History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v2.c23.195

v2.c23.195

(2) *Medhājanana* :—Two meanings are given to this. This word does not occur in the Bṛ. Up. But it speaks of muttering in the right ear of the boy the word '*vāk*' thrice and making the boy lick from a golden spoon or ring curds, honey and ghṛta. The first of these viz. muttering in the right ear of the boy some words or a mantra is called medhājanana in Āśv. and Śāṅ. (I. 24. 9 which prescribes '*vāk*'); while most of the other sūtras viz. Vaik., Hir., Gobhila say that medhājanana is the action of making the child eat honey, ghee, curds or pounded barley and rice, to the accompaniment of mantras (like '*bhūstvayi dadhāmi*' in Pār. or '*Bhūr ṛcaḥ*' as in Vaikhānasa, or '*medhāṁ te devaḥ*' as in Āp.). The Baud. gṛ. (II. 1. 7) prescribes the giving of curds, honey and ghṛta ten times with each of the ten mantras (Tai. Br. II. 5. 1) of the anuvāka beginning with '*prāṇo rakṣati viśvam-ejat.*' The Vaik. expressly says that the Vacā⁵³³ plant, Pathyā plant, gold, honey and clarified butter become medhājanana. Manu II. 29 seizes upon the making the child eat gold (dust), honey and clarified butter to the accompaniment of mantras as the central part of the rite. Later works like the Saṁskāramayūkha regard this eating of honey and ghṛta as the principal part of jātakarma.⁵³⁴