Garbhalambanam

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Dear Sulekha Ma, I finally found time to answer your query on Garbhalambhanam. Garbhalambanam is nothing but Garbhadanam. The rite through which a man placed his seed in a woman was called Garbhadhana. Saunaka gives the similar definition though in slightly different words; "The rite by the

performance of which a woman receives semen scattered (by her husband) is called Garbhalambhanam or Garbhadhana." So this is quite clear that this rite was not a religious fiction but a ceremony corresponding to fact, though its adherents, later on, fought shy of, and ultimately, abandoned it. In the beginning, procreation was a natural act. A human pair copulated, whenever there was a physical demand for it, without any anticipation of progeny, though it was usual consequence. The Garbhadhana Samskara, however, presupposed a well established home, a regular marriage, a desire of possessing children and a religious idea that beneficient gods helped men in begetting children. So the origin of this Samskara belongs to a period when the Aryans were far advanced from their primitive conditions. The first question that was raised in connection with the Garbhadhana ceremony was about the time of its performance. The Dharmasutras are unanimous at the point that it should be performed when the wife was physically prepared to conceive , that is, in her Rtu. The proper time for conception was from the fourth to sixteenth night after the monthly course of the wife. The majority of the Grhyasutras and the Smrtis consider the fourth night ceremoniously pure for conception. But the Bobhila Grhyasutra takes a more rational view. According to it, conception should take place after the stoppage of the flow of the impure blood. The woman, before the fourth night, was regarded untouchable and a man approaching her was polluted and also taken to be guilty of abortion, because his semen was scattered in vain. Only nights were prescribed for conception and day time was prohibited. The reason given for it was that the vital airs of one, who cohabits with his wife in the day time, leap our; one approaching his wife in the night time is still a Brahmachari; one should avoid coition in the day time, because from it unlucky, weak and short-lived

children are born. Exceptions to this rule however, were recognized. But they were meant for only those who generally lived abroad, separated from their wives, or when their wives were intensely desirous of cohabitaion. The idea underlying the second exception was that women should be satisfied and protected by every means, so that they should not go astray. Among the nights later ones were preferred. Baudhayan says that "One should approach is wife from

the fourth to the sixteenth night, specially the later ones." Apastamba and others endorsed the same view. Children conceived on later nights were regarded more lucky and meritorious: "A son conceived on the fourth night becomes short-lived and without wealth; a girl conceived on the fifth generally gives birth to female children; a son conceived on the sixth becomes mediocre; a girl conceived on the seventh would become barren; a son conceived on the eighth night becomes a lord or prosperous; if the conception takes place on the ninth night an auspicious woman is born and a son conceived on the tenth becomes wise; a girl conceived on the eleventh night becomes an irreligious woman and a son conceived on the twelfth becomes the best man; on the thirteenth an adulteress woman is born and on the fourteenth a religious, grateful, self – realized and firm in his vow, son is born; on the fifteenth a mother of many sons and devoted to her husband; and on the sixteenth a learned,

auspicious, truthful, self-controlled and a refuge of all creatures is born." The rationale of this belief was that conception, father removed from the contact of monthly impurity, was purer and more meritorious. The sex of the would be child was believed to be determined by the number of night on which the conception took place. Even nights were selected for the birth of a male child an odd ones for a female child. It was thought that quantity of semen and menstrual discharge was responsible for the sex of the child. Parents were guided by their desire of possessing the child of a particular sex. Certain dates of the month were prohibited for conception. The eighth, the fourteenth, the fifteenth and the thirtieth, and all

the parvans were specially avoided. A twice born householder observing the above rule was regarded to be ever a Brahmachari. The Visnupurana, stigmatizes these nights and damns the persons guilty of approaching their wives on them to hell. Manu taboos the eleventh and the thirteenth days also. These days were meant for religious observances and therefore any sexual act was eschewed on them. But there may be other reasons why these nights were forbidden. The ancient Hindus were well conversant with astrology and astronomy. When they could fix the paths of the sun and the moon, they would have observed that their conjunction on different dates produced different effects on the earth. It is a common place knowledge of physical geography that, owing to the attraction of the moon and increase of the watery substance, the physical condition of the earth becomes abnormal on the Parvan dates and consequently the health of the animal world is not sound. So it was thought advisable

that such an important act as the Garbhadhana should not be performed on these dates. The next question connected with the Garbhadhana was : How should a polygamous man approach his wives when they were all in their monthly course at once? This question is not raised in the Grhyasutras, the Dharmasutras and the majority of the Smrtis. In very early times polygamy could not have been very common. When the Aryans became well settled in India and began to lead a luxurious life, keeping many wives together became a fashion and a sign of greatness. During the mediaeval period polygamy was very popular, specially among the ruling families. So, when this condition obtained, the Samskaras thought it necessary to lay down some provisions in order to avoid the clash of conflicting interest of co-wives.

Devala, a mediaeval Smrti writer, opines that in such a case the husband should approach the wives according to their caste-status, or if there were without any issue, according to the priority of their marriage. The Performer Another problem was : Who should perform the Garbhadhana Samskara? The later works on the Dharmasutra do not discuss this problem, as they suppose that none but the husband was the natural performer of this Samskara. But in his absence, substitutes were also allowed. Levitate was current in ancient times, because it was thought necessary to beget children at any cost for the benefit of the family and the dead Fathers. In the Vedic literature we get references where a widow invites her brother – in – law to raise children for her husband. Manu and many other Smrtis allow the

widow or the wife of an impotent or invalid person to bear children from the brother of her husband, a Sagotra or a Brahmana, though elsewhere he does not like this idea. In the Mahabharata Bhisma asks Saryavati to invite a Brahmana for raising children on her daughters – in – law, and he goes on describing the qualities of a substitute. Yajnavalkya also permits the substitution: "The brother of the dead husband should co-habit with his wife in her Rtu with the permission of the elders, having rubbed ghee on his body. in his absence a Sagotra or Sapinda should do this." Another Smrti says, "Father is the best performer of the Samskaras, the Garbhadhana and others but in his absence either a man of his own family or a friend of another family should perform them." Later on, when the idea of female chastity changed and begetting children was not such an imperative need of the time, substitutes for the husband were

discouraged and ultimately disallowed. Protest against substitution is recorded even in Manu, where levitate is called Pasudharma or animality. The later Smrtis allow substitutes in the Samskaras other than Garbhadhana. According to the Asvlayana Smrti, if the husband is dead, degraded from the caste, retired from the household life or gone abroad, some elder person of the same Gotra should perform the Samskaras, the Pumsavana etc." Raising children on a widow became tabooed under the Kalivarjya. The Aditya and the Brahma Puranas both include levitate in the list of usages prohibited in the Kali age. At present none but the husband is authorised to perform the Garbhadhana Samskara. The mediaeval treatises also discuss the question whether the Garbhadhana was a Garbha Samskara or Ksetra Samskara. There were two schools of opinion on this point. The first school held that it was the Samskara of Garbha or embryo and based its arguments on Manu and Yajnavalkya, who were of the opinion that "religious rites of the twice born from the conception to the funeral should be performed." The Gautama Dharmasutra also says that forty Samskaras were meant for Purusa or man. According to the second school, Garbhadhana was Ksetra Samskara or the consecration of the wife. They supported their views by such authorities as follows; "Having once cohabited with the wife ceremoniously one should approach her in future ordinarily (without any ceremony)." One should recite the verse beginning with "Vishuryonim" after touching the genital organ of the wife. A child born in her without Garbhadhana attains impurities." They were also of the opinion that

this Samskara should be performed only in the first conception, as the Ksetra once consecrated lends purity to every conception in future. When I was in Kerala last time. I was guided by one Garbha-chaitanya- Tantreeka regarding certain secrets on how to conceive a child of a particular sex.Now this is subject matter of another discussion which will form another posting, please remind me later. I have hitherto given postings on Garbhasamskaras and Vedic rituals elaborately in my first postings. Please peruse that. Do not worry about your personal problems. Your husband

will treat you well. There are many in this group who suffer like you. Not having a child is not a sin. You can adopt a child if your desire is so intense. Also, there are so many modern medical breakthroughs in this area. I would advice you to go to Thiruvancore rajavaidyam in Mylapore and conult the vaidya there for Kerala Marmachikitsa. If nothing works then email me. I will tell you which sadhana to follow and how to pray Amba for the desired result. Also, please meet my guru and get initiation. Then many issues can be solved. Please also visit Garbharakshambika.Please see my old postings on the deity. Shubham Bhavathu! Eshwaree Rakshathu

Sarvadaa! Yours yogically, Shreeram Balijepalli

 

 

 

Purity, Powers, Parabrahmam...

 

 

 

 

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