Talk:Dharma sastra-Saṃskāra-Garbhādhānaṃ
By Jammalamadaka Srinivas & Jammalamadaka Suryanarayana
Sometimes transliterated as: Garbhaadhaanam, Garbhadhanam, Garbhadaanam, Garbhadanam
In almost all Gṛhya sūtras, 'Garbhādhānaṃ' is the first saṃskāra prescribed. The word garbhādhānaṃ literally means impregnation. A woman gets pregnant because of the intercourse she has with her husband. The difference between general intercourse and garbhādhāna is following a set of rules prescribed by Dharma śāstra.
Garbhaḥ saṃdhāryatē yēna karmaṇā tad garbhādhānaṃ[1]
The concept of marriage and giving birth[edit]
In the Indian tradition, marriage is not a mere relationship with a person of the opposite sex, but it is also one of the fifteen saṃskāras, which is helpful in cleansing and enriching our body and soul to attain the eternal truth. The whole act of marriage and the responsibilities they derive after it, is designed in such a manner that he is intended to become the torch bearer of the tradition.
One is authorized to perform various rituals, which help the natural balance in the world. One will become the custodian of the people, who work selflessly for the society[2]. One of the responsibility of an individual is to build the future generations. To fulfill it, the tradition prescribes garbhādhānaṃ to him.
Jāyamānō vai brāhmaṇaḥ tribhiḥṛṇavān jāyatē, brahmacaryēṇa ṛṣibhyō, yaṅyena dēvēbhyō, prajayā pitṛbhyō, ēṣa vā anṛṇō yaḥ putrī yajvā brhmacārī vā syāt - taittirīyaṃ
According to the Taittirīya yajurvēdaḥ, a person is born with a debt to at least three personalities.
- Ṛṣiḥ - Age old sages, who laid foundations of tradition by their literature.
- Dēvaḥ - Gods, who created and are maintaining nature.
- Pitṛ dēvaḥ - Ancestors, who are responsible for the lineage.
To clear these debts one is shown a clear way by the tradition. 'Brahmacaryaṃ'[3] clears the debt towards Ṛṣiḥ. 'Yagṅādi karmānuṣṭānaṃ'[4] clears the debt towards Dēvaḥ and 'Prajōtpattiḥ'[5] clears the debt towards Pitṛ dēvaḥ.
Procedure[edit]
At the end of three days after first appearance of menstruation when wife is bathed husband should make her pound rice which is to be used for sthālīpāka. And then on the next morning, after performing sthālīpāka, along with ghee he sacrifices little by little from sthālīpāka to Agni, Anumati and Savitṛ. After that he takes out the rest of the rice , eats it and after having eaten he gives some of it to his wife.
Other details[edit]
The smṛtis and nibandhas add many details regarding the apt time for intercourse in order to get wife impregnated. Āpastambha Gṛhya Sūtra says -
chaturthiprabhṛtyāṣoḍaśīmuttarāmuttara-yugmāṃ prajaniśreyasamṛtugamana ityupadiśanti[6]
each of the even nights from the 4th to 16th (after the beginning of monthly menses) are more and more suited for excellence of offspring.
Manusmṛti says -
Ṛtussvābhāvikaḥ strīṇāṃ rātrayah ṣōḍaṣa smṛtāḥ| ........ tāsāmādyaścatasrastu niṃditaikādaśī ca yā| trayodaśī ca śeṣāstu praśstā smṛtāḥ||[7]
In those 16 days (from the beginning of monthly menses), during the first 4 days when the female has natural bleeding mostly, are to be abstained from intercourse. The 11th and 13th day are not advised for intercourse. Therefore 10 days are considered to be the best time for intercourse. During those 10 days also, auspicious days and some tithis like amāvāsya, aṣṭamī, paurṇamāsī, chaturdaśī are to be left out.
Nibandhas lke Dharmasindhu and Nirṇayasindhu have elaborated discussions about months, tithis, weeks, days, nakṣatras, colour of clothes that were deemed to be inauspicious for the first appearance of menses and about the śāntis [8] for averting their evil effects.
Most of these works state that couple desirous of male issue should cohabit on the even days from the 4th day after the appearance of menses and if the couple cohabits on uneven days a female child is born.
These instructions are for those couples who can control their kāma[9] As yajnavalkya says:
Yathākāmī bhavedvāpi strīṇāṃ varamanusmaran| svadāranirataiśca striyo rakṣyā yataḥ smṛtāḥ||[10]
If the couple cannot abstain from intercourse in the said way, they are advised to have intercourse according to their kāma. The consent of the wife is to be sought in this situation. If there is an agreement form the wife then the couple may have intercourse. Because it is the duty of the husband to fulfill and respect the desires of his wife.
Saṃskāra to Mother or Chiild?[edit]
There is a difference of opinion on the saṃskāra weather it is a saṃskāra for the garbha i.e. the child in the womb or of the woman. Gautama Dharma Sūtra-8-24, Manu smṛti-1-16, Yājnavalkya smṛti-1-10 indicate that garbhādhāna is a saṃskāra of the garbha and not the woman. Viśvarūpa, commentary on Yājnavalkaya smṛti asserts that all saṃskāras other than sīmantonnayana are to be performed again and again as they are samskāras to the garbha. While sīmantonnayana is a saṃskāra of the woman it has to be performed only once[11].
According to some garbhādhāna saṃskāra is to be performed with mantras only once after marriage at the time of first cohabitation. While others opine that it is to be performed after every menstruation till conception. Saṃskāratattva opines that garbhādhāna, puṃsvana and sīmantonnayana are saṃskāras of the woman and are to be performed only once.
References[edit]
- ↑ Pūrvamīmāmsā
- ↑ After marriage, one should take care of the students, who study traditional literature. One should also take care of the saṃnyāsī, who left everything in search of the eternal truth.
- ↑ It means celibacy and studying the traditional literature with all focus.
- ↑ It means performing the traditional rituals like sacrificial rites to attain the welfare of the gods.
- ↑ It means marring a good partner and giving birth to the next generation thereby adding to ancestral lineage.
- ↑ Āpastambha Gṛhya Sūtra - 9-1
- ↑ manu smṛti-3|46, smṛti muktāphalaṃ, p.no.74
- ↑ propitiatory rites
- ↑ It means sexual desire.
- ↑ yājnvalkya smṛti, smṛti muktāphalam, p. no. 74
- ↑ pratigarbhaṃ cāpasīmantonnayanāḥ pravartante, tasya strīsaṃskāratvāt - viśvarūpa on yājnavalkya smṛti-1-10