Svastyayana
Svastyayana · svasti-ayana, “the going to well-being”
Grammar: neuter noun; svasti (well-being) and ayana (going): “the going to well-being”.
Meaning: an auspicious rite performed to bring a safe and prosperous journey, and well-being in an undertaking.
In the scriptures: in the Gautamī Māhātmya of the Brahma Purāṇa, Brahmā tells Nārada of King Sagara‘s aśvamedha. Indra took away the consecrated horse, and the sixty thousand sons of Sagara could not find it. Meanwhile the ṛtvijas performed for the king the rite for a safe journey and other auspicious rites, while the king, unable to see the beautiful horse, was anxious (Brahma Purāṇa, Gautamī Māhātmya, Chapter 8).
When Śrī Rāma, son of Daśaratha, had slain Rāvaṇa with his sons and his army and was returning with Sītā, Lakshmaṇa, the vānaras, Vibhīshaṇa and the devas, the auspicious rite of svastyayana was performed for him, wishing him a happy and prosperous journey. Then he flew in the Pushpaka vimāna toward Ayodhyā, and on the way came down to the bank of the Gautamī at Kishkindhā-tīrtha (Brahma Purāṇa, Gautamī Māhātmya, Chapter 87).
Related terms: Svasti · Svastivācana · Maṅgala · Yātrā
Sources
- Brahma Purāṇa, Gautamī Māhātmya, Chapters 8, 87