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Line 10: − + − Jatakarma Saṃskāra is performed before the navel string is cut.<blockquote>प्राङ्नाभिवर्धनात्पुंसः जातकर्म विधीयते। मनुस्मृतिः २.२९ । prāṅnābhivardhanātpuṃsaḥ jātakarma vidhīyate। Manusmṛtiḥ 2.29 .</blockquote>Jātakarma of a male child is ordained before the umbilical cord is cut.+ − + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + Line 26:
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Jatakarma (Samskrit: जातकर्म) is the first samskara of a child, performed at the time of birth. The helplessness of the mother and the newborn during her confinement required natural care, from which ceremonies connected with the birth of a child originated.
Jatakarma (Samskrit: जातकर्म) is the first samskara of a child, performed at the time of birth by the father. The helplessness of the mother and the newborn during her confinement required natural care, from which ceremonies connected with the birth of a child originated.
== Introduction ==
== Introduction ==
Further, in the sukta, we find details such as the passage of the delivery, the descent of the placenta in the process of delivering the child showing that Vedic people had advanced knowledge of human biology, for example, in the mantra meaning "the cover of the foetus is not stuck in the flesh, nor in the fat, nor in marrow. Let the thin spotted sheet after birth be out for dogs to eat" tells us that they knew about the layers covering the foetus.<ref name=":32" />
Further, in the sukta, we find details such as the passage of the delivery, the descent of the placenta in the process of delivering the child showing that Vedic people had advanced knowledge of human biology, for example, in the mantra meaning "the cover of the foetus is not stuck in the flesh, nor in the fat, nor in marrow. Let the thin spotted sheet after birth be out for dogs to eat" tells us that they knew about the layers covering the foetus.<ref name=":32" />
== Samskara Vidhi ==
== Jatakarma Samskara ==
=== उपयुक्तकालः ॥ Suitable Time of Performance ===
Before cutting the navel string there is no [[Jaata-Asoucha (जाताशौचम्)|Asoucha (impurity) due to birth]] and Jātakarma has to be performed at that time on a male child.<blockquote>जातं वात्सप्रेण अभिमृश्य उत्तरेण यजुषा उपस्थे आधाय उत्तराभ्याम् अभिमन्त्रणम् मूर्धनि अवघ्राणं दक्षिणे कर्णे जापः। आपस्तम्बगृह्यसूत्रम्, १५.१ ॥ jātaṃ vātsapreṇa abhimṛśya uttareṇa yajuṣā upasthe ādhāya uttarābhyām abhimantraṇam mūrdhani avaghrāṇaṃ dakṣiṇe karṇe jāpaḥ. Āpastambagṛhyasūtram, 15.1 ॥</blockquote>As soon as the (male) child is born the father should recite the Vātsaprānuvāka, i.e. "divaspari . . .", and touch (at the end of the Mantra), should take him into the lap while reciting the Yajus "asminnaham", recite two Mantras, viz., "aṅgādaṅgāt" and "aśmā bhava", for him and smell his head and the same Mantras are to be repeated in the right ear.<blockquote>नक्षत्रनाम च निर्दिशति; तद्रहस्यं भवति । आपस्तम्बगृह्यसूत्रम्, १५.२, ३ ॥ nakṣatranāma ca nirdiśati; tadrahasyaṃ bhavati। Āpastambagṛhyasūtram, 15.2, 3 ॥</blockquote>The father pronounces the Nakṣatranāma (name coined after the name of the birth star) also in the right ear secretly.
Jatakarma Saṃskāra is performed before the navel string is cut according to Sankhayana (1.24) and Paraskara (1.16.4). Manu mentions that<blockquote>प्राङ्नाभिवर्धनात्पुंसः जातकर्म विधीयते। मनुस्मृतिः २.२९ । prāṅnābhivardhanātpuṃsaḥ jātakarma vidhīyate। Manusmṛtiḥ 2.29 .</blockquote>Jātakarma of a male child is ordained before the umbilical cord is cut. Before cutting the navel string there is no [[Jaata-Asoucha (जाताशौचम्)|Asoucha (impurity) due to birth]] and Jātakarma has to be performed at that time on a male child.
Other texts (Jaimini and Gobhila grhyasutras) it should be done before the cutting of umbilical cord and prior to feeding the newborn.
The time for the performance of the rite need not be very rigidly described, as it is to be done as soon as the child is born.<ref name=":4">Deshpande, Kamalabai (1936) ''The Child in Ancient India.'' Poona: Aryasamskrti Press (Pages 60-)</ref>
=== संस्कारविधिः ॥ Samskara Vidhi ===
Dr. Deshpande summarizes the following classification of the vidhis involved in Jatakarma as per Brhdaranyaka Upanishad which is the source of all Sutra Samskara vidhis<ref name=":4" />.
# '''Homa''': The samskara involves a preliminary homa with different oblations and mantras peculiar to each shaka of the Veda.
# '''Whispering in the child’s ear''': the father utter "speech" three times in the right ear of the child Paraskara named this recitation as "Aayushya". It is a rite where the father blesses the child that he has strong limbs and a long life along with the recitation of certain mantras.
# '''Feeding the child with honey and clarified butter''': Mentioned in nearly all Sutra text, this rite is very popular. The father should give the child a mixture of curds, honey and ghee while reciting prescribed mantras.
# '''Namakarana''' i.e., naming the child is further described below. The child is given a nakshatranama, name coined according to the nakshatra in which the child is born. Many opine that this Namakarana vidhi is different from the actual Samaskara performed after the eleventh day (after [[Jaata-Asoucha (जाताशौचम्)|Jaata-Asoucha]]) following the purificatory rites.
# '''Stanapratidhana''' (giving the breast to the newborn): the father hands over the child to the mother and gives it the breast, with the recitation of mantras (given in Brhd. Upan (6.4.26) and sutra texts).
# '''Measures to keep off evil''' are described in Yajurveda sutras. Removal of evil "eye" (Drsta kaadhane) is one popular rite practiced even today.
<blockquote>जातं वात्सप्रेण अभिमृश्य उत्तरेण यजुषा उपस्थे आधाय उत्तराभ्याम् अभिमन्त्रणम् मूर्धनि अवघ्राणं दक्षिणे कर्णे जापः। आपस्तम्बगृह्यसूत्रम्, १५.१ ॥ jātaṃ vātsapreṇa abhimṛśya uttareṇa yajuṣā upasthe ādhāya uttarābhyām abhimantraṇam mūrdhani avaghrāṇaṃ dakṣiṇe karṇe jāpaḥ. Āpastambagṛhyasūtram, 15.1 ॥</blockquote>
==== Nakshatra-nama ====
As soon as the (male) child is born the father should recite the Vātsaprānuvāka, i.e. "divaspari . . .", and touch (at the end of the Mantra), should take him into the lap while reciting the Yajus "asminnaham", recite two Mantras, viz., "aṅgādaṅgāt" and "aśmā bhava", for him and smell his head and the same Mantras are to be repeated in the right ear.<blockquote>नक्षत्रनाम च निर्दिशति; तद्रहस्यं भवति । आपस्तम्बगृह्यसूत्रम्, १५.२, ३ ॥ nakṣatranāma ca nirdiśati; tadrahasyaṃ bhavati। Āpastambagṛhyasūtram, 15.2, 3 ॥</blockquote>The father pronounces the Nakṣatranāma (name coined after the name of the birth star) also in the right ear secretly.
The name runs like this:
The name runs like this:
Maghā Māghaḥ
Maghā Māghaḥ
Such a name has to be kept a secret, i.e. should not be pronounced loudly.
Such a name has to be kept a secret, i.e. should not be pronounced loudly. Śatapathabrāhmaṇam (6.1.3.9) ordains that a name should be given to the male child as soon as he is born:
Śatapathabrāhmaṇam (6.1.3.9) ordains that a name should be given to the male child as soon as he is born:
तस्मात् पुत्रस्य जातस्य नाम कुर्यात् । tasmāt putrasya jātasya nāma kuryāt ।
तस्मात् पुत्रस्य जातस्य नाम कुर्यात् । tasmāt putrasya jātasya nāma kuryāt ।
This [Nakṣatranāma] is meant for Vedic rites. If the name [to be used in Vedic rites] is not known, the result is that Abhicāra etc. would not be successful.
This [Nakṣatranāma] is meant for Vedic rites. If the name [to be used in Vedic rites] is not known, the result is that Abhicāra etc. would not be successful.
=== Purpose of the Samskara ===
The Garbhadhana rite, which precedes this Jatakarman is a rite for securing a particular kind of a son or a daughter, who would study one or two or three Vedas or who would be very learned if the child be daughter (Brhd. Upan. 6.4.12-18). And a particular Jatakarman is to be performed for that child that, has been brought into this world for this purpose. That explains the whispering of the word ‘Vak’ into the ear, which means speech, i.e. the sacred speech or Veda. This whispering in the ear is a way of greeting the child according to the S'atras (A. 1. 15. 10) and it is quite appropriate to greet the child with the word Vak, when the child was hoped to be specially well-versed in the. Vedas.<ref name=":4" />
== Jatakarma described in Ayurveda ==
== Jatakarma described in Ayurveda ==