🔘 Samskara In Children

TO BE CONTINUED...... 

💫 KARNAVEDHANAM

 ( Ear Piercing) :

Karnavedhana is one of the important samskaaras with medical and socio-cultural relevance.

In addition to the cosmetic value (Karnaabhushana), it was believed that Karnavedhana protects the baby from untoward health complications like Grahas.

However , this is not medically proven. 

👉🏻 Time of Karnavedhana -

According to Sushrut and Astang Hrudaya, Karnavedhana has to be done in 6th,7th or 8th month of age, in the sisira ritu on an auspicious day, in the morning.

According to Gruhya Sutra, Karnavedhana has to be done on the 3rd or 5th month.

👉🏻 Pre Operative Measures -

After Poojaadikarmas and enchantment of mantra.

The baby is seated on the mother’s lap.

Made happy with sweet words and desired toys etc.

Then the ear is punctured.  

👉🏻 Procedure -

The right ear should be punctured first in case of a male child and left ear in a female child.

The physician holding the puncturing needle with his right hand and the ear lobe with the other.

The site of the puncture should be the middle of the ear lobe , slightly towards the cheek , where the maximum translucency from the light source.

This spot is marked by the Colour of laksha rasa. 

The puncturing should be done with a single and straight stroke; it should neither high up , sideward nor downward.

If the ear lobe is thicker, Aara Sastra should be used.

👉🏻 Inference -

By puncturing the correct site, there will not be severe pain , bleeding and immediate inflammatory reaction, local rise of temperature, swelling and redness.

 

👉🏻 Post Operative Measures -

A cotton thread soaked in oil should be drawn through the puncture and the site bathed with unprocessed oil.

On each 3rd day the thread should be replaced with thicker ones for widening of the puncture.

Daily fomentation , massage , bathing with oil and nourishing foods should be adopted repeatedly.

👉🏻 Precaution -

The puncture should be at the correct site , be neither high up , sideward nor downward, since siras known by the names kaalika, marmari and rakta are situated there. 

👉🏻 Complications -

Following are the complications produced by injury to the siras.

Kaalika – Jwara, daaha, sopha,ruk.

Marmari – Jwara, ruk, granthi.

Lohitika – Manyaagraham, apataanakam, sirograha, karnasula.

💫 PHALAPRAASANAM

 (Feeding fruits/fruit juices to baby) :

Acharya Kashyapa is the only one who has explained phalapraasana.

Up to 6 months of age ,  the child is fed exclusively with breast milk.

There after, prior to the introduction of solid food, so as to make the GI Tract accustomed to it, liquid food is given.

Among them, fruit juices are considered ideal.

Besides, fruits are best sources of vitamin C and fibrous material.

The baby who is accustomed to madhura rasa alone will experience difficulty to adjust with the rasas like katu, tikta, etc. 

At this stage, Phalapraasana helps the baby to adapt with other rasas through madhura amla rasa of fruits. 

Kashyapa considers dental eruption as the endpoint of phalapraasana.

Initially , central incisors erupt during 6-7th month.

Eruption of teeth is indicative of GIT maturity to digest, absorb and assimilate nutrients 

💫 ANNAPRAASANA

( Feeding Ceremony) :

It is related to feeding of solid food for the first time to the baby.

After teeth eruption, the child should be gradually taken away from breastfeed.

At the same time , the child should be given ksheera(goat milk) alongwith laghu and brimhana aahara.

👉🏻 Time of Annapraasana -

According to Kashyapa, 10th month is the appropriate time for Annapraasana.

According to Astanga Samgraha, Vagabhata and Sushruta opines 6th month to be the time for Annapraasana.

👉🏻 Procedure -

Annapraasana should be done in an auspicious day in prajaapatya constellation after fulfilling the following conditions :

Worshiping Gods and Brahmins by cereals with meat and donations.

Reciting mantras.

Smearing the site with cow dung, spreading darbha.

Decorating with fragnances and garlands and signs of swastika in 4 places.

Preparing all the articles for making toys.

 

Next, the physician gets seated facing east and the child facing west.

After igniting fire, a delicious diet comprising of cereals and drinks made from meats of laavaka, kapinjala, tittiri, charanaayudha should be first offered as oblations to fire alongwith enchantment of mantras.

After oblations, the remaining food made soft by mashing, is given to the child(3/5th times) in a quantity equal to that of a thumb(angushta maatra).

👉🏻 Paschat Karma -

After feeding , the baby should be cleaned.