Hindu Law and Custom (Recht und Sitte) c11.23

c11.23

§ 56. *The sacraments.* Ceremonies connected with divine service in the widest sense of the term are called the sacraments, of which Gaut. 8, 14—21, quoted as the standard passage also in later works such as Nīlakaṇṭha's monograph on the Saṃskāras, the Saṃskāramayūkha, mentions 40: the ceremony of fecundation (garbhādhāna), the ceremony (at the time of the first movements of the child) the purpose of which is to secure the birth of a boy (puṃsavana), parting of the hair of the pregnant woman (sīmantonnayana, in the 6. or the 8. month), the ceremony of birth (jātakarman), the giving of the name (nāmakaraṇa, on the 10. or 12. day), the feeding with rice (annaprāśana, in the 6. month after the birth) the cutting of the hair (caula, in the 3. year of life), introduction to the teacher (upanayana), the four vows at the time of the study of the Veda, the bath (at the end of the Vedic studies, also called Samāvartana, “return”), marriage, the five great sacrifices (§ 37), the seven minor sacrifices (pākayajña), the seven offerings of the fire (haviryajña), the seven Soma-sacrifices. The fire-offerings and the Soma-sacrifices are described in the Brāhmaṇas and the Śrautasūtras, the minor sacrifices are described in the Gṛhyasūtras. According to Hār., the sacrifices are to be taken as daiva saṃskāras and the other ceremonies of divine service as brāhma saṃskāras. Only the latter are to be taken as Saṃskāras in the proper sense, but various other ceremonies are often attached to them, such as the act of Anavalobhana,¹ Garbharakṣaṇa, as protection against a miscarriage at birth, the ceremony of the first going out with a child in the 4. month after its birth in order to show it the sun (niṣkramaṇa, ādityadarśana), perforation of the ears (karṇavedha), cutting of hair as the sign of majority at the age of 16 (keśanta, godāna), etc.