Introduction
Of the sixteen samskaras, the first after birth is jatakarma, from "jata", born. It is the moment the family welcomes its new member, blesses the child and thanks God.
Today most babies are born in hospital, where the full old rite is not possible. So many families keep jatakarma very short and symbolic, or hold it at home along with the naming ceremony.
First of all: your family's kul tradition comes first. In some homes the grandfather speaks God's name into the baby's ear, in others the father makes the gesture of writing "ॐ" with a gold stick, in others there is simply a lamp lit at the home shrine. Follow your own custom.
When it is done
According to the Dharmasindhu, jatakarma is done at the time of birth itself. The father bows to the family deity and the elders, sees the child's face, bathes, and then performs the rite.
If it cannot be done then, the Muhūrta-cintāmaṇi (Saṁskāra-prakaraṇa 11) says jatakarma may be held on the 11th or 12th day after birth, or on a later good day. Riktā and parva tithis are left out, and mridu, dhruva, kshipra and chara nakshatras are chosen. The same verse gives the time for naming, so many families hold both rites on one day. The Dharmasindhu too gives a way to perform them together.
The old rite: what the Dharmasindhu describes
The Dharmasindhu sets out the rite in detail. Its main parts are:
- the father's bath and sankalpa, svasti-vachana, punyaha-vachana and matrika worship;
- prayer for the child's long life and medhā (good intelligence);
- after the homa, the "prāśana" of honey and ghee, a taste given to the baby;
- then the mother breastfeeds the child. The Dharmasindhu's procedure says this plainly.
This is the rite of an older time, and its feeling is beautiful: that the child's life should begin with sweetness, nourishment and blessing. Today we keep that feeling and change the method to keep the baby safe.
Doing it today: the same feeling, a safe method
Keep the honey-and-ghee part only symbolic. Doctors advise no honey at all for babies under one year. So:
- Put nothing in the baby's mouth: no honey, ghee, ghutti or water, unless the doctor says so.
- If you wish, hold a clean gold or silver stick or spoon with nothing on it while you pray, or place a small bowl of honey before God as an offering. The honey is prasad for the grown-ups.
- Softly speak God's name or the family's favourite prayer near the baby's ear. This is the sweetest part of the rite.
- The first food is mother's milk, as the doctor and nurse advise. Here the old procedure and modern medicine agree.
If you are in hospital, this is enough: the father or grandparents hold the baby and pray, and a lamp is lit at the home shrine on return.
For sons and daughters alike
Jatakarma is as much for a daughter as for a son. The Dharmasindhu states plainly that the word "putra" includes a daughter, and that a daughter's jatakarma and the other samskaras are performed too. Many families today hold this rite with equal joy at a daughter's birth, and that is as it should be.
सुरक्षा पहले (Safety first)
- Doctor first: for the newborn's and the mother's health, the doctor and nurse are the first help. Any rite comes after hospital rules and medical advice.
- Nothing in the baby's mouth: don't put anything in the baby's mouth that the doctor hasn't approved. No honey at all before the first birthday; no ghutti, water, coins or rings either.
- Eyes and cord: no kajal or surma in the eyes, and nothing on the umbilical cord; follow the doctor's care instructions.
- No tight thread on the neck: never tie a black thread or cord tightly around the neck. If you wish, a loose thread on the wrist, with an adult watching.
- No gems: no gems, stones or heavy jewellery on a small baby.
- Rest for the mother: let the mother rest fully. Keep the rite short and the gathering small, and keep anyone who is unwell away from the baby.
- Homa and lamps: keep fire away from the baby and mother, and don't let smoke fill the room.