientific appreciation. Ayurpharm Int J Ayur Alli Sci. 2013;2(12):372-383.)