by Shrila Gopala Bhatta Gosvami
Vivaha Karma (marriage)
Nama Karana (Giving a Name to the Child):
The child should be named on the tenth, twelfth, hundred and first day, or one full year from his birth.
The father, having taken his morning bath, worshipped Vishnu and performed Sattvika Vriddhi Shraddha, should perform Kushandika rites to the end of Virupaksha Japa, calling the fire named “Parthiva”.
He should offer ghee-soaked wood of pradesha length into the fire silently.
He should perform Vyasta Samasta Mahavyahriti Homa:
om prajapatih vishnu rishih
gayatri chandah
shri vishnuh devata
vyasta samasta mahavyahrti home viniyogah
om bhur svaha – idam vishnave idam na mama
om prajapatih vishnu rishih
ushnik chandah
shri acyuto devata
vyasta samasta mahavyahrti home viniyogah
om bhuvah svaha – idam acyutaya idam na mama
om prajapatih vishnu rishih
anushtup chandah
shri narayano devata
vyasta samasta mahavyahrti home viniyogah
om svah svaha – idam narayanaya idam na mama
om prajapatih vishnu rishih
brihati chandah
shri ananto devata
vyasta samasta mahavyahrti home viniyogah
om bhur bhuvah svah svaha – idam anantaya idam na mama
The mother, holding the child covered in clean cloth, should be situated on the husband’s right side.
She should sit facing East on kusha grass with tips facing North.
The husband should offer oblations saying:
om tad vishnoh paramam padam
sada pashyanti surayah
diviva cakshur atatam
om shri vishnave svaha – vishnave idam na mama
om ……..(tithi, eg. Pratipade) svaha
om tad vishnoh paramam padam
sada pashyanti surayah
diviva cakshur atatam
om ……(eg. Pratipat) tithi devatayai vishnave svaha –
idam vishnave idam na mama
om tad vishnoh paramam padam
sada pashyanti surayah
diviva cakshur atatam
om vaishnavebhyo svaha – idam sarva vaishnavebhyo idam na mama
om……(nakshatra eg. Ashvinyai) svaha
om tad vishnoh paramam padam
sada pashyanti surayah
diviva cakshur atatam
om ……….(eg Ashvini) nakshatra devatayai vishnave svaha –
idam vishnave idam na mama
om tad vishnoh paramam padam
sada pashyanti surayah
diviva cakshur atatam
om vaishnavebhyo svaha
idam sarva vaishnavebhyo idam na mama
The father should touch the mouth, nostrils, eyes, and ears of the child with his right hand and say:
om prajapatih vishnu rishih
gayatri chandah
shri vishnuh devata
nama karane viniyogah
om ko ‘si katamo ‘si esho ‘si amrito ‘si’ ahaspatyam masam pravisha shri (name of son) dasa
“You are immortal like the Lord. Oh……..(name of son) enter in this solar month.”
om prajapatih vishnu rishih
gayatri chandah
shri madhavo devata
nama karane viniyogah
om sa tva ahne paridadatu
ahah tva ratriyai paridadatu
ratrih tva aho ratrabhyam paridadatu
aho ratrau tva ardha masebhyah paridattam
ardha masah tva masebhyah paridadatu
masah tva ritubhyah paridadatu
ritavah tva samvatsaraya paridadatu
samvatsarah tva ayushe jarayai paridadatu
(name of son) dasa
“May the Lord consign you to the day. May the day consign you to the night. May the night consign you to the day and night. May day and night consign you to half months. May the half month consign you to the full months. May the months consign you to the seasons. May the sasons consign you to the year. May the years consign you to long life, oh………….(name of child).”
The husband should whisper the name in the left ear of his wife saying:
shri (name of child) deva sharma ayam te putra “………..is your son.”
He should give the child back to his wife’s hands.
He should offer wood silently into the fire.
He should perform Vyasta Samasta Mahavyahriti Homa and offer ghee-soaked wood of pradesha length silently into the fire.
He should perform Shatyayana Homa, Vamadevya Ganam and the other rites of Udicya Karma. He should give dakshina to the initiated Vaishnavas and brahmanas.
This is the Nama Karana rite according to the followers of the Sama Veda.
Paushtika Karma (Ceremony For Continuing Health of the Child):
This ceremony should be performed every month on the tithi and paksha (waxing or waning phase of the moon corresponding to the tithi and paksha on which the child was born.3
The father should take his morning bath, perform worship of Lord Vishnu and recite Svasti Vacana (om svasti no govinda etc). He should chant “om tad vishnoh” etc and “om krishno vai saccidanada ghana etc.
He should perform Kushandika ending with Virupaksha Japa, calling the fire named “Balada.”
Then he should offer ghee-soaked wood of pradesha length into the fire silently and perform Vyasta Samasta Mahavyahriti Homa:
He should then offer oblations with the following three mantras:
om acyutanantabhyam svaha –
acyutanantabhyam idam na mama
om damodara purushottamabhyam svaha –
damodara purushottamabhyam idam na mama
om vasudeva vamana vishnu vaikunthadibhyah svaha –
vasudeva vamana vishnu vaikunthadibhyah idam na mama
He should then offer oblations to the tithi and nakshatra devatas saying:
om tad vishnoh paramam padam
sada pashyanti surayah
diviva cakshur atatam
om vishnave…..(tithi name eg. dvitiya) tithi devatayai svaha –
idam vishnave idam na mama
om tad vishnoh paramam padam
sada pashyanti surayah
diviva cakshur atatam
om vishnave……….(nakshatra eg. Ashvini) devatayai svaha –
idam vishnave idam na mama
om tad vishnoh paramam padam
sada pashyanti surayah
diviva cakshur atatam
om vaishnavebhyo svaha –
idam sarva vaishnavebhyo idam na mama
The father should offer as many oblations as he can using the mantras “om tad vishnoh -” and “om krishno vai saccidananda-.”
He should then perform Vyasta Samasta Mahavyahriti Homa and offer ghee-soaked wood of pradesha length into the fire silently.
He should perform Shatyayana Homa, Vamadevya Ganam and the other rites of Udicya Karma. He should give dakshina to the initiated Vaishnavas and brahmanas.
This is the childs’ Paushtik Karma according to the followers of the Sama Veda.
Sat Kriya Sara Dipika, Part Thirty-five
BY: SUN STAFF
Nov 27, 2016 — CANADA (SUN) — By Shrila Gopala Bhatta Gosvami. Printed by The Bhaktivedanta Academy, Mayapur (1995).
