Vadhüpraçne viniyogaù

oà kià paçyasi

“What do you see?”

The wife should say:

oà prajäpatiù viñëu åñiù

gäyatré chandaù

çré viñëuù devatä

stälépäkävokñaëe viniyogaù

oà prajäà paçün saubhägyaà

dådha kåñëa bhaktitvaà ävayoù

dérghäyuñövam patyuù

“May there be offspring, animals good fortune, firm Kåñëa-bhakti for the two of us. May there be long life for my husband.”

He should then perform Vyasta Samasta Mahävyähåti Homa and throw ghee-soaked wood of prädeça length in the fire silently.

He should perform Ñäöyäyana Homa, Vämadevya Gäëam and the other rites of Udicya Karma. He should give dakñiëä to the initiated Vaiñëavas and brähmaëas.

Then married women who have living children should put the couple on a raised platform and sprinkle them with water from a pot saying:

bhakta vérasüs tväà bhava

jévaçus tväà bhava

jéväpatni tväà bhava

“Bring forth strong devotees, bring forth life, be a long-living wife.”

The wife should then eat the cooked rice, sesame and urad dahl.

This is the Sémantonnayanam rite according to the followers of the Säma Veda.

@FOOTNOTE:

She should remain silent until the stars appear in the sky. Then, touching a calf, she should break her silence by saying “bhüù bhuvaù svaù”.

END FOOTNOTE

Çoñyanté Homa

(Rite For the Woman About to Give Birth):

@FOOTNOTE

A few days before the birth of the child, amidst celebration and blowing of conch shells, the wife should be moved to the confinement room (sutika gåha) which may be located in the South-West part of the house, facing East.

END FOOTNOTE

When the wife is about to bear the child, the husband should perform this rite for the safe delivery of the child and the wife’s good health.

The husband should bathe, perform worship of Viñëu and Vaiñëavas, and Sättvika Våddhi Çräddha and then recite the saìkalpa:

oà viñëur

oà tat sat

adya

_______mäse (lunar month )

_______pakñe ( lunar fortnight)

_______tithau (lunar day )

acyuta gotraù

_______ (name)

_______(name of wife) äbhidhänäya madéyapatnyäù

sukha prasavärtham

çré viñëu smaraëa pürvakam

çoñyanti homam ahaà kurvéya

“On ..........(date), for the safe delivery of child of my wife named ........, I perform this Çoñyanti Homa.”

He should perform Kuçandikä and call the fire named “Maìgala”, performing rites to the end of Virupäkña Japa.

He should throw ghee-soaked wood into the fire silently.

He should perform Vyasta Samasta Mahävyähåti Homa:

oà prajäpatiù viñëu åñiù

gäyatré chandaù

çré viñëuù devatä

Vyasta samasta mahävyährti home viniyogaù

oà bhür svähä - idam viñëave idam na mama

oà prajäpatiù viñëu åñiù

uñëik chandaù

çré acyuto devatä

vyasta samasta mahävyährti home viniyogaù

oà bhuvaù svähä - idam acyutäya idam na mama

oà prajäpatiù viñëu åñiù

anuñöup chandaù

çré näräyaëo devatä

vyasta samasta mahävyährti home viniyogaù

oà svaù svähä - idam näräyaëäya idam na mama

oà prajäpatiù viñëu åñiù

båhati chandaù

çré ananto devatä

vyasta samasta mahävyährti home viniyogaù

oà bhür bhuvaù svaù svähä - idam anantäya idam na mama

He should offer ghee, Viñëu caraëämåta and prasädam into the fire saying:

oà prajäpatiù viñëu åñiù

paìktiù chandaù

çré viñëuù devatä

çoñyanté home viniyogaù

oà viñëo

yä tiraçcé nipadyate

ahaà vidharané iti

täà ghåtasya dhärayä

yaje saàrädhaném ahaà

saàrädhanyai devyai deñöryai

idaà tvat prasädämåtaà svähä

“O Viñëu, I worship with streams of ghee the Lord’s consort, who is pleased by our worship and who brings forth the child. I offer this nectarean prasädam to the merciful consort of the Lord.”

oà prajäpatiù viñëu åñiù

anuñöup chandaù

çré vipaçcin-mahä-viñëuù devatä

çoñyanté home viniyogaù

oà vipaçcit mahäviñëuù puccham abharat

tat dhätä punaù äharat

pare ehi tvaà vipaçcit mahäviñëuù

pumän ayaà janiñyate (name of future child).däsa çarma

näma svähä

“Lord, perform this sacred rite in the future. My son, named.........., will be born.”

@footnote: It is mentioned in småti that the name given at this time is a secret name only known to the parents, as a matter of protection for the child. The official name is given at the time of the Näma Käraëa saàskära.

He should them perform Vyasta Samasta Mahävyähåti Homa and should throw wood into the fire without mantra.

He should perform Ñäöyäyana Homa, Vämadevya Gäëam and the other rites of Udicya Karma. He should give dakñiëä to the initiated Vaiñëavas and brähmaëas.

This is the Çoñyanté Homa according to the followers of the Säma Veda.

Jäta Karma

(Ceremony at Birth):

@footnote:

Jäta karma is performed immediately upon the birth of the child, within the sutika gåha. This ceremony is also called medha janana, a ceremony to produce intelligence in the child.

When the child emerges from the womb the covering should be removed and the child should be cleaned. The father should say:

mä näbhià kåntata stanyaï ca mä datta

“Do not cut the umbilical cord. Do not give the breast milk.”

The father should bathe, and then recite prayers to guru paramparä and viñëu smaraëam(see the maìgaläcaraëa at the beginning of the book).

A brahmacäri, young girl, pregnant mother,Vaiñëava scholar or initiated Vaiñëava should, on a washed stone slab, grind rice and barely into a powder using an unused stone. The father should take the powder using the thumb and ring finger of his right hand, saying:

oà prajäpatiù viñëu åñiù

anuñöup chandaù

çré ananto devatä

bréhiyavacürëena jihvä-märjjane viniyogaù

oà iyaà äjïä idaà annaà idaà äyuù idaà ghåtam

“Here is the order. Here is rice (sustenance). Here is long life. Here is ghee.”

He should place the powder and some ghee on the tongue of the newborn child, using a golden spoon, saying:

@footnote:

Ghee is used because, according to Äyurveda it produces beauty, memory, intellect, talent, lustre, strong semen and long life.

oà prajäpatiù viñëu åñiù

anuñöup chandaù

çré mädhava-hari-vämanäcyutänantä devatäù

kumärasya sarpiù präçane viniyogaù

oà medhäà te mädhava vämanau

medhäà hariù dadhätu

medhäà te acyutänantau

ädhattäà puñkara srajau svähä

“May Mädhava, Vämana, and Hari give you intelligence. May Acyuta and Ananta, wearing lotus garlands, bestow intelligence to you.”

He should give ghee again saying:

oà prajäpatiù viñëu åñiù

gäyatré chandaù

çré viñëuù devatä

kumärasya sarpiù präçane viniyogaù

oà sadasi ati priyaà kåñëasya kämyaà sanià medhäà ayäsiñam svähä

“At this place I have attained the most precious boon, intelligence for understanding Kåñëa.”

He should give permission to cut the cord by saying:

näbhià kåntata stanyaï ca datta

“Cut the cord, give milk.”

The cord should be tied and cut at the proper place and the child should be washed and fed breast-milk.

The father should again take bath.

This is the Jäta Karma rite according to the followers of the Säma Veda,