Prapāṭhaka II, Kāṇḍikā 7

1.^[1] Now (follows) the Sīmantakaraṇa (or parting of the hair), in her first pregnancy,—

2. In the fourth, or sixth, or eighth month (of her pregnancy).

3.^[2] In the morning, after she has been washed, sitting on northward-pointed Darbha grass, (all over her body), including her head, she sits down to the west of the fire on northward-pointed Darbha grass, facing the east.

4.^[3] Her husband, standing behind her, ties (to her neck) an Udumbara branch with an even number of unripe fruits on it, with (the verse), 'Rich in sap is this tree' (MB. I, 5, 1).

5. He then parts her hair upwards (i.e. beginning from the front), the first time with Darbha blades, with (the word), 'Bhūḥ!' the second time with (the word), 'Bhuvaḥ!' the third time with (the word), 'Svaḥ!'—

6. Then with (a splint of) Vīratara (wood) with this verse, 'With which Aditi's' (ibid. 2);

7. Then with a full spindle, with this verse, 'I invoke Rākā' (ibid. 3. 4)

8. And with a porcupine's quill that has three white spots, with (the verse), 'Which are thy blessings, O Rākā' (ibid. 5).

9. (There should be prepared) a mess of boiled rice with sesamum seeds, covered with ghee; at that he should make her look.

10. Let him say to her, 'What dost thou see?' and make her answer, 'Offspring!'

11. That (food) she should eat herself.

12. Brāhmaṇa women should sit by her side, pronouncing auspicious words (such as), 'A mother of valiant sons! A mother of living sons! A living husband's wife!'

13.^[4] Now (follows) the sacrifice for the woman in labour.

14. When the child is appearing, he strews (Darbha grass) round the fire and sacrifices two Ājya oblations with this verse, 'She who athwart' (MB. I, 5, 6), and with (the verse), 'Vipaścit has taken away' (ibid. 7).

15. 'A male he will be born, N.N. by name'—(in this passage of the last verse) he pronounces a name.

16. What that (name is), is kept secret.

17.^[5] When they announce to him that a son has been born, he should say, 'Delay still cutting off the navel-string and giving him the breast.'

18.^[6] Let him have rice and barley-grains pounded in the same way as the (Nyagrodha) shoot.

19.^[7] Seizing (that pounded śubstance) with the thumb and the fourth finger of his right hand, he smears it on the tongue of the boy, with the formula, 'This order' (MB. I, 5, 8).

20. In the same way the production of intelligence (is performed). He should give to eat (to the child) clarified butter.

21. Or he takes it with gold (i.e. with a golden spoon) and sacrifices it on the face of the boy with this verse, 'May Mitra and Varuṇa bestow intelligence on thee' (MB. I, 5, 9), and with (the verse), 'The lord of the seat, the wonderful' (Sāma-veda I, 171).

22. Let him say, 'Cut off the navel-string,' and, 'Give the breast (to the child).'

23.^[8] From that time let him not touch (his wife) until ten nights have passed.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

7, 1. seq. The Sīmantakaraṇa or Sīmantonnayana. Khādira-Gṛhya II, 2, 24 seq.

[2]:

This Sūtra is identical with chap. 6, 2.

[3]:

śalāṭugrathnam should be emended, in my opinion, so as to read salāṭugrapsam. Comp. Pāraskara I, 15, 4: yugmena saṭālugrapsenaudumbareṇa. Āśvalāyana I, 14,4: yugmena śalāṭuglapsena. Hiraṇyakeśin II, 1: salātugrapsam upasaṃgṛhya.

[4]:

13 seq. The soṣyantīhoma. Khādira-Gṛhya II, 2, 28 seq.

[5]:

17 seq. Ceremonies for the new-born child (Jātakarman). Khādira-Gṛhya II, 2, 32 seq.

[6]:

See above, chap. 6, 9.

[7]:

Comp. above, chap. 6, 11.

[8]:

The impurity (aśauca) of the mother lasts through ten days after her confinement; comp. the note on Śāṅkhāyana-Gṛhya I, 25, 1 (vol. xxix, p. 51).