History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v2.c23.83

v2.c23.83

A debatable question is whether garbhādhāna is a saṁskāra of the garbha (the child in the womb) or of the woman. Gaut. VIII. 24, Manu. I. 16, and Yāj. I. 10 indicate that it is a saṁskāra of the *garbha* and not of the woman. Viśvarūpa⁴⁷⁷ on Yāj. I. 11 expressly asserts that all saṁskāras except *Sīmantonnayana* have to be performed again and again (as they are the saṁskāras of the garbha), while Sīmantonnayana being a saṁskāra of the woman has to be performed only once and this opinion was in consonance with the usage in his days. Laghu-Āśvalāyana (IV. 17) also holds the same view. Medhātithi⁴⁷⁸ on Manu II. 16 says that the garbhādhāna rite with mantras was performed after marriage only once at the time of the first cohabitation according to some, while according to others it was to be performed after every menstruation till conception. Later works like the Mit. (on Yāj. I. 11), the Sm. C., the Saṁskāratattva (p. 909) hold that garbhādhāna, puṁsavana⁴⁷⁹ and sīmantonnayana are saṁskāras of the woman and are to be performed only once and quote Hārīta in support. Aparārka holds that sīmantonnayana is performed only once at the first conception, while puṁsavana is repeated at each conception. He relies on Pār. gṛ. I. 15; and the Saṁskāra-mayūkha and the Saṁskāraprakāśa (pp. 170-171) hold the same opinion. Sm. C. (I. p. 17) quotes a verse of Viṣṇu that according to some even sīmantonnayana is repeated at each conception. About the rules for women who are *rajasvalā* (in their monthly course) vide later on.