20-24 septembrie 2009 - Biblioteca Metropolitana Bucuresti

644 Nirmala Kulkarniof the garbhādhāna (literally "to place an embryo in the womb") rite. Inthe early ritual texts in which puberty rituals are absent, garbhādhānais described as an extension i.e. atideśa of caturthīkarma to implyconsummation immediately after marriage and garbhādhāna after theregular menstruation. The sequence of the rites consummation precedinggarbhādhāna indicates the post-puberty marriages. In contrast to this, thepuberty ritual is termed as a part of garbhādhāna in the texts in which it isdirectly mentioned. To quote:atha garbhādhānasaṁskāra ucyate | tadupayogitayā prathamarajodarśaneduṣṭamāsādirniṇīyate |Such a marked shift is important to discern the status of marriage aspre-pubertal. The necessity of describing the puberty ritual because of thelowering marriage age can also be proved on the basis of a prāyaścittaritual prefixed to the rajodarśanaśānti in the AvPB.The text reads:prākrajodarśanāt patnīgamane brahmahatyādoṣokteḥ kiñcit prājāpatyaṁvidheyam iti bhāti |...The ritual is an expiatory rite to correct the sin of enjoying the wife beforepuberty, thereby it indicates pre-pubertal marriages. The rajodarśanaśāntithat succeeds immediately after this rite has been described as a part of thegarbhādhāna ritual. The rite opens up with the description of the unluckymonths and constellations, etc in the first menstruation. The following tablewould summarize the details:Factors auspicious medium inauspiciousmonthSecond halfof vaiśākha,śrāvaṇa, māgha,second halfphālgunaāśvinacaitra, first half ofvaiśākha, jyeṣṭha,āṣāḍha, bhādrapada,kārtika, pauṣa, phālgunadatedvitīyā, tṛtīyā,pañcamī,pratipad, caturthī,ṣaṣṭhī, aṣṭamī, dvādaśī,caturdaśī, paurṇimā,amāvāsyāMonday, Wednesday,Thursday, FridaydaySunday, Tuesday,Saturday