by Shrila Gopala Bhatta Gosvami
Vivaha Karma (marriage)
The husband having taken his morning bath, should worship Lord Vishnu and worship the guru parampara with Vishnu maha-prasada and caranamritam
He should then set up a yajna, performing Kushandika rites, calling the fire named “Candra,” and ending with virupaksha japa.
He should seat his wife to his own right side on the West side of the fire upon a kushasana. They should both face East.
Silently he should place ghee-soaked wood of one pradesha length into the fire and then perform Vyasta Samasta Mahavyahrti 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 husband, standing behind his wife, should touch her right shoulder, then her navel, repeating the following mantra three times:
om prajapatih vishnu rishih
brihati chandah
shri mahavishnu vasudevacyutananta govinda vishnavo devatah
pumsavane viniyogah
om pumamsau mahavishnu vasudevau
pumamsau acyutanantau ubhau
puman govindash ca vishnush ca
puman garbhas tavodare
“May the Supreme Lord, the Supreme Male, Mahavishnu, Vasudeva, Acyuta, Ananta, Govinda and Vishnu, and the male child reside in your womb.”
He should then perform Vyasta Samasta Mahavyahriti Homa, and then throw ghee-soaked wood of pradesha length into the fire silently.
He should then perform Shatyayana Homa, Vamadevya Ganam and the other rites of Udicya Karma. He should give dakshina to the initiated Vaishnavas.
This is the Pumsavana rite according to the followers of the Sama Veda.
@FOOTNOTE:
According to some texts the juice from crushed banyan leaf sprouts should be poured into her right nostril to give her strength at this time.
During the time of pregnancy she should avoid having sex, sleeping in the daytime, staying awake at night, exerting herself physically, riding in vehicles, taking purgatives, experiencing all types of mental strain, and eating spicy, overly-salty, sour, or heavy foods.
END FOOTNOTE
Simantonnayanam (Parting the Wife’s Hair)
In the fourth, sixth or eighth month of the first pregnancy, Simantonnayanam should be performed. If the Garbhadhana and Pumsavana ceremonies have not been performed yet, they should be done on this day, followed by the Simantonnayanam ceremony.
@Footnote:
According to the Ashvalayana Smriti: “Evil demons, bent on sucking the blood, come to the pregnant woman to devour the feotus. In order to remove them, the husband should perform simantonnayanam. From the fourth month of pregnancy the formation of the mind of the child begins, therefore the pregnant woman is required to take the utmost care to avoid any physical shock to the feotus.”
Markandeya Purana says: “O brahmana, Virupa and Vikriti generally dwell in trees, trenches, ramparts and seas. They are always in search of pregnant women. Therefore, they should not visit these places.”
Padma Purana says: “A pregnant woman should not bathe in a river, go to a deserted house, sit on an ant hill or scratch the earth with her nails. She should not be continually sleeping and dormant, she should avoid exercise, she should not touch husk, coal, ashes and skulls, she should avoid arguing with her family, she should not leave her hair dishevelled and never remain impure. While sleeping she should not have her head facing North, nor should she sleep naked or wet footed. She should not utter inauspicious words, nor laugh too much.”
Matsya Purana says: “A pregnant woman should not take meals during twilight, should not stay under the shade of a tree, she should bathe with warm water mixed with medicinal herbs, give charity, worship Vishnu. She should avoid swift walking, climbing stairs and mountains, keeping awake at night, or eating saline, sour, hot, stale and heavy foods. The son of a woman who observes these rules becomes long-lived and talented; otherwise abortion takes place without a doubt.”
The husband should bathe, perform Vishnu Puja and Sattvika Vriddhi Shraddha. He should prepare the yajna by performing Kushandika, calling in the fire called “Mangala”, and perform all the rites to the end of Virupaksha Japa.
If he has not performed the Garbhadhana or Pumsavana rites he should perform them by chanting the sankalpa beginning with ” om vishnur- ” etc and then perform the Shatyayana Homa.
He should then perform the Garbhadhana and Pumsavana rites according to the text.
He should then perform the Simantonnayanam samskara as follows:
After taking her bath, the wife should be seated facing East, on the West side of the fire on the right hand side of her husband upon kusha with tips facing North.
The husband should throw ghee-soaked wood of pradesha ltength 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
Standing behind his wife and facing East the husband should, with silk string, tie two udumbara fruits (figs) with the stalks still attatched, or barley sprouts, along with nima, mustard and bael, around his wife’s neck, saying:
om prajapatih vishnu rishih
anushtup chandah
shri vishnuh devata
udumbara-phalayugala-bandane viniyogah
om ayam urjavato vriksha
urjiva phalini bhava
parnam vanaspate nutva
nutva ca suyatam rayih
“Like this strong tree, become fruitful and strong. King of trees, having brought forth abundant leaves may she bring forth fruit.”
Holding three pinjalis, he should draw them over the part in her hair from front to back and bind them at the side, saying:
@Footnote:
A pinjali is two blades of kusha grass of pradesha length bound together by a third of the same length.
om prajapatih vishnu rishih
gayatri chandah
shri vishnuh devata
darbha-pinjalibhih simattonnayane viniyogah
om bhur
Taking three more pinjalis, he should place it in her hair in the same manner, saying:
om prajapatih vishnu rishih
ushnik chandah
shri vishnuh devata
darbha-pinjalibhih simattonnayane viniyogah
om bhuvah
Taking three more pinjalis, he should again place them in her hair in the same manner saying:
om prajapatih vishnu rishih
anushtup chandah
shri vishnuh devata
darbha-pinjalibhih simattonnayane viniyogah
om svah
Taking a porcupine quill, the husband should pass it over her part, and fix it in her hair, saying:
om prajapatih vishnu rishih
trishtup chandah
shri vishnuh devata
sharena simattonnayane viniyogah
om yena aditeh simanam nayati
prajapatih vishnuh mahate saubhagaya
tena aham asyai simanam nayami
prajam asyai jaradashtim krinomi
“I part her hair with the instrument with which Prajapati Vishnu parts the hair of Aditi, for great fortune. In this way I create long living sons for her.”
Fastening the quill in her hair, he should draw a spindle full of thread over the part of his wife’s hair and fix in the hair saying:
om prajapatih vishnu rishih
jagati chandah
shri ramo devata
sutra-purn-tarkuna simattonnayane viniyogah
om ramam aham suhavam sushtuti huve
krinotu nah subhaga bodhatu atmana
sivyatu apah sucya acchidyamanaya
dadatu viram shatadayamukhyam
“I call the easily approachable Lord with words of praise. May the Lord understand our needs and fulfil our prayers. May the finger stitch with unbroken needle, and may she bestow brave, praiseworthy sons.”
om prajapatih vishnu rishih
jagati chandah
shri ramo devata
trishvetaya shalalya(kashtakaskatikaya) simattonnayane viniyogah
om yaste rama sumatayah supeshaso
yabhih dadasi dasushe vasuni tabhih
nah adya sumana upagahi
sahasra posham subhaga raranah
“Endowed with just mind and beauty, you give results to those who sacrifice. With that generous mind, come to us today to bestow a thousand progeny, oh giver of fortune.”
Sesame, urad and rice should be cooked together and ghee should be poured over it.
The husband should show this to the wife saying:
om prajapatih vishnu rishih
gayatri chandah
shri vishnuh devata
vadhuprashne viniyogah
om kim pashyasi
“What do you see?”
The wife should say:
om prajapatih vishnu rishih
gayatri chandah
shri vishnuh devata
stalipakavokshane viniyogah
om prajam pashun saubhagyam
dridha krishna bhaktitvam avayoh
dirghayushtvam patyuh
“May there be offspring, animals good fortune, firm Krishna-bhakti for the two of us. May there be long life for my husband.”
He should then perform Vyasta Samasta Mahavyahriti Homa and throw ghee-soaked wood of pradesha length in 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.
Then married women who have living children should put the couple on a raised platform and sprinkle them with water from a pot saying:
bhakta virasus tvam bhava
jivashus tvam bhava
jivapatni tvam bhava
“Bring forth strong devotees, bring forth life, be a long-living wife.”
The wife should then eat the cooked rice, sesame and urad dahl.
This is the Simantonnayanam rite according to the followers of the Sama Veda.
@FOOTNOTE:
She should remain silent until the stars appear in the sky. Then, touching a calf, she should break her silence by saying “bhuh bhuvah svah”.
END FOOTNOTE
Shoshyanti Homa – (Rite For the Woman About to Give Birth):
@FOOTNOTE
A few days before the birth of the child, amidst celebration and blowing of conch shells, the wife should be moved to the confinement room (sutika griha) which may be located in the South-West part of the house, facing East.
END FOOTNOTE
Sat Kriya Sara Dipika, Part Thirty-three
BY: SUN STAFF
Nov 23, 2016 — CANADA (SUN) — By Shrila Gopala Bhatta Gosvami. Printed by The Bhaktivedanta Academy, Mayapur (1995).
