Women in the Atharva-veda Samhita
by Pranab Jyoti Kalita | 2017 | 62,142 words
This page relates ‘Charm to Deprive One from Getting a Male Child’ of the study on women in the Vedic society reflecting the Atharva-veda Samhita in English. These pages discusses the social aspects of women, education, customs of marriage, practices of polyandry and polygamy, descriptions of female deities and various rites and rituals. It is shown how women earned much praise in ancient Indian society. Included are Sanskrit text and references of the Atharvaveda and commentary by Sayana-Acharya.
3(h). Charm to Deprive One from Getting a Male Child
[Full title: 3. Rites Related to Love and Jealousy, (h): Charm to Deprive One from Getting a Male Child]
To deprive a couple from getting a male child, the urine of a mule being rubbed with a stone was mixed with rice and this mixture was offered to the woman to partake.[1] Her ornaments were also sprinkled with that urine[2] and then, the performer looked at the parting of her hair.[3] This was performed by reciting the Atharvavedic verse, agne jātān…, etc. (7.34.1), and na vīraṃ janayet…, etc. (7.35.1).[4]
Footnotes and references:
[1]:
[2]:
Ibid.
[3]:
sīmantamanvīkṣate / Ibid., 36.34
[4]:
Ibid., 36.33