The Relevance of Performing Jātakarma Sa skāraṃ (Birth time ritual)

in Modern Context

Dr. K.Y. Srikanth & Dr. J.S.R.A. Prasad Department of Sanskrit Studies,

University of Hyderabad, Prof. C.R. Rao Road, Hyderabad – 500 046

Introduction

The main aim of life is not just the worldly success, but also the achievement of spiritual enlightenment and realization of the supreme self.

To achieve such knowledge, every human has to go through various sa skāraṃ (rituals), right from the birth till death.

The word sa skāraṃ derived from the root 'kŗ' preceded by the prefix 'saṃ', means through refinement, the development of full personality through certain processes which remove the defects inherent in human beings.

The sa skāraṃ are a series of sacraments performed for the overall purification or overall refinement of an individual

Purpose of sa skārasṃ

Sa skārasṃ are a series of sacraments and rituals that serve as a rite of passage and it marks important events at different stages of life of an individual.

They signify several mile stones of the child periodically representing the growth and development and extend the required strength and support during the process of maturity.

o aśaṢ ḍ sa skāraṃ s

In ancient times there were many sa skāraṃ s eventually the number came down to forty and sm tiṛ considered o aśa ṣ ḍ sa skārasṃ i.e. 16 in number.

They are as follows :-

1. Garbhādhāna (Rite for conception):

The rite through which a man places his seed in a woman is called “Garbhādhāna”. The age of male above 25 years and female above 16 years were recommended2.

2. Pu savanaṃ sa skāraṃ :

It is performed after conception. The procedure to be adopted for achieving progeny of desired sex is known as Pu savanaṃ karma”.

alha aḌ ṇ , a commentator of Suś ta Sa hitāṛ ṃ has explained that this process is done with three objectives.

Pre-conception for achievement of conception. Immediately after conception for its proper

implantation. Post conception with in 2 months for having male

progeny3.

3. The Sīmantonnayana (Hair-parting): Performed on pregnant women either in 4th, 6th, or

8th month as per conventions in order to identify and support the conception and the welfare of the child too.

It is also a symbolic ritual where the husband makes a boundary on the head of the wife by parting the hair.

In fourth month, the fetus expresses desires in the objects of the sense organs. If she does not get her desires fulfilled, then the women gives birth to a child having troubles (abnormalities) in the concerned sense organs.

4. Jātakarma (Birth rites):

The first sa skāraṃ to be done after birth is the Jātakarma. The child is made to lick a mixture of honey and ghee while the mantras are being chanted.

5. Nāmakarana (Naming ceremony):

It is performed on the 10th or 11th day if child health doesn't permits it can be postponed to 100th day. This sa skāraṃ is of great significance as the child shall be called and identified by the name through out the life.

6.Ni krama aṣ ṇ (First outing): Ni krama aṣ ṇ is taking the child for the first time outside the house in the fourth month after birth usually to the temple. By this time the child should develop head control, react to social contact by a smile or laugh and produces sounds with pleasure 6.

7.Annaprāśana (Feeding the child with solid food) : As the child grows more amount and different types of food are required. Suś taṛ advised it in 6th month , but Kāsyapa at 10th month, further he advised Phalaprāśana at 6 th month.

8. Cū ākara aḍ ṇ (Tonsuring head)

In this sa skāraṃ head is well shaved by leaving tufts of hair at the top of the head in 1st, 3rd or 5th year.

9. Kar avedhaṇ (Piercing earlobes)

Piercing the ear lobules of the child during 6th, 7th,8thor10th month acts as rak ākarmaṣ and ābhū a aṣ ṇ . This sa skāraṃ acts as initiating immunization mechanism from wound and also for ornamental purpose8.

10.Vidyārambha/Ak aralekhana ṣ (Learning alphabet)

The Vidyārambha sa skāraṃ is performed at the age of 5 years on an auspicious day to mark the beginning of education and alphabets are taught.

11.Upanayana (Sacred thread ceremony)

This sa skāraṃ constitutes ceremonially putting on a sacred thread. The child enters studentship and a perfect discipline called 'brahmacarya' (celibacy). It is performed at 8, 11, 12 years continued upto a maximum age limit of 24 years.

12. Vedārambha (Beginning of Vedic study)

It is the learning of Vedas and Upanishads. In this sa skāraṃ , each student, according to his lineage,

masters his own branch of the Vedas i.e. learning of professional course after primary education.

13. Keśānta (Shaving the beard)

This samskāra is connected with the first shaving of beard performed after 16 years. It represents the development of secondary sexual charecters.

14. Samāvartana (End of studentship)

It is the ceremony associated with the end of study of Vedas. This ceremony marks the end of student hood and Brahmacarya Āshrama followed by entry into the domestic life.

15. Vivāha (Marriage Ceremony)

Marriage is advised for a male after 21 years and for a female after 12 year; but Garbhādhana is specified after 4 years of marriage duly explaining the reason that reproductive abilities are more optimum and ideal at 25 and 16 years in male and female respectively.

16. Antye iṣṭ (Death rites)

Antye iṣṭ means last rites, sometimes referred to as Antima samskāra, are the rituals associated with funeral i.e. cremation after death when ātma reaches the new abode9.

Jātakarma Kālidāsa's Raghuva śaṃ is such a text, which not

only tells about the Raghu's dynasty, their life style but also speaks about some medical concepts, is noteworthy.

Kālidāsa refers to a ritual called 'Jātakarma', which was performed after the prince was born to King Dilīpa.

स जातकमर णयिखले तपिसवना तपोवनादेतय परुोधसा कृ ते| िदलीपसनू ुमर िणराकरोदवः प्रक्तसंसकार इवािधकं बभौ॥ ३-१८

"जात: संसकायर: यिसमन् कमरिण तत् जातकमर" । The sa skāraṃ performed immediately after child

birth is called Jātakarma.

कुमार ंजातं पुरान्यरैालभंात् सिपरमधुनी िहिरणयिनकाषं िहिरणयेन प्राशयेत् । ( Aśvalāyana Gṛhyasūtra 1.15.1)

In this sa skāraṃ the father has to chant the specific mantras into the right ear of new born and feed the mixture of the madhu, gh taṛ and svar aṇ bhasma to the new born followed by breast feeding to the child.

(Dharmasindhu Sāra)

“ On the arrival of family priest Vashishta from ascetic woods all the purificatory birth time rituals (Jātakarma) in respect of Dilīpa's son have been completed, and on performing those rituals that boy brightened like a polished gem”.

The importance of this sa skāraṃ is Āyu yaṣ (Longivity) Balājanana (Strengthening) Medhojanana (Intellect) Rak oghnaṣ (Protection) of the new born.

Need of Jātakarma in modern times

“Globally infections, asphyxia and prematurity are the leading causes of neonatal deaths. A similar pattern is seen in India where they contribute to 33, 21 and 15 percent of the total neonatal deaths respectively. A large proportion of neonatal mortality is contributed by infections, a preventable cause. Nearly 3/4th of neonatal deaths occur within 7 days of life”10. (New born health in India, WHO)

Though vaccination is started from day one, these

vaccines are unable to protect the child from the diseases caused by bacterial, viral infections moreover they are disease specific.

The vaccine takes almost 2-3 months for activation of immune system and to produce the specific immuno-globulines against specific antigen.

Day by day, many new infectious agents are detected and most of the vaccines are under study. So these are the major lacunas that lead to increase in perinatal infections.

So, there is a need to make available immuno-modulating agent which boosts up the immune system of the body and helps the infant to combat against infection.

Method of performing Jātakarma:

According to Ācārya Caraka

अतोऽनन्तरं जातकमर कुमारसय कायरम् । तद्यथा- मधुसिपरषी मन्त्रोपमिन्त्रते यथाम्नायं प्रथम ंप्रािशतु ंदद्यात् ।

सतनमत ऊर्ध्वरमेतेनवै िविधना दिक्षिण ंपातु ंपरुसतात ्प्रयच्छेत ्।अथातः शीषरतः सथापयेददुकुम्भं मन्त्रोपमिन्त्रतम्।।

Caraka Sa ihatā śarīrasthānaṃ 8 / 46

Birth rites of the new born are performed as follows :

The child should be made to lick the mixture of honey and ghee and mantras should be chanted during the administration.

Thereafter, following the same procedure, milk from

the right breast should be given to the child at first. An earthen jar filled with water should be

impregnated with mantras and kept near the head of the child12.

According to Ācārya Suś taṛ

The child is made to lick the Svarna bhasma, mixed with madhu and ghrita by the index finger immediately after birth. alha aḌ ṇ commentator on Suś taṛ , specified its dose as 1 gunja (~125 mg)13.

According to Vāgbha aṭ

The Leha is prepared with Kalka of aindrī (Citrillus colocynthis), bāhmī (Bacopa monnieri), vacā (Acorus calamus), śa kapu pī ṅ ṣ (Convolvulus pluricaulis) is mixed with madhu and gh taṛ in 1 harenu māra kept in the Aśvattha leaf shaped vessel made up of gold and administered with the tip of kuśa grass.

The cūr aṇ of the bāhmī, Balā (Sida cordifolia), Ananta (Suvarna according to alha aḌ ṇ ) and śatavarī (Aspargus racemosus) is to be given to child14.

Vāgbha aṭ II mentioned the following sacred hymn

should be chanted into child's right ear

“अंङ्गादङ्गातसम्भविस ह्रदयादिभजायसे! आतमा वै पतु्रनामािस सञ्जीव

शरदां शतम्!! शतायःु शतवषोऽिस दीघरमायरुवाप्नुिहि! नक्षित्रािण िदशो राित्ररहिश तवाऽिभरक्षितु !!” A ā ga H daya, uttarasthānaṣṭ ṅ ṛ 1.3-4

“You have been born from every organ of the body and heart (of the father); You are myself in the form of son; may you attain long life, let the stars, the quarters, nights and days protect you15.”

Sāra gadhara Sa hitāṅ ṃ

Child is made to lick the svarna bhasma mixed with madhu and gh taṛ .

Kāśyapa Sa ihatāṃ

Pure svarna should be rubbed on a washed stone with a little quantity of water then churned with madhu and gh taṛ . Daily from birth to 1 or 6 months of age17.

Pharmacological activity of Drugs used in Jātakarma

Cow Ghee:

Its digestibility coefficient or rate of absorption is 96% which is highest of all oils and fat. It contains beta-carotene and Vit. E, which are antioxidants themselves. It contains 8% lower saturated fatty acids which make it easily digestible. (Goff.H .D. and A R Hill 1993, Dairy science technology)

Cow’s ghee exhibits anticollesteric activity, memory enhancing activity, immuno-stimulant activity and promotes healing of wounds. Cow ghee also has been seen to stimulate immune processes in experimental animals20.

Honey: The intestines of bees has been found to contain

yeast, gram positive bacteria including Bacillus, Bacteridium, Streptococcus and Clostidium spp. gram negative bacteria including Achromobacter, Citrobacter, Enterobactor, Egwinia, E.coli, Flavobacterium,Klebsiella,Proteu and Pseudomonas. Most bacteria and other microbes cannot grow or reproduce in honey i.e. they are dormant and this is due to antibacterial activity of the honey21. Al somai N et al Honey Russian medical journal,1994.

Brāhmī (Bacopa monnieri)

In 1993, the Central Drug Research of India (CDRI) started clinical trials with brahmi on human volunteers. The research identified 2 active molecules: Bacoside A that assists in the release of nitric oxide allowing relaxation of the aorta and veins and blood to flow more smoothly through the body and aids circulation; and Bacoside B, a protein valued for nourishing nerve cells in the brain.

The Royal Society of British Science called nitric oxide ‘the marvel of the decade’. They found that the nitric oxide in brāhmī has an extremely positive effect on learning and memory recall, as well as on blood circulation and the function of the liver, lungs and kidneys.

Vacā (Acorus Calamus) The alcoholic extract of the root showed marked

antibacterial activity against staphyloccus aureus, Escherichia coli, bacillus subtilis, staphylococcus citreus, bacillus megaterium, salmonella paratyphi A and B, S.marcescens, proteus vulgaris and shigella dysomei. (vashi and patel et al , 1987).

The alcoholic extract of the rhizome exhibited potent antiviral activity in vitro against herpes virus HSV-1 and HSV-2 at a concentration well below the cytotoxic concentration . (Badam et al 1995)

Svarna bhasma (Gold) Specific and non-specific immune responses were modified in a positive manner in Swarna bhasma-treated mice. The doses were in the range of 12.5 to 50 mg/kg body weight. Swarna bhasma had a stimulatory effect on peritoneal macrophages, which may be helpful to fight against infections. (Indian J. Med. Res., 113 ,192, 2001.)

Abraham et. al (1998) explored the potential of colloidal gold as nervine, they conducted a study. They tested cognitive abilities using the Weesler Intelligence Scale before and after 4 weeks on colloidal gold at 30mg/day. After 4 weeks on colloidal gold there was 20% increase in IQ scores.

Importance of administering honey-ghee mixture :

Chanting the mixture of honey and ghee could be a congruent foreign substance (antigen) to the body while honey collected from various flowers is likely to possess a variety of substances or allergens in buffer state.

The pollen of the flower is known allergen;

hence this alarm the baby’s immune mechanism to establish general immunity.

Honey is also the antimicrobial agent as bacteria

or its spores remain in dormant stage and not able to multiply.

Pollens are the best example of the non microbial antigen present in the honey. Antigens have two important characteristics- Immuno-genicity means an ability to provoke an immune response by stimulating the production of specific antibodies, the proliferation of specific T cells or both and Reactivity means it is the ability of the antigen to react specifically with antibodies or cells it provoked.

Ghee may sustains the said property of the honey after entering the system without being immediately metabolized by the liver as fats bypass the liver so as to reach the systemic circulation. Moreover ghee has memory enhancing and immumostimulant activity.

Importance of breast feeding

This elicits the rooting and suckling reflex.

Rooting reflex: when mother holds baby and touches the baby's upper lip, cheek, or the side of the mouth, the child opens his mouth and searches for the nipple with an open mouth.

Suckling reflex is very strong immediately after birth, helps the baby draw out milk from the mother's breast.

When the baby sucks, the nerve endings in the

nipple carry messages to the anterior and posterior Pituitary which in turn, releases hormones Prolactin and Oxytocin respectively. Prolactin acts on the alveolar glands promoting milk secretion. Oxytocin responsible for contraction of myoepithelial cells around the alveoli that causes ejection of milk from the glands.

The earlier the baby is put to the breast, the sooner this reflex is initiated, it is therefore important for mothers to feed early. (Ghai Essential Pediatrics, by O.P. Ghai)

Previous Research works : In 1981 – “ Response of the newborn to madhu-gh taṛ ” by Dr. Kamath M. Sethukumar et al,. In this work madhu & gh taṛ in equal quantities was administered for 7 days to newborn.

After the follow up of 3 months, significant rise in anthropometric measurements and rise of Serum Total Protein and globulin levels of treated babies. The study concluded that this mixture has definite action in triggering the response of immunological system in newborn.

In 2011- Amruta S Gaikwad on effect of madhu-gh ta ṛ and svar a-vacā-madhu-gh ta ṇ ṛ on Neonates in this study they calculated the dose of svar aprāśa ṇyoga for the average weight of 2.5kg Neonate – 5 drops.(daily) which contains 2 drops of madhu and 3 drops of gh taṛ , vacā cūr aṇ – 18mg and svarna bhasma – 0.7 mg.

In the clinical study, madhu-gh taṛ and svar a-ṇvacā-madhu-gh ta ṛ both acts as equivalent immunomodulators for Neonates, they have definite action on immunological system as evidenced by triggering the response of immunological system by a rise in the total proteins and serum Ig G levels as compared to its fall in control group.

Conclusion

Jātakarma is the safest method of administering the drug to the new born for

Āyu ya (Longivity)ṣ Balājanana (Strengthening) Medhojanana (Intellect) Rak oghnaṣ (Protection) Sa v ddhi (Growth & Development)ṃ ṛ

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