Infant's Jatakarma: The Naming of and First Feeding of Solid Food to an Infant

Infant's Jatakarma: The Naming of and First Feeding of Solid Food to an Infant is the first chapter of Ananda Marga Caryacarya Part 1. In this chapter Sarkar described procedure of naming an infant child and how to feed him fist solid food.

Synopsis

In this chapter Prabhat Ranjan Sarkar suggested when a child is six months old (or any time between six months and one year old of age), at least five Ananda Marga representatives ("members") will come together to the child's house on a convenient day. The child will be laid down before the Margiis. Now the Acarya/a (if there is nor Acarya/a) present there), the oldest person will start the event by reciting the following verse—

Oṋḿ madhu vátá rtáyate madhu kśarantu sindhavah;
Mádhviirnah santvośadhiih.
Madhu naktamutośaso madhumat párthivaḿ rajah;
Madhu dyaorastu nah pitá.
Madhumán no vanaspatirmadhumán astu súryah;
Mádhviirgávo bhavantu nah.
Oṋḿ madhu oṋḿ madhu oṋḿ madhu.

Then they will loudly say in their mother-tongue understandable by all the present member—

O gracious Brahma, may we unitedly be able to arrange for the upkeep, medical care and physical growth of this infant who has entered our society today

Now each of the margiis will take one container of water (cool or lukewarm, temperature of the water will be according to the season) and pour it into a big vessel, and then they will recite the following verse—

Oṋḿ madhu vátá rtáyate madhu kśarantu sindhavah;
Mádhviirnah santvośadhiih.
Madhu naktamutośaso madhumat párthivaḿ rajah;
Madhu dyaorastu nah pitá.
Madhumán no vanaspatirmadhumán astu súryah;
Mádhviirgávo bhavantu nah.
Oṋḿ madhu oṋḿ madhu oṋḿ madhu.

"O gracious Brahma, may we be able to provide adequate education for the mental development of this infant who has entered our society today."

Then each of them will pour a container of water and recite—

Oṋḿ madhu vátá rtáyate madhu kśarantu sindhavah;
Mádhviirnah santvośadhiih.
Madhu naktamutośaso madhumat párthivaḿ rajah;
Madhu dyaorastu nah pitá.
Madhumán no vanaspatirmadhumán astu súryah;
Mádhviirgávo bhavantu nah.

Oṋḿ madhu oṋḿ madhu oṋḿ madhu.</poem

"O gracious Brahma, may we succeed, through proper education, in effecting the spiritual elevation of this infant who has entered our society today."

Then they will repeat the process of pouring water into the vessel and will recite—

<poem>Oṋḿ madhu vátá rtáyate madhu kśarantu sindhavah;

Mádhviirnah santvośadhiih.
Madhu naktamutośaso madhumat párthivaḿ rajah;
Madhu dyaorastu nah pitá.
Madhumán no vanaspatirmadhumán astu súryah;
Mádhviirgávo bhavantu nah.

Oṋḿ madhu oṋḿ madhu oṋḿ madhu.

"O gracious Brahma, may we be able to see Your pervasive manifestation in this infant, in the form of which You have appeared to us today.

"We collectively give this baby the name . . . . . . ."

Thereafter, the guardian of the infant will bathe the child with that sanctified water. Then the child will be fed solid food for the first time.

For the celebration of this ceremony the arrangement of a social feast depends entirely on the desire and the financial position of the guardians concerned. Taking a loan or incurring a debt for this purpose is forbidden.

Twenty-one days after the birth of a child, the child and its mother, after bathing, will be considered generally free from impurities.