Sarga-18
Rama’s birth and authorities on auspicious time
The special significance of the commencement of the samvatsara is corroborated by scriptures. Chaitra is called the face of the samvatsara, ‘the mouth of the samvatsara’. The shruti emphasises the importance of the first half of the month for sacrificial rituals. There are Sutras, which direct certain samskaras and rituals like “chaulakarma (the tonsure ceremony) in the third year, upanayana (initiation ceremony for a brahmin) in the eighth year, the godana ceremony in the sixteenth year, and so on. Sutrakaras who have set rules regarding Udagayana etc. have recommended certain points and periods of time: “When the Sun is advancing towards the North, in the fortnight in which the Moon waxes on an auspicious star chaula, upanayana, godana, vivaha (marriage) etc. should be performed”.
Ashvalayana:
Sutrakaras like Ashvalayana have fixed certain months for certain ceremonies through Sutras: Samskaras like Pumsavana (the first of the purificatory samskaras performed on a woman’s perceiving the first signs of conception, for the birth of a male child); Anavalobhana (performed on a woman in the third month of conception); simantonnayana (parting of the hair by a woman in her pregnancy) in the fourth, sixth or eighth month; Annaprasana (ceremony of giving a child rice to eat for the first time with preliminary oblations to fire) in the sixth month of the new born.
Apastamba:
Despite the scriptucal directive to the effect that the father should ceremonially name the child on either the 11th or 12th day, Apastamba recomends observance of the same a day at noon when there is an auspicious asterism.
Jatakabharana and the fruits of favourable times
A man born during Uttarayana (when the Sun moves north) is amiable and of a pleasant disposition. He has a long life, good conduct, is liberal and courageous. One born in spring is handsome, intelligent, gallant, proficient in mathematics and music, expert in sastras, fond of clean garments, has a pure mind and is always happy’. ‘He who is born in the month of Chaitra acquires, learning and modesty. He is given to enjoyment of life, is fond of delicacies, has worthy friends, and is likely to be a minister. He who is born in a bright fortnight is of a wavering mind, has a long life, is of an excellent character, blessed with wealth and progeny, has a very delicate complexion, and passes his time happily’. He who is born at a time of the punarvasu asterism has many friends and much wealth, and has an interest in sastras. He is generous and adventurous. A man born by day is bright-looking, resembles his father, an achiever, dear to a king, respected by relatives, and very rich. Born under Karkataka lagna a man always gets good food, keeps company with the saintly, is modest, is of a wavering mind, fond of water-sports and vigorous and liberal-minded.
On the excellent combination of stars: ‘He at the time of whose birth five stars are positioned in a right design becomes a sovereign’. On the conjunction of the Moon and the Jupiter: ‘If a person is born when the Moon is conjoined with the Jupiter, he is always polite, has firm and secret resolutions, is always engrossed in carrying out his righteous duty and loves to help others. Born at the time when the Sun is in the sign of Aries, one is adventurous suffers from diseases connected with blood and bile. He is destined to be a king.
When the auspicious stars are powerful the person observes purity of conduct, is devoted to truth. He is good-looking, grateful and is a devotee of gods and brahmins. He is fond of flowers, good clothes and ornaments’.
Rama was born when these conditions of time existed.
Rituals performed on the birth of a son: 1.18.18-19
A holy day is not a day of festivity. Nor is a festive day a holy day. The day of the son’s birth, however, is both holy and festive. Vyasa also agrees, ‘When a son is born to a brahmin both gods and manes arrive (to participate in the ceremonies and festivities). Therefore, that day is both ‘holy and festive’, the day when the father gives away gold, land, cows, horses, chariots, umbrellas, fragrant substances, etc. The gods and manes who arrive on that occasion are gratified through Jateshti (a ceremony performed for the birth of a child) and Vriddhishraddha (an offering made on the occasion) respectively. Bodhayana ordains offerings of, ‘twelve cups of ghee’ to the manes when a son is born’. The Vishnupurana says, ‘When a son is born, the father should be given an oil-bath. Jatakarma along with shraddha should then be performed.
Gifts on the birth of a son:
Presentations are made to brahmins, kings and entertainers on happy occasions ‘Gifts to brahmins for piety and to dancers for fame’ says the Mahabharata. They are called gifts for pleasure by scholars of Dharmasastra, points out Devala in Madhaviya.
In Ayodhyakanda, Kausalya gives gold, cows, and gems to the bringer of good news of Rama’s coronation. Similarly in Sundarakanda, Rama says to Hanumat who reported on his having found Sita, ‘However, helpless I am to offer anything equally pleasing to this messenger of the happy news, I am extremely pained at heart. I shall only return the embrace I received from Hanumat. May that serve the purpose for the time being’. Similarly, when Hanumat brought the happy news of Rama’s victory over Ravana Sita says, ‘O Hanuman, I cannot think of any gift to reciprocate the joy you have brought me. Gold or gems of various kinds or even the kingdom of the three worlds will not be worthy of this happiness’. In the same kanda, when Hanuman brought the news of Rama’s return to the capital after killing Ravana, Bharata replies, ‘I wonder whether you are a god or a human being. I offer you a hundred thousand cows, hundreds of villages, sixteen virtuous brides’.
Thus there is no day like the day of a son’s birth which is worthy of celebrations according to both Shrutis and Smritis. What is more than this is the report. Which is a penance in a verbal form as it is pleasing, beneficial and true. The Gita says, ‘A report which is true, pleasing and beneficial is an oral penance’. ‘When the messenger from the ladies’ apartment ‘brought the news of the birth of a son, writes Kalidasa, ‘there were only three things which the king could not give him viz. the royal canopy white like the moon and the two chowries’.
Education for children of brahmins and kshatriyas 1.18.23-37
Only a brahmin purified by samskaras like Jatakarma etc. was entitled to the study of the Vedas and all other branches of learning. The princes, in addition to this, were required to serve the elderly, follow the ethically right path of conduct, and behave politely for qualifying themselves to undertake these studies. The Kamandaka writes: ‘To learn the sastras it is essential to go to a guru. To inculcate modesty sastras are be studied. A king humbled by his learning does not go down even when difficulties befall him’. ‘Acquiring everyday a small bit of new credit, the king rises to fullness like the Moon of the bright fortnight’; ‘A king who has control over his senses and who follows the path of morality acquires ever-lasting fame’. ‘A guru is necessary to gather knowledge from. Knowledge sharpens the intellect of the meritorious. An arrogant king, not respecting the counsel of his priest is unrestrained and is overpowered by enemies.
Gautama says, ‘Education completed, one should pay dakshina to the guru and with his permission take the ceremonious bath (marking the completion of education)’.
Sarga-18
Rama’s birth and authorities on auspicious time
The special significance of the commencement of the samvatsara is corroborated by scriptures. Chaitra is called the face of the samvatsara, ‘the mouth of the samvatsara’. The shruti emphasises the importance of the first half of the month for sacrificial rituals. There are Sutras, which direct certain samskaras and rituals like “chaulakarma (the tonsure ceremony) in the third year, upanayana (initiation ceremony for a brahmin) in the eighth year, the godana ceremony in the sixteenth year, and so on. Sutrakaras who have set rules regarding Udagayana etc. have recommended certain points and periods of time: “When the Sun is advancing towards the North, in the fortnight in which the Moon waxes on an auspicious star chaula, upanayana, godana, vivaha (marriage) etc. should be performed”.
Ashvalayana:
Sutrakaras like Ashvalayana have fixed certain months for certain ceremonies through Sutras: Samskaras like Pumsavana (the first of the purificatory samskaras performed on a woman’s perceiving the first signs of conception, for the birth of a male child); Anavalobhana (performed on a woman in the third month of conception); simantonnayana (parting of the hair by a woman in her pregnancy) in the fourth, sixth or eighth month; Annaprasana (ceremony of giving a child rice to eat for the first time with preliminary oblations to fire) in the sixth month of the new born.
Apastamba:
Despite the scriptucal directive to the effect that the father should ceremonially name the child on either the 11th or 12th day, Apastamba recomends observance of the same a day at noon when there is an auspicious asterism.
Jatakabharana and the fruits of favourable times
A man born during Uttarayana (when the Sun moves north) is amiable and of a pleasant disposition. He has a long life, good conduct, is liberal and courageous. One born in spring is handsome, intelligent, gallant, proficient in mathematics and music, expert in sastras, fond of clean garments, has a pure mind and is always happy’. ‘He who is born in the month of Chaitra acquires, learning and modesty. He is given to enjoyment of life, is fond of delicacies, has worthy friends, and is likely to be a minister. He who is born in a bright fortnight is of a wavering mind, has a long life, is of an excellent character, blessed with wealth and progeny, has a very delicate complexion, and passes his time happily’. He who is born at a time of the punarvasu asterism has many friends and much wealth, and has an interest in sastras. He is generous and adventurous. A man born by day is bright-looking, resembles his father, an achiever, dear to a king, respected by relatives, and very rich. Born under Karkataka lagna a man always gets good food, keeps company with the saintly, is modest, is of a wavering mind, fond of water-sports and vigorous and liberal-minded.
On the excellent combination of stars: ‘He at the time of whose birth five stars are positioned in a right design becomes a sovereign’. On the conjunction of the Moon and the Jupiter: ‘If a person is born when the Moon is conjoined with the Jupiter, he is always polite, has firm and secret resolutions, is always engrossed in carrying out his righteous duty and loves to help others. Born at the time when the Sun is in the sign of Aries, one is adventurous suffers from diseases connected with blood and bile. He is destined to be a king.
When the auspicious stars are powerful the person observes purity of conduct, is devoted to truth. He is good-looking, grateful and is a devotee of gods and brahmins. He is fond of flowers, good clothes and ornaments’.
Rama was born when these conditions of time existed.
Rituals performed on the birth of a son: 1.18.18-19
A holy day is not a day of festivity. Nor is a festive day a holy day. The day of the son’s birth, however, is both holy and festive. Vyasa also agrees, ‘When a son is born to a brahmin both gods and manes arrive (to participate in the ceremonies and festivities). Therefore, that day is both ‘holy and festive’, the day when the father gives away gold, land, cows, horses, chariots, umbrellas, fragrant substances, etc. The gods and manes who arrive on that occasion are gratified through Jateshti (a ceremony performed for the birth of a child) and Vriddhishraddha (an offering made on the occasion) respectively. Bodhayana ordains offerings of, ‘twelve cups of ghee’ to the manes when a son is born’. The Vishnupurana says, ‘When a son is born, the father should be given an oil-bath. Jatakarma along with shraddha should then be performed.
Gifts on the birth of a son:
Presentations are made to brahmins, kings and entertainers on happy occasions ‘Gifts to brahmins for piety and to dancers for fame’ says the Mahabharata. They are called gifts for pleasure by scholars of Dharmasastra, points out Devala in Madhaviya.
In Ayodhyakanda, Kausalya gives gold, cows, and gems to the bringer of good news of Rama’s coronation. Similarly in Sundarakanda, Rama says to Hanumat who reported on his having found Sita, ‘However, helpless I am to offer anything equally pleasing to this messenger of the happy news, I am extremely pained at heart. I shall only return the embrace I received from Hanumat. May that serve the purpose for the time being’. Similarly, when Hanumat brought the happy news of Rama’s victory over Ravana Sita says, ‘O Hanuman, I cannot think of any gift to reciprocate the joy you have brought me. Gold or gems of various kinds or even the kingdom of the three worlds will not be worthy of this happiness’. In the same kanda, when Hanuman brought the news of Rama’s return to the capital after killing Ravana, Bharata replies, ‘I wonder whether you are a god or a human being. I offer you a hundred thousand cows, hundreds of villages, sixteen virtuous brides’.
Thus there is no day like the day of a son’s birth which is worthy of celebrations according to both Shrutis and Smritis. What is more than this is the report. Which is a penance in a verbal form as it is pleasing, beneficial and true. The Gita says, ‘A report which is true, pleasing and beneficial is an oral penance’. ‘When the messenger from the ladies’ apartment ‘brought the news of the birth of a son, writes Kalidasa, ‘there were only three things which the king could not give him viz. the royal canopy white like the moon and the two chowries’.
Education for children of brahmins and kshatriyas 1.18.23-37
Only a brahmin purified by samskaras like Jatakarma etc. was entitled to the study of the Vedas and all other branches of learning. The princes, in addition to this, were required to serve the elderly, follow the ethically right path of conduct, and behave politely for qualifying themselves to undertake these studies. The Kamandaka writes: ‘To learn the sastras it is essential to go to a guru. To inculcate modesty sastras are be studied. A king humbled by his learning does not go down even when difficulties befall him’. ‘Acquiring everyday a small bit of new credit, the king rises to fullness like the Moon of the bright fortnight’; ‘A king who has control over his senses and who follows the path of morality acquires ever-lasting fame’. ‘A guru is necessary to gather knowledge from. Knowledge sharpens the intellect of the meritorious. An arrogant king, not respecting the counsel of his priest is unrestrained and is overpowered by enemies.
Gautama says, ‘Education completed, one should pay dakshina to the guru and with his permission take the ceremonious bath (marking the completion of education)’.