Annaprashana (अन्नप्राशनम्)

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Annam means cooked rice and prāśanam is feeding. The child is to be fed rice –

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॥

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 While acharya Sushruta and Vagbhata have advised this ceremony in the 6th month of age only. 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

The samskara has been described in brief below,

• An auspicious day in the 6th month is selected for Phalaprashana (फलप्राशनम्) and an auspicious day in 10th month like the one having Prajapatya (प्राजापत्यम्) constellation is selected for Annaprashana samskara of a child.
• On that day, a well ventilated spacious place in a house is selected, cleaned thoroughly, sacred symbols like swastika are painted on a square drawn on the floor for keeping Annaprashana related food items. Over that, pitchers filled with water and decorated with flower garlands are placed, Along with that, various food items especially liquid foods like milk, ghee, honey, curd, cereals, fruits/fruit juices are kept in attractive containers or pots. For phalaprashana liquids should be selected and served while for annaprashana various soft solid foods like rice, non-vegetarian foods as per the culture & tradition, sweets and other delicious cuisines should be prepared and kept in attractive decorated jars and pots.
• The place is decorated and made attractive by using flowers, garlands and attractive toys.
• Prayers are offered to Devata and brahmanas performing samskara.
• Then at first, respects are paid to Prthvi (पृथ्वी) i.e. land or soil on which the child sits to eat and which holds the entire universe at place. (Arghyadaana : अर्घ्यदानम्)
• The child whos Phalaprashana or annaprashana samskara is to be performed should then be brought to that place after giving bath, wearing new cloths and ornaments.
• The child is made to sit facing west while a vaidya who is advised to be present during Samskara stands in front of him/her facing east.
• During Phalaprashana the child is made to sit in front of the liquids and the one he touches first is then offered to him in very little introductory quantity. Kashyapa described that the fruit pulp/juice or rice at first day should be given only 3 to 5 times and that too in a dose that would stay on his/her thumb of hand. Once the ceremony of introducing baby to the food is over, he is then permitted to play with the toys and mingle with other children.
• For Annaprashana, whatever food items are prepared for the samskara are first offered to Agni devata (अग्निदेवता) (oblation to ignited fire) in a puja chanting following mantra praising Anna or ahara (अन्नम् वा आहारः) and its importance to mankind.

यथा सुराणाममृतं नागेन्द्राणां यथा सुधा ।

तथाऽन्न प्राणिनां प्राणा अन्नं चाहुः प्रज।पतिम् ॥१६॥

त लिन लोकाश्चैव यथा ह्यमी !

जुद्यमि तस्मात्छय्यन्नमग्नेऽमृतसुखोपगम् ॥ १७॥

प्रजापतिरवमन्यतां साहा । (Kash. Samh. 12.16-17)

• In this way, first the respects are paid to Anna or ahara (अन्नम् वा आहारः), and only then that food is offered to the child. The food remnant from the sacred offerings to Agni is then taken in a bowl, mashed and made even more soft and then it is fed to the child 3 to 5 times. The quantity of the food should be such that it can stay (be accommodated) on his/her thumb of hand i.e. very little to begin with.

• Once the solids are introduced to the child, Acharya Kashyapa advises that he can be fed these foods every 2nd or 3rd time of feed as the child demands till he becomes 1 year old. Later after 1 year of age foods can be given more frequently.

बालकस्य प्रकृतिनुसारिणाः भक्ष्याः तेषाम् गुणाः च ॥ Types of foods to be fed to child as per prakrti and their properties

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,

1. 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.
2. The child who is having Pitta dominant 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.
3. The child with Vata dominant 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.
4. Finally the food should be fed to the child as every second or third feed in the beginning because the need for breast feed will not stop immediately. It should be gradually tapered and the food is slowly introduced in it's place. The frequency of the feeds to be decided on the basis of his desha (देशः place of living), agni (अग्निः digestive capacity of the child), Kala (कालः season and time of the day) and balam (बलम् strength) of the child. A qualified vaidya can help parents to asses these parameters and guide on the frequency of feeding after examining the child. Once must take care that the child should be always assessed for his agni (अग्निः) before deciding his food frequency and ingredients. If he feels hungry more frequently than others (probably because of more activities) he/she should be fed as and when he/she demands for food.

Gunas or properties of food items mentioned under Annaprashana

	Food item Samskrit name	English name	Botanical name	Properties according to Ayurveda	Properties
1	Shali (शाली)	Rice and its varieties	Oryza sativa	मधुराः स्निग्धा बल्या बद्धाल्पवर्चसः | कषाया लघवो रुच्याः स्वर्या वृष्याश्च बृंहणाः	Sweet in taste, nourishing, easily digestible, nutritious
2	Godhum (गोधूम)	Wheat	Triticum aestivum	गोधूमो मधुरः शीतो वातपित्तहरो गुरुः | कफशुक्रप्रदो बल्यः स्निग्धः सन्धानकृत्सरः |	Sweet in taste, cooling, nourishing, unctuous, strenghthening
3	Yava (यवाः)	Barley	Hordeum vulgare	यवः कषायो मधुरः शीतलो लेखनो मृदुः | व्रणेषु तिलवत्पथ्यो रूक्षो मेधाग्निवर्द्धनः कटुपाकोऽनभिष्यन्दी स्वर्यो बलकरो गुरुः | बहुवातमलो वर्णस्थैर्यकारी च पिच्छिलः कण्ठत्वगामयश्लेष्मपित्तमेदःप्रणाशनः | पीनसश्वासकासोरुस्तम्भलोहिततृट्प्रणुत्	Sweet and astringent in taste, cooling, gentle, kindles digestive fire, strengthening, boosts intelligence, helps in wound healing.
4	Kodrava (कोद्रवाः)	Kodo millet	Paspalum scrobiculatum	कोद्रवो वातलो ग्राही हिमपित्तकफापहः |	Cooling in nature, helpful in loose motions, reduces kapha and pitta doshas.
5	Lavana (लवणः)	Salt	NA (Sodium chloride)	सैन्धवं तत्र सस्वादु वृष्यं हृद्यं त्रिदोषनुत्||१४४|| लघ्वनुष्णं दृशः पथ्यमविदाह्यग्निदीपनम्	balances all 3 doshas. Easy to digest, kindles digestive fire, cardiotonic, envigorating
6	Sneha (स्नेहः)	ghee or oil (or edible fats)	NA	गुरुशीतसरस्निग्धमन्दसूक्ष्ममृदुद्रवम्| औषधं स्नेहनं प्रायो	All the fats are little heavy to digest, cooling, display laxative property, gentle, soft, liquid and can reach upto very fine/subtler levels in body.
7	Mrdvika (मृद्विका)	Black currents	Vitis vinifera	द्राक्षा पक्वा सरा शीता चक्षुष्या बृंहणी गुरुः | स्वादुपाकरसा स्वर्या तुवरा सृष्टमूत्रविट् कोष्ठमारुतकृद् वृष्या कफपुष्टिरुचिप्रदा | हन्ति तृष्णाज्वरश्वासवातवातास्रकामलाः कृच्छ्रास्रपित्तसंमोहदाहशोषमदात्ययान् |	Ripe black raisins are laxative, cooling, good for eyes, nourishing, envigorating, voice & taste enhancers. Helpful in thirst, fever, breathlessness, jaundice, bleeding disorders, giddiness, burning sensation and intoxications.
8	Mahalunga (मातुलुगः)	Citron fruit	Citrus medica	बीजपूरफलं स्वादु रसेऽम्लं दीपनं लघु | रक्तपित्तहरं कण्ठजिह्वाहृदयशोधनम् | श्वासकासारुचिहरं हृद्यं तृष्णाहरं स्मृतम्	It is sweet and sour in taste, Kindles digestive fire, easy to digest, clears throat, tongue and hrudayam. Helpful in breathlessness, cough, tastelessness and excess thirst.

Scientific aspects

As teeth erupt in 6th month, introduction of solid food in 10th month is more justified. Scientifically right time for solid food as GIT is ready in terms of its enzymatic activity. Starting solid food before this time leads to fat accumulation which may be problematic afterwards. Prolonged breast feeding may lead to calcium deficiency disorders like rickets, scurvy etc. As growing child attains different milestones, its range of activities also increases and it needs more and more food substances. Only breast milk and even the other liquid food in the form of dal water and fruits may be insufficient to fulfil day to day needs of the baby. Rich carbohydrate, fatty & proteinaceous food in solid form can only fulfil the need. Fruit juices should be given to the child from sixth month which are source of vitamins especially vitamin C. First meal offer to infant would be easily digested, light and soft as advised by Acharya Kashyapa. At age of 6 month, breast milk now not enough to fulfil the requirement of growing child. So, it is the accurate time to introduction of supplementary feeding as Phalprashana. Breast milk is deficient in iron, vitamin A, D, K and calcium, so by offering Phalprashana and Annprashana ceremony at this time with breast milk, we can reduce the deficiency of related essential vitamins.

We can examine the six month infant which has following milestone (6): Starts sitting with own support (Sits in tripod fashion), Unidextrous reach, recognizes strangers or develops stranger anxiety, pronounce monosyllables (pa, ba, da etc.), lift the head and chest off the surface with weight bearing on hands, may roll from prone to supine, able to bear most of the weight on legs when holding the child in standing position. Similarly tenth month corresponding milestones may also examine e.g. bisyllables, standing with support, sitting without support, waves bye-bye etc. Primary teeth also start erupted e.g. central incisors (5-7 month), Lateral incisors (7-11 month, First molars (10-16 month). (Ayurpharm Int J Ayur Alli Sci., Vol.2, No.12 (2013) Pages 372 - 383)

 By this time the child digestive system get ready to digest complex food substances.(Int. J. Ayur. Pharma Research, 2017;5(5):78-81)

 According to modern science also, Milk fulfils all the requirement of the child up to the age of 6 months. Weaning food is needed after 6 months of age for fulfilling nutritional requirements of child. A child who receives solid food late suffers from a number of aliments deficiency diseases. (Int. J. Ayur. Pharma Research, 2017;5(5):78-81)

 Teeth eruption also starts in child by this time.(Int. J. Ayur. Pharma Research, 2017;5(5):78-81)