History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v2.c23.346

v2.c23.346

The Saṁskāra-prakāśa (pp. 321–325) and Saṁskāraratnamālā (pp. 904–907) have an extensive note, a considerable part of which is devoted to astrological matters. The Saṁskāraprakāśa quotes passages from Viśvāmitra, Devala and other sages and works that vidyārambha is performed in the 5th year or in any case before upanayana. It also quotes a verse from Nṛsiṁha that Sarasvatī and Gaṇapati should be worshipped and then the teacher should be honoured. The modern practice is to begin learning the alphabet on an auspicious day, generally the 10th of the bright half of Āśvina, Sarasvatī and Gaṇapati are worshipped, the teacher is honoured and the boy is asked to repeat the words 'om namaḥ siddham' and to write them on a slate and then he is taught the letters ('a', 'ā' &c.) of the alphabet. The Saṁskāraratnamālā⁶¹⁵ calls this ceremony Akṣarasvīkāra (appropriately enough) and among other texts cites a long prose passage from Garga quoted in the Pārijāta and prescribes a homa also with ājyāhutis to Sarasvatī, Hari, Lakṣmī, Vighneśa (Gaṇapati), sūtrakāras and one's vidyā.