It is performed immediately after the child is born. (for convenience yagna may be done with the Namakarana samskara).
It is said in the sastras that as long as a child is joined with the mother by the navel pipe, the child is considered to be of one body with the mother, but as soon as the pipe is cut and the child is separated from the mother, the purificatory process of Jata-karma is performed.
The most important step in this samskara are ritual asking for a good intelligence (touching baby's lips with gold mixed with ghee and honey / medha-jana), and purification- a purificatory bath and first suckling (breast-feeding/stana-pradana).
It is a way to wish the baby good health, prosperity, and protection from negative energies. It is also considered to be a symbolic gesture of love and affection towards the baby.
The Nama Karan samskara is considered an important event in a baby's life because it marks the beginning of their social identity and relationship with the community. It is also a way for the family to express their love and affection for the baby and to seek blessings for their future success and happiness.
Fire yagna is performed on 11th, or 101 days or 1st birth anniversary.
Choosing Name:
• The name has to be meticulously chosen using one’s wisdom and intelligence. The baby is given a name based on the family's customs and traditions, as well as the auspiciousness of the name. The name is often chosen based on the baby's horoscope, the position of the stars and planets at the time of their birth, or the names of important deities or historical figures.
• The name has the potential to mould one’s personality, behaviour and character as the qualities and characteristics associated with the name is said to be manifested in the person's behaviour and character. The sound vibration which follow and identify the person for a greater part of his life will have positive or negative effect on him or her.
In this occasion, the child for the first time comes in contact with this beautiful creation of Lord. The child is blessed under the showers of Sun (seek blessings to have character as bright and mighty as sun), Moon (possesses calm and serene qualities) and introduced to natural element like the sun, the wind and the earth.
This rite is also called as aditya- darsana (seeing the sun), sanctify the child's first contact with outside world.
A newborn baby is considered to be highly vulnerable and susceptible to negative energies during the first few months of their life. Therefore, the Nishkramana samskara is performed to protect the baby from any harmful influences when they leave the house for the first time.
It is recommended that parents bring the child to the temple so he/she may take darsana of Lord and seek blessings of the lord in the temple. The priest performs rituals and chants mantras to bless the baby and protect them from negative energies.
It must be performed on an auspicious day of sixth or eight months after the birth of the child.
Fire yagna is performed and child is fed with food that is first offered to the lord (prasad). During this ceremony, the priest asks Lord Vaisvanara (Visnu) to enter the child’s body to accept the solid foods he will eat throughout his life.
It is a mile stone for the child, learning to transition from milk to first solid food. During the Annaprashana ceremony, the baby is seated on the mother's lap and a priest performs rituals and chants mantras to bless the baby and the food. The baby is then fed rice pudding or other solid food by the parents or the elders of the family.
It is conducted with fire yagna/ havan to seek blessings of Lord Vishnu, the preserver of the universe.
With the desire to seek blessings, purification, this ceremony is performed:
• To ask for health and long life amidst the fire sacrifice or Homa,
• Invoking divine presence of the lord
• Offering of oblations to the Lord in the Agni kund which is considered mouth of Lord
• For fire is one of the purifying agents and by invoking Agni, we Purify the
existence in the presence of the Lord.
The ears should be pierced for protection of child from disease and for decoration. The piercing is usually done on the earlobes, which are believed to be connected to important energy points in the body.
The ears should be pierced with gold, silver, metal needle with one stroke. The right ear should be pierced first if it's a boy and left ear if it's a girl.
Objective:
Health Benefits
• It is believed that piercing the earlobes helps in maintaining good health and prevents diseases. According to Ayurveda, the earlobe is associated with the acupuncture points that are related to the respiratory and digestive systems. Piercing the earlobes is believed to help in maintaining the balance of these systems and promoting good health.
• Increase brain power and concentration
• Behind the ear lobe there is a natural, small microscopic depression which contains nerve endings linked with diseases like bronchial asthma, cough and tuberculosis.
• The metal (like gold or copper) earrings are believed to help in maintaining the flow of electric current in a human body.
• Helps in maintaining the regularity in the menstrual cycle of a girl and keeps hernia away, (as a form of acupuncture practice)
The Mundan samskara is performed as a symbol of new beginning, purification and renewal. The hair is considered a symbol of impurities and negative energy, and shaving the head is believed to cleanse the child's soul, body and mind. The ceremony is also believed to promote good health and longevity and have a significant impact on their physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being.
The first hairs of the new born is considered impure. Hence it is recommended to shave them before 1 year of age after birth. It should be done for both male and female child, unlike in Chudakarna (for boys only).
After the head shave, the child is given bath, new clothes are worn and application of turmeric and sandalwood paste on the child's head. Homa or fire yagna is also performed, offerings are made by priests and the families and guests are invited for seeking blessings and served feast.
“Vedic Samskaras are special spiritual prayers to the omnipotent protector, the Lord, to seek His grace and guidance in modifying our lives” Quote
Objective:
• At the time of birth, we bring along animalistic tendencies from the previous birth through nails, hairs, etc hence it is considered impure and this samskara helps to get rid of these things.
• Symbolically hair is considered to represent our raga-dveshas– passion and hatred. The reason for using hair and no other organs as a symbol, is because it is countless, and so does our sins, accumulated over several cycles of births. Shaving of the hair symbolizes the removal of sins.
• This Samskara is performed in order to attain longevity, strength, radiance and protection. The cut hair is gathered into a cow-dung and disposed of in a river or buried.
• According to Sushruta, the cutting of hairs gives lightness, prosperity, courage and happiness.
• This Samskara gives a chance for examination of skull and growth of hair.
We are here to connect you to the divine
|| हरे कृष्ण हरे कृष्ण कृष्ण कृष्ण हरे हरे हरे राम हरे राम राम राम हरे हरे ||
