Speech Initiation
Use a gold bar/pin as the pen and honey as the ink, with everyone chanting Om, Om, Om,
the father gently writes the “Om” on the tongue of the child:
ओ३म्
Mantra Initiation
The father whispers the following words to the right ear of the child:
वेदोऽसि
Vedo’si
You are an embodiment of wisdom
वेद Veda, divine wisdom असि you are
Prayers for wisdom
The following verses are special prayers for the Child. They are the first set of prayers offered directly on behalf of the child. The child is allowed to lick honey while these mantras are chanted1
ओं प्र ते ददामि मधुनो घृतस्य वेद सवित्रा प्रसूतं मघोनाम्।
आयुष्मान् गुप्तो देवताभिः शतं जीव शरदो लोके अस्मिन्॥
Om pra te dadaami madhuno ghritasya
veda savitraa prasootam maghonaam.
Aayuṣhmaan gupto devaabhih shatam
jeeva sharado loke asmin. 2
May your life be sweet and bountiful, healthy and consistent May the Almighty God bless you with wisdom, an abundance of good fortune, and a long and healthy life. May you excel in everything in this lifetime, and may you always be protected by God’s Grace and Mercy.
प्र with care, carefully ते for/to you ददामि give, grant मधुनो sweet, honey घृतस्य ghee वेद knowledge, Vedic wisdom सवित्रा God, creator, All-powerful and all-pervading प्रसूत produce, originated मघोन bountiful, plentiful, prosperity, wealth आयुष्मान् giver of long life गुप्तो guarded, protected देवताभिः wise ones around शतं hundred जीव life शरदो hundred years लोके worldly matters अस्मिन् in this lifetime
ओं भुस्त्वयि दधामि ॥
Om bhoostvayi dadhaami.
O child, I pray that you be blessed with knowledge of God, of the earth and to always be aware and conscious of putting the past behind you.
ओं भुवस्त्वयि दधामि ॥
Om bhuvastvayi dadhaami
O child, I pray that you be blessed with knowledge of the sciences. May you always be aware of your time and how it is spent.
ओं स्वस्त्वयि दधामि ॥
Om svastvayi dadhaami
O child, I pray that you be blessed with knowledge of astronomy and medicine. May your future always be bright and blessed.
ओं भूर्भुवः स्वसर्वं त्वयि दधामि ॥
Om bhoor bhuvah svah sarvam tvayi dadhaami.3
May you be blessed with everything that comes with having spiritual, scientific and logical knowledge.
भूः God, Giver of Live, that upon which all life depends: earth, past भुवः God, the giver of all sustenance, Science, Atmosphere, present time स्वः God, the upholder of earth, space, and the cosmos and planetary systems; future time त्वयि in you दधामि I give, I establish सर्वम् whole, every, all
ओं सदसस्पतिमद्भुतं प्रियमिन्द्रस्य काम्यम्।
सनिं मेधामयासिषं स्वाहा ॥
Om sadasaspatim-adbhutam
priyam-indrasya kaamyam.
Sanim medhaam-ayaasiṣham svaahaa. 4
Homage to You, O Almighty Lord of all, the wondrous, beloved source of everything real and unreal. Homage to You, O Lord, who is desired by all, by whose Grace truth always triumphs over falsehood. You are the source of bliss and happiness. You are the source of superior wisdom. May we be blessed to always attain Your blessings, O Lord.
सदसत्पति God, the lord of everything – that which is existent as well and non-existent अद्भुतम् remarkable, marvelous, wonder प्रियम् beloved, affectionate इन्द्रस्य of Indra, Indra-like, superior, master of senses काम्यम् desired by all and attainable by all सनिम् by which truth is upheld over falsehood मेधाम् highest intellect अयासिषम् endeavor to attain, receive
With the above mantras, the child can lick honey (or ghee/honey mixture). The child is now cleaned up. The Sanskaara Vidhi also includes a mantra for licking cereal.5
- The sanskaara vidhi allows for a mixture of 1:3 for ghee to honey (2 drops ghee for 6 drops of honey) to be licked by the baby in the duration of these mantras. However, given the concerns about the lack of pure and healthy ghee, honey is recommended.
- Ashvalaayan Grihyasutra 1.15.1
- Paaraskaara Grihyasutra 1.16.4
- Yajur Veda 32.13
- The Sanskaara Vidhi has a verse at this stage:
ओम् इदमाज्यमिदमन्नमिदमायुरिदममृतम् ॥
Om idam-aagyam-idam-annam-idam-aayur-idam-amritam. Gobhil Grihyasutra 2.7.20
With this verse, the father places a drop of syrup made from ground rice and barley. This ground rice and barley is mixed with water and sieved to yield the liquid, which is dropped into the child’s mouth using the thumb and ring finger taken together. For convenience, this verse is placed in this footnote from the perspective that the Annaprashna Sanskaara will fully deal with ingesting the first grain-based food.
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