History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v2.c23.186

v2.c23.186

In the Āśv. gṛ. (I. 15. 1–4) the ceremony is described as follows: "When a son has been born, he (the father) should before other persons touch him, give to the child to eat honey and clarified butter in which gold has been rubbed by means of a golden (spoon) with the verse 'I give unto thee the Veda (wisdom or knowledge) of honey and ghṛta, (Veda) which is produced by the god Savitṛ (who urges on) the bountiful; may you have long life and may you live in this world for a hundred autumns being protected by the gods'. Bringing near the child's two ears (his mouth) the father mutters *medhājanana*⁵²⁹ 'may god Savitṛ bestow on thee intelligence; may the goddess Sarasvatī bestow on thee intelligence and may the two gods Aśvins wearing wreaths of lotus give to thee intelligence'.⁵³⁰ He touches the (son's) two shoulders (with the mantra) 'be a stone, be an axe, be indestructible gold; thou art indeed Veda, called son; so live a hundred autumns' and (with the mantra) 'Oh Indra, bestow the best wealth' (Ṛg. II. 21. 6) and 'Oh Maghavan (bountiful Indra)!⁵³¹ Oh (Indra) partaker of ṛjīṣa! bestow on us' (Ṛg. III. 36. 10). And let them give him a name". The following sūtras (I. 15. 5–10) lay down rules about the name, which will be considered under Nāmakaraṇa.