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TILAKAMANJARĪ OF DHANAPALA
This ceremony with reference to Harivāhana and Malayasundari can be presumed to have been performed at the time of the Nāmakarana which took place on the expiry of the tenth day after the birth of the two children as illustrated by Dhanapāla.
The Annaprāśana
For quite some time the child was nourished on the breasts of the mother but gradually as it grew it required richer nourishment when the quantity of milk in the mother's breasts also diminished. According to the Grhyasūtras and the Smstis of Manu and Yājñavalkya advocated the age of six months as suited for this Samskāra. But Laugāksi advocated the time when the child grew teeth or when it could digest solid food. Giving food before the fourth month was strictly prohibited. The last limit was one year, however, mixture of curd, honey, ghee, flesh of the birds Bhāradvāja, Kapiñjala and ghee in abundance were also prescribed.'
Harivāhana has been described by Dhanapāla as being nourished on the breasts of the nurses who had delivered quite recently getting thereby the radiance of his physical frame. His Annaprāśana and allied sacraments were performed by the ecclesiast or Chaplain (Purodhā) himself, who was a second Brahman as it were and who was conversant with the entire ritual sponsored by the Vedic lore.2 The term
"3242HIGHackia !" implies the performance of the "Cüdäkarana' and 'Karnavedha sacraments also in case these were essential for a Ksatriya also. The first i.e. 'Cudākarana' was performed in order to keep away the ring worms on the head which wore short hair. While the second or the 'Karnavedha' or the boring of ears was performed in order to escape the diseases of hydrocele and hernia.
The first was performed at the end of the first year or before the expiry of the third year while the second was performed on the tenth, the twelfth or
1. Hindu Samskāras., p. 87 2. Ibid. pp 90-91. 3. क्रमेण च प्रसवदिवसादारभ्य तत्कालोपजातप्रसवाभिरभिनवयौवनोपचितपरिमण्डलस्तनीभिरव्यङ्गनीरोगाङ्गयष्टिभिरिष्ट
विप्रयोगादिभिर्दुःखैरनुपातप्ताभिराप्ततया निपुणमवधृताभिर्धात्रीभिरनवरतमुपचर्यमाणस्य शुद्धपक्षचन्द्रमस इव प्रतिदिवसोपचीयमानदेहावयवकान्तेरखिलवेदोक्ताविधिविदा वेधसेवापरेण स्वयं पुरोधसा निवर्तितानप्राशनादिसकल
re.... etc. TM Vol. II pp. 186-187. 4. Hindu Samskāras p. 94. 5. Ibid. p. 96.
