Jātakarma
Jātakarma · jāta-karma, “the rite at birth”
Grammar: neuter noun; jāta (born) and karma (rite): “the rite for the one born”.
Meaning: the saṃskāra performed for a child at birth, the first of the rites of a life, before the naming, the cūḍākarma (first cutting of the hair) and the upanayana.
In the scriptures: King Saṃvaraṇa begot in Tapatī a son bearing the marks of a cakravartī. The jātakarma and the other rites were done, and the boy grew like a fire blazing with offerings of ghee. Vasishṭha performed the cūḍākarma and the other saṃskāras for him; at nine years his upanayana was done, and by ten that best of men was famous by the name Kuru (Vāmana Purāṇa, Chapter 23).
When Śrī Hari, born as Vāmana, asked for his upanayana, Bharadvāja Maharshi, of the gotra of Bṛhaspati, performed for him the jātakarma and the other saṃskāras and gave him the dīkshā of the brahmacarya vrata. Then all gave gifts to the young brahmacārī: Pulaha the yajñopavīta, Pulastya Maharshi a white garment, Agastya the black antelope skin, Bharadvāja the girdle, Marīci the staff of palāśa wood, and Vasishṭha the akshamālā (Vāmana Purāṇa, Chapter 62).
As soon as Bhagavān Vāmana was born to Aditi, Brahmā (Lokapitāmaha Viriñci) came, performed the jātakarma and the other rites for him, and praised him with a stotra (Vāmana Purāṇa, Saro Māhātmya, Chapter 9).
Related terms: Saṃskāra · Upanayana · Cūḍākarma · Brahmacarya · Yajñopavīta
Sources
- Vāmana Purāṇa, Chapters 23, 62
- Vāmana Purāṇa, Saro Māhātmya, Chapter 9