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SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC CONDITIONS
335
According to the ancient texts -
"The Jätakarma ceremony was performed before the severing of the navel cord. This seems to have been the original time, but later writers state that if the time expired it was performed at the end of the ceremonial impurity of ten days or if the birth took place during the impurity caused by a death in the family the ceremony was postponed until its expiry. In later times the moment of birth was noted with meticulous care for preparing horoscope as it was thought to be a determining factor in the life of the child. Then the good news was brought to the father. Different sentiments were expressed at the birth of a boy and a girl, as different prospects were depending on them. The first born was liked to be a boy, as he freed the father from all ancestral debts. But for a sensibleman a girl was not less meritorious, because her gift in marriage brought merits to the father. After this the father went to the mother in order to see the face of the son, because by looking at the face of the new-born son the father is absolved from all debts and attains immortality. Having seen the face of the child, he bathed with his clothes on, invited the elders and performed the Nandi Sraddha and the Jātakarma ceremony. Nandi Śraddha is an auspicious one. Thereafter the 'Medha-janana', Ayuşya and 'prayers for strength of the child were performed." Dhanapala has practically followed this pattern. The king consulted the astrologers regarding the hour of birth of his son and took his bath and performed other rites. The ladies of the harem performed all the charms to scare away and ward off the evil spirits and other wicked elements likely to prove harmful to the health of the child. The burning of incense and incense of amber is believed to be the means to ward off these evils. The plaster of white sandal in the courtyard, the drawing of Svastika marks, the hanging of mango sprout-wreaths, presenting of blown lotuses and spraying of propitiatory water- all these constitute the scope of the Jātakarma Samskāra. The adoration of Saṣṭhidevi, Jātamātṛpaṇala, the drawing of lines of ashes, maintaining of the cups brimming with water suffused with dry ginger syrup etc. equally maintain the tempo of the ritual which marks the security of the health of the child immediately after birth.
प्रशस्तालापिना सकललौकिकाचारकुशलेन कुरुत हरिचन्दनोपलेपहारि मन्दिराङ्गणम् रचयत स्थानस्थानेषु रत्नचूर्णस्वस्तिकान् दत्त द्वारि नूतनं चूतपल्लवदाम, विकिरतान्तरुत्फुल्लपंकजोपहारम् कारयत सर्वतः शान्तिसलिलक्षेपमकृतकालक्षेपम् आहरत भगवत पष्ठीदेवीम् आलिखत जातमातृपटलम् आरभध्वमार्यवृद्धासपर्याम्, निधत पर्यन्तेषु शयनस्य सद्याभिमन्त्रिता रक्षाभूतिरेखाम् इत्यादि जल्पता तल्पनिकटोपविष्टेन शुद्धान्तजरतीजनेन क्रियामाणविविधशिशुरक्षाविद्यानमविरतचलत्तालवृन्तनिर्वाप्यमाणसनागरक्षोदपानोदकशरावमधिकोदञ्चितात्मभिरचंचला --वस्थानस्त्थाय विस्मितैरिव त्रिभुवनातिशायिशोभमभंकरूपमवलोकयद्भिर्मङ्गलप्रदीप प्रकाशिताभ्यन्तरमदूरस्थितात्मव्यापारसत्वरसूतिकं प्रियाया: प्रसूतिगृहमाविशत्। TM Vol. II pp. 184-185.
I. Ilindu Samskaras pp. 73-77.
