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LIFE IN ANCIENT INDIA
painting-hall where having seen the painted deer she had a craving to eat their flesh 31 Khandasiri was another woman who had a desire to taste plenty of food, drink, spices, sweetmeats and wine.
MISCARRIAGE Cases of miscarriage were not uncommon The Vivāgasüra tells us of the queen Miyadevi who, since the onset of her conception, felt intense pain in her body and became disagreeable to her husband Miyadevi imagined that her fall from her husband's favours was due to her prognancy, so she made up her mind for abortion. She took various kinds of alkalis (khāra), bitters (kaduya) and astringents which cause abortion, but failed to carry out her purpose and carried the pregnancy in sorrow In course of time, Miyadevi gave birth to a totally blind boy. She called her nurse (ammadhar) and asked her to leave the child on the dunghill (ukku udiyi). When the king came to know of this he immediately visited thc queen and stopped her from doing so, since it was her first child.38
BIRTH The birth of a child was an occasion for great rejoicing in, ancient India. We are told that after a period of nine months and seven days and a half queen Dhārinigave birth to Meghakumāra. King Seniya was pleased to hear the news, he gave away all his ornaments except the diadem to the chamber-women (angapadıyâriyão), anointed their head and, manumitting them, gave them manifold presents. In honour of the auspicious event, king Seniya ordered his chamberlain to declare a general amnesty to the prisoners (căragasohana) and to clear the city and to decorate it with flowers, garlands, etc. The prices of the goods were lowered and the king having sent for the eighteen corporations asked them to celebrate the birthday for ten days During this period of rejoicing tolls or taxes (ussunkamukkaram) were suspended, agricultural operation (ukkıttha), selling, weighing unwelcome visit of the police officers(abhadappavesam) and the payment of debt were held in abeyance for the time being Excellent women of pleasure and actors, clappers and drummers participated in the festivals.
On the first day the parents observed the payakamma ceremony when the navel vein (nāla) of the child was cut and buried under the earth The second day jāgarıkā or the whole night vigil was celebrated The thud day the ceremony of showing the moon and the sun (candasúradamsanira) to the baby was performed. Then for seven days there was a great rejoicing in the city. The cleventh day was the day of purification (surkamma) when the impurity caused by the birth of the child ended On the twelfth day the lustatory and birth rites were over and food, drinks, sweet
31 Pind N17 80 89 Vizā 3, p. 23 For pregnancy longings see also Susruta Samhita, Sairasthāna, ch, III,
pp. 90-92, also cf Mahālagga X, 25, p. 343. Also Kathasaritsõgara, Appendix 111,
PP 221-8 31 1, p. 9; also Ava. cū. II, p. 186.
