WELCOMING BABY ACCORDING TO HINDU CUSTOMS

Balinese Three Month Celebration

The Samsakara performed immediately after childbirth is called Jatakarma. In this Samsakara the father has to chant specific mantras into the right ear of newborn and feed the mixture of Madhu, Ghrta, and Svrna Bahsma to the newborn followed by breastfeeding to a child.

Jatakarma (birth ride): The first Samskara to be done after birth is Jatakarma. The child is made to lick a mixture of honey and ghee while the mantras are being chanted.

Ritual of Jatakarma:

1. Entry: The entry is when the newborn child is brought into this world
2. Preparation: First, a spoon of honey, curds and clarified butter is given to the child to lick. Mantras specific to the ritual are whispered into the right ear or over the naval of the child. This is to give a long life to the child.
3. Climax: Then, the father touches the child’s shoulders and chants more mantras (still having hands on the child) while chanting verses from the three Vedas, the father breathes three times over the child.  This rite of Jatakarma also includes the breathing of five Brahmanas from the east Prana, Vyana, Apana, Udana, and Samana (these are the names of the five Vayus).
4. Celebration: While the father is chanting, the mother of the child offers him/her breast milk. The father of the child then bends down and touches the spot of earth where the child was born, still chanting the mantras. After this, the parents give a name to the new child. The father then bathes, shaves and purifies the house. He then performs Ha-van. All of the elements before this point are performed anywhere between the 10th to the 12th day after the child is born. The early rituals are important because it is proven that anything absorbed in the years up until age five, will stay set in the person's mind for life. The symbol for Om (the prayer word) is drawn on the tongue of the child with the end of the golden spoon, this is so that his words will lead him to spirituality.
5. Exit: The word “Vedosi” is whispered into the ear of the child by the father. This word means that you are a knowledgeable person, and this concludes the ceremony.