by Shrila Gopala Bhatta Gosvami
Putra Murdhabhighranam (Smelling the Son’s Head):
This may be performed after the Anna Prashana ceremony, while giving blessings, when the father returns from a long journey.
The father should wash his feet, perform acamana and facing East hold the child’s head (or the eldest son’s head first, if there are more than one son), saying:
om prajapatih vishnu rishih
anushtup chandah
shri padmanabho devata
putrasya murddhanam upasamgrihya jape viniyogah
om angat angat samshravasi
hridayat adhijayase
pranam te pranena samdadhami
jiva me yavad ayusham
“Breath of life, from limb to limb you flow. From the heart you conquer. Oh son, to you by my breathing I give life. Live a long life for me.”
om prajapatih vishnu rishih
gayatri chandah
shri vishnuh devata
putrasya murddhanam upasamgrihya jape viniyogah
om angat angat sambhavasi
hridayat adhijayase
vedo vai putranamasi
samjiva sharadah shatam
“From limb to limb you flow. From the heart you conquer. Your name is the Veda, eternal knowledge. Live a hundred autumns, a hundred harvests.”
om prajapatih vishnu rishih
gayatri chandah
shri narayano devata
putrasya murddhanam upasamgrihya jape viniyogah
om asma bhava parashuh bhava
hiranyam amritam bhava
atmasi putra ma mrithah
samjiva sharadah shatam
“Be like a stone, be like a thunderbolt, be immortal wealth. Oh son, you are my very self. Do not die. Live a hundred autumns.”
He should smell the child’s head, saying:
om prajapatih vishnu rishih
anushtup chandah
shri purushottamo devata
putra murddhabhighrane viniyogah
om pashunam tva himkarena
abhijighrami (name of son)dasa
“Oh ….(name of son), making a sound like the breathing of the cows, I smell your head.”
He should then apologize for any faults in the ceremony (acchidra vacanam):
If the father has not gone on a long journey, the ceremony can be performed when the child can recognize the father. Otherwise it is performed after the Upanayanam ceremony
This ends the Putra Murdhabhighranam.
Cuda Karanam (Hair Cutting Ceremony):
This should be performed during the third or fifth year.
Having performed early morning bath, worship of Vishnu and Sattvika Vriddhi Shraddha, the father should perform Kushandika rites, calling the fire called “Satya”.
After completing Virupaksha Japa, on the South side of the fire he should place twenty one pinjalis (A pinjal is composed of two blades of kusha grass of pradesha length tied together by a third blade. These are divided into three groups of seven each). He should also place there a bell metal vessel with warm water, a copper razor or mirror. A barber with an regular razor should be situated there also.
On the North side of the fire he should place bull dung and a pot of kitchuri made of sesame, rice and urad-dhal cooked together.
On the East side of the fire he should place three cups of raw rice and barley, and three cups of uncooked sesame, rice and urad-dhal.
The mother, with the cleanly dressed child in her lap, should sit on kusha grass on the West side of the fire on the left side of her husband, facing East.
The father should offer ghee soaked wood in the fire silently, then perform Vyasta Samasta Mahavyahriti Homa:
om prajapatih vishnu rishih
gayatri chandah
shri vishnuh devata
vyasta samasta mahavyahrti home viniyogah
om bhur svaha – idam vishnave idam na mama
om prajapatih vishnu rishih
ushnik chandah
shri acyuto devata
vyasta samasta mahavyahrti home viniyogah
om bhuvah svaha – idam acyutaya idam na mama
om prajapatih vishnu rishih
anushtup chandah
shri narayano devata
vyasta samasta mahavyahrti home viniyogah
om svah svaha – idam narayanaya idam na mama
om prajapatih vishnu rishih
brihati chandah
shri ananto devata
vyasta samasta mahavyahrti home viniyogah
om bhur bhuvah svah svaha – idam anantaya idam na mama
Following this the husband should rise, and facing East, stand behind his wife. Looking towards the barber he should meditate on Vishnu, saying:
om prajapatih vishnu rishih
gayatri chandah
sarveshvarah shri bhagavan devata
cuda karane viniyogah
om a ayam agat sarveshvarah shri bhagavan kuru kumaram
enam avatu vai mundanam mantravashayina kshurena
“May the Lord come here and cut the hair of this child with this blade made potent by mantra.”
Looking at the warm water he should say:
om prajapatih vishnu rishih
gayatri chandah
shri vishnuh devata
cuda karane viniyogah
om a ayam agat shri vishnuh, kuru kumaram
enam avatu vai mundanam ushnodakena
“May Vishnu come here and cut the hair of the child using this warm water.”
He should take the warm water in his right hand and apply above the right ear of the child saying:
om prajapatih vishnu rishih
gayatri chandah
shri acyuto devata
cuda karane viniyogah
om apa undantu jivase
“May these waters moisten his hair so that he may live long.”
Looking at the copper razor or mirror he should say:
om prajapatih vishnu rishih
gayatri chandah
shri vishnuh devata
cuda karane viniyogah
om vishnoh damstro ‘si kuru kumaram
enam avatu vai vishnuh sakshat mundanam kshura
“You are the teeth of Vishnu. May Vishnu Himself cut the hair of this child.”
He should place a bundle of the kushas, root side up, over the right ear of the child, saying:
om prajapatih vishnu rishih
gayatri chandah
shri acyutananta narayana devatah
cuda karane viniyogah
om acyutananta narayanah kurvantu kumaram
enam cirajivinam aushadhe tryashva enam
“May Acyuta, Ananta and Narayana give this child long life. Oh herbs, protect this child.”
Holding the kusha with his left hand, he should place the copper razor or mirror over the right ear of the child saying:
om prajapatih vishnu rishih
gayatri chandah
shri sankarshano devata
cuda karane viniyogah
om sankarshanah kuru kumaram
enam avatu vai mundanam svadhite ma enam himsih
“May Sankarshana cut the hair of the child without harming him.”
Moving the copper blade without cutting the hair he should say:
om prajapatih vishnu rishih
gayatri chandah
shri purushottamo devata
cuda karane viniyogah
om yena purushottamah vasudeva vishnvoracyutasya cavapat
tena te vapami vaikunthena jivatave jivanaya dirghayshtaya balaya varcase
“For continued life, long life, for strength, for beauty, I shave you with this harmless blade by which the Supreme Lord cuts hair.”
Silently he should repeat this two more times.
Using the regular blade, hair should be shaved above the right ear and placed on the bull-dung held by a friend of the boy.
The previous seven mantras should be said while shaving the area below the shikha, and again while shaving the hair over the left ear. The cut hair should be placed on the bull-dung.
Holding the child’s head the father should say:
om prajapatih vishnu rishih
ushnik chandah
shri jamadagni kashyapagastyadyo devata
cuda karane viniyogah
om jamadagnes tryayusham
om kashyapasya tryayusham
om agastyasya tryayusham
om yad devanam tryayusham om
tat te ‘stu tryayusham
“May there be three lifespans for Jamadagni, for Kashyapa, for Agastya, for the devatas and for the child.”
The father should take the child to the North side of the fire. The barber should be garlanded. The barber should face the child East or North and shave him, leaving a shikha6. The hair should be placed on the dung. This should be placed in a forest or amongst bamboo stalks.
Karna Vedha (piercing the ears) may be performed at this time (see Appendix III).
The father should perform Vyasta Samasta Mahavyahriti Homa, throw ghee soaked wood of one pradesha length into the fire silently.
He should perform Shatyayana Homa, Vamadevya Ganam and the other rites of Udicya Karma. He should give dakshina to the initiated Vaishnavas and brahmanas.
He should feed the Vaishnavas and guests and give the kitchuri and grains around the fire to the barber.
This ends the Cuda Karanam rites.
Sat Kriya Sara Dipika, Part Thirty-seven
BY: SUN STAFF
Dec 01, 2016 — CANADA (SUN) — By Shrila Gopala Bhatta Gosvami. Printed by The Bhaktivedanta Academy, Mayapur (1995).
