Newsletter Archives

Even Before Birth: The Purifying

World of Hindu Samskaras

The material contained in this newsletter/article is owned by ExoticIndiaArt Pvt Ltd.

Reproduction of any part of the contents of this document, by any means, needs the prior permission of the owners.

Copyright © 2011 ExoticIndiaArt

 Even Before Birth: The Purifying World of
Hindu Samskaras

Article of the Month – August 2011

A person was once digging up his field for planting seeds. Suddenly
he came across a greenish stone. He thought it to be beautiful and
took it to a jeweler. The jeweler said that it was nice and paid the man
a hundred rupees for the stone. The jeweler then took the stone inside
his workshop. He first cleaned the dirt, and then evened it out by
doing away with its ruggedness. Further he polished it, and then the
stone started shining. Thus the stone was made suitable for setting
into an ornament. After it had become a piece of jewelry, the same
emerald that as a stone had fetched only a hundred rupees became
worth a million. Such a process of refining and enriching is called
Samskara.

All the scriptures, whether it be the Gita or the Upanishads, are there
to give us Samskara. Even the science of Vedanta, the highest
knowledge available to mankind, is meant to remove our Avidya; i.e.
Vidya acts by removing an impurity (Avidya), it does not give anything
new. Gaining knowledge in Vedanta means removing Avidya, it does
not mean ‘acquiring’ knowledge.

The Vedas have delineated sixteen Samskaras for

purifying us. The Manu Smriti outlines their purpose:

‘All impurities inherent in the seed of the male and the

womb of the female are removed by Samskaras.’ (Manu
Smriti 2.27)

The term ‘Samskara’, has similar origins to the word

‘Sanskrit’, meaning to refine, polish, prepare and perfect.
‘Sanskrit’ is human language refined and perfected
enough to become the language of the gods. Samskara in
the ancient scriptures stand for various sacraments
performed on an individual during his life cycle, not only
for removing impurities and imperfections inevitably
associated with his birth, but also ultimately making him
eligible and suitable for Moksha, or liberation from the cycle of life and
death.

Page 2
The sixteen Samskaras to be performed on an individual during his life
cycle are:

1). Garbhadhana: The rite of insemination.

2). Pumsavana: Bringing about a male child.

3). Simantonnayana: Ritual Parting of the Wife’s Hair by the Husband.

4). Jatakarma: Birth ceremonies.

5). Namakarna: Ceremony of Naming the Child.

6). Nishkramana: The child’s first outing.

7). Annaprashana: The first feeding of the child with solid foods.

8). Chudakarana: The child’s first haircut.

9). Karnavedha: Piercing of the child’s ears.

10). Vidya-arambha: Beginning of the child’s studies.

11). Upanayana: The wearing of the sacred thread.

12). Veda-arambha: Start of Vedic studies.

13). Keshanta: First shaving of the beard.

14). Samavartana: Taking leave of one’s teacher.

15). Vivaha: Marriage.

16). Antyeshti: Last Rites.

The Pre-Natal Samskaras

Samskaras begin even before the birth of the individual, since it is
believed that the state of the parent’s mind during conception affects
the well-being and ‘quality’ of the offspring. Thus says the Narada
Purana:

‘The state of mind during the placing of the seed into the womb
determines the type of child to be born.’ (2.27.29-30)

Page 3
This is confirmed by medical texts:

‘The quality of diet, actions etc of the man and

woman lead to an offspring with similar qualities.’
(Sushruta Samhita Sharira Sthana 2.46)

The first Samskara thus deals with the sanctification of the womb and
seed. This is known as Garbhadhana. It is performed soon after the
wedding because the prescribed purpose of marriage is to secure
noble and worthy progeny (and not a license to indulgence).

Timing of the Garbhadhana Samskaras:

As mentioned above, the obvious time for Garbhadhana, the placing of
one’s seed inside the wife, is when she is physically prepared to
conceive. This is known in the scriptures as Ritu-Kala, or the period of
fertility. The proper time of conception is from the fourth to the
sixteenth night after the monthly periods begin. For example, if a
woman begins her periods on the 1stof August, then from the 4thof
August to the 16th of August she is ready for conceiving. However,
the following restrictions apply:

1). Physical contact between man and wife should take place only in
the nights, and never in the daytime (Prashna Upanishad 1.13). This
is a strict no-no, and anyone indulging in it becomes liable for
‘Prayashchitta’ (atonement).

2). Physical contact is to be avoided on all festivals or days of fasting

(Manu Smriti 3.45; Yajnavalakya Smrti 1.79)

3). Certain days of the lunar month are also restricted. The eight and
fourteenth of the lunar month and the full-moon (Purnima) and no
moon (Amavasya) days.

4). Also the eleventh and thirteenth nights after the advent of the
periods. In the above example, the 11thand 13thof August too would
be forbidden (Manu Smriti 3.47).

Approaching one’s wife during her Ritu-Kala is not only preferable but
also compulsory. The great Manu says: “One should be faithful to
one’s wife, and approach her in every Ritu.’ The Parashara Smriti goes
further and says: “The man who, even though he is healthy, does not

Page 4
go to his wife during her Ritu, is guilty of the sin of abortion”
(Parashara Smriti 4.15). However, the above mentioned prohibited
days do have to be respected.

The Method of Garbhadana:

The actual method of Garbhadhana has been delineated in detail in
the Brhadaranyaka Upanishad. On the fourth night after menstruation,
after the wife has purified herself with a bath, the man should think
thus: “my wife wearing pure clothes is like Goddess Lakshmi.’ Then he
should go near her, offer her Sattvik (pure) food, and reciting nine
specified mantras, invite her for conception.

Later, his successive actions like embracing her etc. too are
accompanied by the chanting of various mantras. Before the actual
process he has to chant this mantra, touching her at different places:

‘I am the sky, you are the earth,

Come, let us unite,
Deposit the seed,
To get a child.’

During the actual process he has to chant:

May Lord Vishnu make your womb capable of generation,

May Lord Surya shape the child’s body,
May Lord Prajapati sprinkle seed in you,
May the Lord of Fate look after your fetus.

(Brhadaranyaka Upanishad 6.4.20-21)

The Purpose of the Garbhadhana Samskara:

Lust and physical attraction is a characteristic common to all living

beings, as a consequence of which there is intercourse, which leads to
creation of offspring. This however is animal instinct. If we don’t rise
from this level we are not humans, but beasts only. To gain this
ascendance we need to rein our base instincts through Samskaras.
The physical contact between husband and wife should be according
to the rules laid down in the Shastras (ancient scriptures), ensuring
that the would-be child would be marked with the spirit of spirituality.

The Garbhadhana Samskara makes us realize that the physical

contact between man and wife is not a fulfillment of an animal need,

Page 5
but rather a yajna (sacrifice).When man and wife, bedecked in the
shower of auspicious mantras (chanted by the husband), indulge in
the actual physical act of creating an offspring, they indeed give rise
to a child of superior disposition.

The whole purpose of the Garbhadhana Samskara is to invoke the

gods to participate in the act of procreation, the human counterpart of
divine creation. That the human act of procreation is of divine origin is
clearly mentioned in the scriptures:

‘It was Lord Prajapati the creator who first established his seed in the
lower part of a woman. A man should do the same because it is the
way of the world to follow in the footsteps of those superior to us.’
(Brhadaranyaka Upanishad 6.4.2)

In comparing the married couple to the earth and the sky, the Vedas
recognize the inherent nature and necessity of this union in
accordance with the cosmic laws of procreation.

However, those who do not recognize the essential sacredness of the

act of procreation are headed for disaster. The Brhadaranyaka
Upanishad says: ‘Many Brahmins lost all their merit (punya) because
they indulged in this act without knowing that it is but a sacrifice
(yajna).’ (6.4.4)

Pumsavana: Samskara for Bringing about a Male Child:

After the wife has been impregnated, the scriptures advise her to live
a careful and pure life:

‘A pregnant woman should not ever let her mind be depressed. She
should not engage in too much hard work; she should always remain
pure. She should never utter any inauspicious words; protect herself;
always wear clean clothes, and do charity on auspicious days and
festivals. The woman who follows these rules with diligence gives birth
to a son with noble character and long life.’ (Matsya Purana 7.36-47)

As for the man, it is explicitly stated that ‘a husband should always

keep his wife happy, giving her whatever she wants, because any
unhappiness can have a negative effect on the baby to be born.’
(Yajnavalkya Smriti 3.79)

Traditionally, male progeny have been preferred, as the continuity of

the family is maintained through male lineage, and sons are required
to perform the necessary rituals that guarantee a safe sojourn for the

Page 6
father and mother after they leave this world.

However, daughters are also welcome and desired in addition to sons,

as is evident in various texts such as the Brhadaranyaka Upanishad
(6.4.17) which advises that “a man who wishes to have ‘a learned
daughter who will life out her full life span’ should ask his wife to
“cook a special meal of rice and ghee. The couple thus becomes
capable of begetting such a daughter.”

During the third month of pregnancy, the scriptures

prescribe a Samskara for ensuring a male child. Known as
Pumsavana, it is performed before the fetus begins to
move in the womb (Yajnavalkya Smriti 1.11). This is an
extremely auspicious Samskara and is mentioned by
name in the Atharva Veda (6.11.1).

The woman who undergoes this Samskara fasts and bathes in

preparation for it. Afterwards, she adorns herself with new clothes.
Then in the night, sprouts of the banyan tree are pounded and the
juice administered into her right nostril by her husband.
During the process, the following mantra from the Atharva Veda is
chanted: “may a male embryo enter your womb, as an arrow into a
quiver. May a son be born after ten months.” (3.23.2-4)

The Significance of the Pumsavana Samskara:

Sayanacharya, the greatest commentator on the Vedas,

remarks that the above verse signifies that as an arrow is
placed comfortably in a quiver, so would the child live
peacefully in the womb. Additionally, it is also a prayer
for the child to complete his full term of ten months in
the womb, thus precluding the possibility of premature
birth.

This Samskara strengthens the bond between husband and wife,

bound together by a common desire for male offspring. At this crucial
and difficult juncture of her life, this sharing and support is
psychologically highly comforting to the wife.

According to the Susruta Samhita, one of the principal texts of

Page 7
Ayurveda, the banyan tree has got properties of removing various
kinds of troubles during pregnancy. Also, insertion of medicines into
nostrils is a common practice in the Indian system of medicine.
Therefore, it is evident that this Samskara is based, amongst many
other things known and unknown, on the foundations of scientific
medical practice.

The Simantonnayana Samskara:

After a few months, another Samskara is performed on the expectant
mother. This consists of the parting of the wife’s hair by her husband.
In popular tradition, this is a rite focused on the mother, educating her
while entertaining her, encouraging her to concentrate on her own
well-being so as to ensure the full and healthy development of the
child. The texts discuss feeding the woman auspicious foods as well as
those that satisfy her special cravings, all the while entertaining her
with songs, anointing and massaging her, and garlanding her with a
string of unripe fruits. During the last trimester of her pregnancy
following this ritual, relatives pamper and protect the mother to be,
catering to her various whims. Every precaution is taken for the well-
being of the fetus.

According to Ayurveda, from the fifth month of pregnancy, the

formation of the mind of the child begins. So the pregnant woman is
required to take utmost care to facilitate this process, avoiding any
physical shock to the fetus. This is symbolically emphasized by parting
her hair.

This Samskara is definitely geared to keep the woman in good cheer,

and to show her that she is special. The parting and dressing of her
hair by the husband are powerful rituals which affirm that he
continues to be very much with her during this difficult phase, and
that he finds her as attractive as ever despite the obvious physical
changes in her body.

For the actual ceremony, the wife has to fast on that day. Wearing
new clothes, she is seated on a soft seat, and the husband first parts
her hair upwards, and then ties five fruits as an ornament around her
neck. While doing so he chants the following mantra: “O woman with
beautiful hair, the branches of this strong tree are laden with fruit.
May you too be fruitful like it.” This mantra makes it obvious that this
Samskara is also a ritual of fertility.

After doing her hair, the husband asks two singers to sing aloud
stories of brave warriors. This is meant to generate a heroic
atmosphere and thereby influence the unborn child, much like
Arjuna’s son Abhimanyu in the Mahabharata. The latter learnt the

Page 8
most powerful battle stratagems while in his mother’s womb itself.

Like all auspicious occasions, this ceremony too ends with a lavish
feast for Brahmins. The mother, highlighting the solemnity of the
occasion, keeps silent till the stars appear in the sky. Then she
touches a calf and breaks her silence by uttering ‘Bhur Bhuvah Svah.’

Conclusion:
The Shastras operate at much deeper psychological level than we can
ever imagine. By governing, nay enriching and refining our life
through these Samskaras, they ensure a spiritual foundation for our
material well-being. One thing has to be realized: it is not we that
sustain the tradition, but rather, it is tradition that sustains us.

References & Further Reading:

Bist, B.S. Yajnavalkya Smrti: Sanskrit Text, Transliteration and English

Translation: Delhi, 2004

Dutt, M.N. Manusmrti (Sanskrit Text with English Translation): Delhi,

2010

Goyandka, Shri Harikrishnadas. Translation of Shankaracharya's

Commentary on the Brhadaranyaka Upanishad (Hindi): Gorakhpur,
2007.

Joshi, K.L. Matsya Purana (Sanskrit Text with English Translation in

Two Volumes): Delhi, 2007

Joshi, Laxmanshastri. Dharma Kosa, Samskara Kanda (Six Volumes):

Wai, 1983.

Khemka, Radheyshyam. Samskar Ank: Gorakhpur, 2006.

Malviya, Dr. Sudhakar. Gobhila Grhyasutram: Varanasi, 1997.

Mishra, Dr. Jagdishchandra. Paraskara Grhyasutram (With Two

Sanskrit Commentaries): Varanasi, 2010.

Mittal, Sushil and Gene Thursby. The Hindu World: New Delhi, 2004.

Oldenberg, Hermann. Paraskara Grhyasutra (English Translation):

Delhi, 2005

Pandey, Rajbali. Hindu Samskaras: Delhi, 2006.

Page 9
Rai, Gangasagar. Yajnavalkya Smrti with the Commentary Mitakshara:
Delhi, 2007.

Sharma. N.N. Asvalayana Grhya Sutram (With Sanskrit Commentary

of Narayana): Delhi, 2010

Tachikawa, Musashi., Shoun Hino & Lalita Deodhar. Puja and

Samskara: New Delhi, 2006

This Article by Nitin Kumar

We hope you have enjoyed reading the article. Any comments you may have will be
greatly appreciated. Please send your feedback to feedback@exoticindia.com.

Copyright © 2011, ExoticIndiaArt

Page 10