Pumsavana, Puṃsavana: 18 definitions
Introduction:
Pumsavana means something in Hinduism, Sanskrit, the history of ancient India, Hindi. If you want to know the exact meaning, history, etymology or English translation of this term then check out the descriptions on this page. Add your comment or reference to a book if you want to contribute to this summary article.
In Hinduism
Purana and Itihasa (epic history)
Source: archive.org: Shiva Purana - English TranslationPuṃsavana (पुंसवन) is the name of a “pre-natal rite” performed by Dakṣa, according to the Śivapurāṇa 2.2.13. Accordingly, as Brahmā narrated to Nārada:—“[...] dear one, thanks to the power of the presence of Śivā, Vīriṇī had an auspicious appearance and shone all the more with mental pleasure. As befitting the loftiness of his mind, customs and manners current in his family and the injunctions of the Vedas, Dakṣa performed the rites of Puṃsavana etc. out of affection. Great festivities accompanied those rites. Dakṣa presented liberal sums of money to the Brahmins”.
Note: Puṃsavana is a pre-natal rite through which a male child is produced. “pumān prasūyate yena karmaṇā tatpuṃsavanamīritam |” Śaunaka quoted in V.M.S. Vol. I. P. 166. As to the time of its performance, the authorities differ considerably. It is performed in the third, fourth, sixth or even in the eighth month of pregnancy. Cf. H.S. PP 60-63.
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: The Purana Index1a) Puṃsavana (पुंसवन).—A vrata of a year's duration imposed on Ditī by Kaśyapa for the birth of a son capable of killing Indra; details of the vrata are given; generally begun by a woman with the permission of her husband on the bright fortnight of Mārgaśīrṣa; worship of Lakṣmīnārāyaṇa with the havis śeṣa; 12 Ahūtis made to Agni; this is to continue for twelve months; on the last day of Kārtikai she should keep fast; next day the husband offers twelve oblations according to the rule of pākayajña; Brahmanas to be fed and the remnant of the caru to be offered to his wife; by this one is said to attain desired objects; it can be observed by an unmarried girl or married woman or mother for the sake of auspiciousness.*
- * Bhāgavata-purāṇa VI. 18. 47-54; 19. 5-28.
1b) Here Vāyu met Añjanā who gave birth to Hanumān.*
- * Brahmāṇḍa-purāṇa III. 7. 224.
1c) A saṃskāra.*
- * Matsya-purāṇa 275. 16.
The Purana (पुराण, purāṇas) refers to Sanskrit literature preserving ancient India’s vast cultural history, including historical legends, religious ceremonies, various arts and sciences. The eighteen mahapuranas total over 400,000 shlokas (metrical couplets) and date to at least several centuries BCE.
Shaktism (Shakta philosophy)
Source: JSTOR: Tāntric Dīkṣā by Surya KantaPuṃsavana (पुंसवन) refers to one of the eleven saṃskāras (purificatory rites of fire) forming part of preliminary rites before Dīkṣā: an important ritual of Śāktism described in the Śāradātilaka-tantra, chapters III-V.
Shakta (शाक्त, śākta) or Shaktism (śāktism) represents a tradition of Hinduism where the Goddess (Devi) is revered and worshipped. Shakta literature includes a range of scriptures, including various Agamas and Tantras, although its roots may be traced back to the Vedas.
Arthashastra (politics and welfare)
Source: Knowledge Traditions & Practices of India: Society State and Polity: A SurveyPuṃsavana (पुंसवन) refers to the “protection of the child in mother’s womb” and represents one of the sixteen saṃskāras, or “ceremonies” accompanying the individual during the Gṛhastha (householder) stage of the Āśrama way of life. These ceremonies (e.g., puṃsavana-saṃskāra) are community affairs and at each ceremony relations and friends gather for community eating.
Arthashastra (अर्थशास्त्र, arthaśāstra) literature concerns itself with the teachings (shastra) of economic prosperity (artha) statecraft, politics and military tactics. The term arthashastra refers to both the name of these scientific teachings, as well as the name of a Sanskrit work included in such literature. This book was written (3rd century BCE) by by Kautilya, who flourished in the 4th century BCE.
Shaivism (Shaiva philosophy)
Source: archive.org: SardhatrisatikalottaragamaPuṃsavana (पुंसवन) refers to the ceremony of “conceiving a male”, which is mentioned as one of the fire-rituals related to the kuṇḍa (“fire-pit”), according to the various Āgamas and related literature. Puṃsavana is mentioned in the Sārdhatriśati (chapter 6), Mataṅgapārameśvara (Kriyā-pāda, chap 4), Mṛgendra-āgama (Kriyā-pāda, chapter 6), Acintyaviśvasādākhya (chapter 14), Suprabheda-āgama (Kriyā-pāda, chapter 11), Kiraṇa-āgama (kriyā-pāda, chpater 4), Pūrvakāmika-āgama (chapter 8), Pūrvakāraṇa-āgama (chapter 22), Ajita-āgama (Kriyā-pāda, chapter 21), Raurava-āgama (Kriyā-pāda, chapter 15), Vīra-āgama (chapter 41), Dīpta-āgama (chapter 33), Cintya-āgama (chapter 10), Makuṭa-āgama (chapter 6) and the Svāyambhuva-āgama (chapter 17).
Shaiva (शैव, śaiva) or Shaivism (śaivism) represents a tradition of Hinduism worshiping Shiva as the supreme being. Closely related to Shaktism, Shaiva literature includes a range of scriptures, including Tantras, while the root of this tradition may be traced back to the ancient Vedas.
Dharmashastra (religious law)
Source: Shodhganga: Vaikhanasa Grhyasutra Bhasya (Critical Edition and Study)Puṃsavana (पुंसवन) refers to the “ritual securing male offspring” and represents one of the eighteen bodily rituals (śārīraka-saṃskāras) mentioned in the Vaikhānasagṛhyasūtra (viz., vaikhānasa-gṛhya-sūtra) which belongs to the Taittirīya school of the Black Yajurveda (kṛṣṇayajurveda).—The original Gṛhyasūtra of Vaikhanāsa consists of eleven chapters or “praśnas”. Each praśna is subdivided into sub-divisions called “khaṇḍa”. But only the first seven chapters deal with actual Gṛhyasūtra section. Of these, the first three chapters dealing with the bodily rituals [viz., Puṃsavana].
Dharmashastra (धर्मशास्त्र, dharmaśāstra) contains the instructions (shastra) regarding religious conduct of livelihood (dharma), ceremonies, jurisprudence (study of law) and more. It is categorized as smriti, an important and authoritative selection of books dealing with the Hindu lifestyle.
General definition (in Hinduism)
Source: Oxford Index: HinduismThe saṃskāra, or life-cycle ritual, designed to bring about the birth of a male child. It is supposed to take place during pregnancy, but there is disagreement among the sources on dharma about precisely when, or the particular form it should take. A number of accounts involve inserting a pounded substance (prepared, for example, from a nyagrodha tree) into the wife's right nostril.
India history and geography
Source: Project Gutenberg: Castes and Tribes of Southern India, Volume 1Pumsavana refers to one of those ceremonies of the Nambutiris performed after marriage, during pregnancy or during the birth of a child. Pumsavana is performed in the third month of pregnancy for the purpose of securing male offspring. The desire of the Hindu for male rather than female children need not be dilated on. Putra (a son) is the one who saves from hell (put). It is by every religious text made clear that it is the duty of every man to produce a son. The Nambutiri may have practically any number of wives in succession, until he begets a son by one of them, and he may adopt a son through the sarvasvadanam form of marriage. On the day devoted to the Pumsavana ceremony, the wife fasts until she is fed by her husband with one grain of corn, symbolizing the generative organs of the male.
The history of India traces the identification of countries, villages, towns and other regions of India, as well as mythology, zoology, royal dynasties, rulers, tribes, local festivities and traditions and regional languages. Ancient India enjoyed religious freedom and encourages the path of Dharma, a concept common to Buddhism, Hinduism, and Jainism.
Languages of India and abroad
Sanskrit dictionary
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Shabda-Sagara Sanskrit-English DictionaryPuṃsavana (पुंसवन).—n.
(-naṃ) The first of the essential ceremonies of Hindu initiation; a religious and domestic festival held on a woman’s perceiving the first signs of a living conception. 2. Milk. 3. Fetus. E. pum a male, sū to bear aff. lyuṭ .
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Benfey Sanskrit-English DictionaryPuṃsavana (पुंसवन).—i. e. puṃs-savana, adj. 1. Causing the birth of a male child, [Bhāgavata-Purāṇa, (ed. Burnouf.)] 9, 6, 28. 2. n. with or without vrata, A religious and domestic festival, held on the mother’s perceiving the first signs of a living conception, [Bhāgavata-Purāṇa, (ed. Burnouf.)] 6, 19, 1. Ii. n. Fœtus, 5, 24, 15.
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Cappeller Sanskrit-English DictionaryPuṃsavana (पुंसवन).—[adjective] bringing forth a male; [neuter] (±vrata) a cert. ceremony to get a son.
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Aufrecht Catalogus Catalogorum1) Puṃsavana (पुंसवन) as mentioned in Aufrecht’s Catalogus Catalogorum:—prayoga. Oppert. Ii. 6921.
2) Puṃsavana (पुंसवन):—prayoga. Gov. Or. Libr. Madras 51.
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary1) Puṃsavana (पुंसवन):—[=puṃ-savana] [from puṃ > puṃs] mfn. bringing forth a male, producing a m° child, [Bhāgavata-purāṇa; Caraka]
2) [v.s. ...] n. (with or sc. vrata), ‘male-production rite’, Name of the 2nd of the 12 Saṃskāras performed in the third month of gestation and before the period of quickening, [Gṛhya-sūtra; Mahābhārata] etc. (cf. [Religious Thought and Life in India 353; 355])
3) [v.s. ...] a fetus, [Bhāgavata-purāṇa]
4) [v.s. ...] milk, [cf. Lexicographers, esp. such as amarasiṃha, halāyudha, hemacandra, etc.]
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Yates Sanskrit-English DictionaryPuṃsavana (पुंसवन):—[puṃ-savana] (naṃ) 1. n. Festival held on the mother’s perceiving the signs of a living conception; milk.
[Sanskrit to German]
Sanskrit, also spelled संस्कृतम् (saṃskṛtam), is an ancient language of India commonly seen as the grandmother of the Indo-European language family (even English!). Closely allied with Prakrit and Pali, Sanskrit is more exhaustive in both grammar and terms and has the most extensive collection of literature in the world, greatly surpassing its sister-languages Greek and Latin.
Hindi dictionary
Source: DDSA: A practical Hindi-English dictionaryPuṃsavana (पुंसवन):—(nm) a ceremony which is performed during the third month of conception.
...
Kannada-English dictionary
Source: Alar: Kannada-English corpusPuṃsavana (ಪುಂಸವನ):—[noun] a ritual observed during the early stage of a woman’s pregnancy, with the desire of having a male child.
Kannada is a Dravidian language (as opposed to the Indo-European language family) mainly spoken in the southwestern region of India.
See also (Relevant definitions)
Starts with: Pumcavanam, Pumsavanadiprayoga, Pumsavanaprayoga, Pumsavanavidhi.
Full-text: Paumsavana, Shungakarman, Samskara, Pumsavanaprayoga, Pumcavanam, Pumsavanadiprayoga, Kshetrasamskara, Pumsuvana, Pumsa, Pakayajna, Sharadandayani, Sthapana, Udvasa, Kushanda, Sthapanama, Marut, Savana, Kunda.
Relevant text
Search found 30 books and stories containing Pumsavana, Puṃsavana, Pum-savana, Puṃ-savana; (plurals include: Pumsavanas, Puṃsavanas, savanas). You can also click to the full overview containing English textual excerpts. Below are direct links for the most relevant articles:
Women in the Atharva-veda Samhita (by Pranab Jyoti Kalita)
2. Rites Related to Birth (c): Puṃsavana < [Chapter 5 - Women in the Rites and Rituals of the Atharvaveda]
5b. Hymns to Obtain a Son < [Chapter 2 - The Strīkarmāṇi Hymns of the Atharvaveda]
1. Woman in the Family and as a Daughter < [Chapter 3 - The Familial and Social Life of Women in the Atharvaveda]
Khadira-grihya-sutra (by Hermann Oldenberg)
Manusmriti with the Commentary of Medhatithi (by Ganganatha Jha)
Verse 2.27 < [Section VIII - Duties and Sacraments]
Verse 2.26 < [Section VIII - Duties and Sacraments]
Formal Education System in Ancient India (by Sushmita Nath)
Number of Saṃskāras < [Chapter 2 - Rituals of the Education System]
Meaning of the word Saṃskāra < [Chapter 2 - Rituals of the Education System]
Asvalayana-grihya-sutra (by Hermann Oldenberg)
Gobhila-grihya-sutra (by Hermann Oldenberg)
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