History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v2.c23.161

v2.c23.161

This word literally means 'parting of the hair (of a woman) upwards.' Yāj. (1. 11), Veda-Vyāsa (I. 18) call this saṁskāra simply '*sīmanta*', while Gobhila (II. 7. 1), Mānava gṛ. (I. 12. 2), Kāṭhaka gṛ (31. 1) call it sīmantakaraṇa. Āp. gṛ. and Bhāradvāja gṛ. (I. 21) describe it before puṁsavana. The Āśv. gṛ. (I. 14. 1-9) describes it as follows: "In the fourth month of pregnancy the Sīmantonnayana (should be performed). In the fortnight of the waxing moon, when the moon may be in conjunction with a nakṣatra that is (regarded as) male (or the name of which is of the masculine gender, according to Nārāyaṇa); then he establishes fire (i. e. performs the details of homa up to offering of *ājyabhāgas*) and having spread to the west of the fire a bull's hide with its neck to the east and the hair outside, he makes eight oblations (of ājya, clarified butter), while his wife sits on it (hide) and takes hold (of his hand), with the two (verses) 'may Dhātṛ give to his worshipper' (Atharvaveda VII. 17. 2-3), with the two verses, 'I invoke Rākā' (Ṛg. II. 32. 4-5), with the three (verses) called 'nejameṣa' (a khilasūkta after Ṛg. X. 184 and Āp. M. P. I. 12. 7-9) and with the verse 'Oh Prajāpati, no one other than you' (Ṛg. X. 121. 10). He then three times parts her hair upwards (beginning from the front and proceeding backwards) with a bunch of an even number of unripe fruits with a porcupine quill that has three white spots⁵¹⁸ (or rings) and with three bunches of kuśa grass, with the words 'bhūr, bhuvaḥ, svar, om' or he does so four times. He gives orders to two lute players 'sing (praise of) king soma.' (They sing this gāthā) 'may soma, our king, bless the human race.