History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v2.c23.174

v2.c23.174

*Soṣyantīkarma:*—Vide Āp. gṛ. 14. 13-15; Hir. gṛ. II. 2. 8-II. 3. 1, Bhāradvāja gṛ. I. 22, Gobhila gṛ. II. 7. 13-14, Khādira gṛ. II 2. 29-30, Pār. gṛ. I. 16, Kāṭhaka gṛ. 33. 1-3. This seems to be a very ancient rite. It means 'a rite for a woman who is about to be delivered of a child'. Ṛg. V. 78. 7-9 give the earliest indications of this rite. 'Just as the wind moves a lake on all sides, so may the foetus move and come out, being (now) in the tenth month. Just as the wind, the forest and the sea are in movement, so mayst thou (foetus) that art (now) in the tenth month, come out together with the after-birth, may the male child having been sleeping ten months inside his mother, come out a living being, unharmed, from his mother, herself being alive.' Bṛ. Up. VI. 4. 23 also refers to this rite "He sprinkles with water the woman who is about to be delivered (with the mantras) 'just as the wind ...... may it come out with the after-birth' (same as Ṛg. V. 78. 7 except the last pāda). This is a pen⁵²² of Indra with a bolt and with a chamber for rest: oh Indra, leave it and come out with the foetus and after-birth." Āp. gṛ. describes the ceremony as follows: 'Now is described the rite to secure a rapid delivery. With a cup that has not been dipped in water before he draws water in the direction of the current (of a river or spring); he places Tūryantī plant at his wife's feet; he should then touch on the head (with both hands) the woman who is in child-birth with the verse (Āp. mantra-pāṭha II. 11. 15),⁵²³ should sprinkle her with the waters (brought as above) with the next three verses (Āp. mantra-pāṭha II. 11. 16-18). If the after-birth does not come out, he should sprinkle her with the water (brought) as directed above with the three verses (Āp. mantra-pāṭha II. 11 19-20).⁵²⁴ Hiraṇyakeśin (II. 2. 35) is similar to Āp., but omits all verses except one (which is identical with M. P. II. 11. 16). Bhāradvāja is similar to Āp., but gives verses that are slightly different from those of the Āp. M. P. Gobhila and Khādira are very brief and say that a homa with two oblations of clarified butter is to be performed with the verses of the Mantra-brāhmaṇa I 5. 6-7. Pāraskara also speaks of the sprinkling of the woman with two verses of Vāj S. VIII. 28-29 (the first being almost like Ṛg. V. 78. 7) and prescribes the recital of Atharvaveda I. 11. 4 for the falling of the after-birth. Ādityadarśana on Kāṭhaka gṛ. (33. 1) remarks that this rite is not really a saṁskāra and Devapāla says that this is a rite which has a seen result (while saṁskāras are deemed to have an unseen result).