Why Samskaras?
The Hindu sages recognised the need of intentionally directing and sculpting people’s personalities rather than allowing them to develop haphazardly. The samskaras are associated with a range of ceremonies and rituals that aid in the creation and development of personality. “Just as a picture is painted with various colors, so a person’s character is formed by undergoing various sanskaras,” says Parashar Smruti.
According to the seers, samskaras give life a higher level of holiness. The entire body is sanctified and made suitable for the atma’s residence. According to Atri Smruti, a man is born a Shudra and becomes a Dvija (twice-born) after completing the Upanayana Samskara. He also learns Vedic learning and realizes Brahman (God) and so becomes a Brahmin. According to Isha Upanishad, the ultimate objective of the samskaras is “to transcend the bondage of samsara and cross the ocean of death.” by following the rites and ceremonies. To this, we might add that the Atma attains Paramatma – the Lord Purushottam – after transcending the cycle of births and deaths.
The number of samskaras prescribed by various scriptures varies. In this article let us understand the fourth samskara which is जातकर्मन्.
Also read about all the sixteen Samskara.
Introduction about Jatakarman Samskaram
Jatakarman literally translates to “rite of a newborn infant” It is a rite of passage celebrating the birth of a child. It is the newborn baby’s first post-natal rite of passage denoting the birth of the child.
A human being is born at least twice in Hindu traditions: once at physical birth through the mother’s womb, and again during intellectual birth under the care of a teacher; the first is recognized by the Jatakarman sanskara ceremony, and the second by the Vidyarambha or Upanayana sanskara ritual. During a traditional Jtakarman rite, the father welcomes the newborn by applying honey and ghee (clarified butter) to the baby’s lips whilst Vedic hymns are sung. The initial importance of the hymns is मेधाजनन medhajanana, or initiating the baby’s mind and intellect in the world’s womb once the baby’s physical creation is accomplished in the mother’s womb.
How is the Jatakarman Samskaram performed?
Honey and ghee or ghee alone were given to the child by the father with his fourth finger. The utterance of the following words is practiced- Bhũr, Bhuvah, Svah, Bhũr Bhuvah Suvaha. The hymns’ second section wishes the infant a long life.
During this rite of passage, the Upanishad contains a prayer to Saraswati, the Hindu goddess of knowledge and wisdom. It also contains the father repeating “Speech Speech Speech” three times into the baby’s ear, along with the declaration, “You are the Vedas! so, live a hundred autumns” After the father’s traditional declarations, he gives the infant to the mother to be fed. While the oldest Dharmasutras identify Jatakarma and Namakarama as two distinct sanskaras, many Gryhasutra writings merge them into one.
When do we do Jatakarman Samskaram ?
The process of jAtakarma takes place just before the navel string is cut on the new male child.
The पारस्कर गृह्य सूत्र खण्ड 1, खण्डिका 16
जातस्य कुमारस्याच्छिन्नायां नाड्यां मेधाजननायुष्ये करोति ।
jātasya kumārasyācchinnāyāṁ nāḍyāṁ medhājananāyuṣye karoti|
When the boy child is born, the father performs the rite of medhAjanana (production of intelligence) and the AyuShya (seeking long life) for the child, before the navel string is cut off.
When this samskArA cannot be performed immediately after birth, it can be performed before the end of the day of the birth of the boy child.
According to वशिष्ट स्मृति 2.2.3
जातॆ पुत्रॆ पिता स्नात्वा पुत्र तॆश दिनान्तरम् ।
मुच्यते पैतृकात्तस्मात् सद्य एव द्विजॊत्तमा: ||
तत्र दानं प्रकुर्वीतं यथाशक्तयनुसारत:
jāt putr pitā snātvā putra tśa dināntaram
mucyate paitr̥kāttasmāt sadya eva dvijttamā:
tatra daanam prakurvītaṁ yathāśaktayanusāratah
On the birth of a son, the father should have a bath and do nAndeee shrAddham and give daanam (gifts) following the rules of the dvijAs, according to his ability within that day.
Rules for performing Jatakarman Samskaram
It is generally not advisable to bathe, perform daanam, or perform shrArdham at night, except during ग्रहणम् or संक्रमणं/ grahaNam or sankramaNam.
The practices of bathing, receiving daanam (gifts), giving daanam, and doing ShrAddham before cutting the umbilical cord are not a sin. These practices are extremely beneficial. It is necessary to take a bath at night with water collected during the day that has a golden ring in it. As pitrus expect the splashed water and are pleased by it, water must be splashed around by jumping or with hands while taking a bath. As daanam, one can receive or give gold, land, cows, or grains. It is generally not advised to take a bath after eating. But when a boy child is born, bath can be done even after eating food. One इष्टही has to be done for those who follow अग्निहोत्रं.
In essence, Samskara is a purification ritual. The seed has been sown in the kshetram, the womb. Since a child is not in the pure form, they must undergo jAta karma to remove their natural दोषs. These are of two kinds: 1) Those related to garbha or womb and 2) Those related to the beeja or seed.
Read about the 3rd Samskara: The Simantonnayana Samskaram
Notes about the Jatakarman Samskaram
This ceremony was traditionally performed before the cord was cut, but nowadays, it is performed at the same time as the baby’s naming ceremony. The main features of this sacrament are;—
1. Production of Intelligence – The father takes a coin wrapped in darbha grass, dips it in a mixture of honey, ghee, and curds, and places it three times in the baby’s mouth while hoping that the kid would be intelligent and wise.
2. Longevity—The kid is stroked as the Vatsapri hymn is spoken, and a fire ceremony is performed while praying for long life.
3. Strength, valour and fame— The infant is endowed with the ability to be as sturdy and powerful as a stone, as sharp as an axe (to defeat adversaries), and as incorruptible and popular as gold. With a prayer for both the mother and infant’s safety, the child is given over to the mother to feed.
4. Was only performed for male children because then male child was considered as twice-born after getting an education in gurukulam while the female child was considered twice-born after marriage and they will carry forward all the samskaras performed on her husband by default. But in the modern time, as both males and females are equally participating in all fields of intellect as well and strength with their male counterparts, we should perform these samskaras for both the children. Although this needs to be verified in the presence of an educated and genuine astrologer of a Vedic practitioner and not an ordinary pundit.
