[Advaita-l] Brihad Up and Putrakameshti

[subhanu saxena]

Rajaram
Venkataramani wrote:

 

In Br. Up. there are a series of verses that

talk about begetting a child well verses in one,
two, three or four vedas.

The description does not match with Putra Kameshti
described in Ramayana

probably because that is for kshatriya. Does any
one know the ritual

referref to in the Br. Up. verse?

 

Namaste, I
have been travelling for the last few weeks and only saw this post recently. Not
sure if it has been answered but you can refer to the Grihya Sutras,
specifically Asvalayana I.13, Paraskara I.11, Sankhayana I.19. Whilst Paraskara
is the Shukla Yajur Veda text, it is interesting that the Brihad passages are
referred to in the Asvalayana I.13.12:

Quotes from
GRETIL text:

I.13.1 upaniṣadi.garbha.lambhanam.puṃsavanam.anavalobhanam.ca

The Upanishad (treats of) the Garbhalambhana, the
Pumsavana, and the Anavalobhana (i.e. the ceremonies for securing the
conception of a child, the male gender of the child, and for preventing disturbances
which could endanger the embryo).

 

I.13.2 yady.na.adhīyāt.tṛtīye.garbha.māse.tiṣyeṇa.upoṣitāyāḥ.sarūpa.vatsāyā.gor.dadhani.dvau.dvau.tu.māṣau.yavam.ca.dadhi.prasṛtena.prāśayet

 

If he does not study (that Upanishad), he should in the
third month of her pregnancy, under (the Nakshatra) Tishya, give to eat (to the
wife), after she has fasted, in curds from a cow which has a calf of the same
colour (with herself), two beans and one barley grain for each handful of
curds.

 

It is interesting that the Asvalayana text refers to the Upanishad not of its own Sakha. I would not hold your breath though for a lot of detail
in these texts. Surprisingly Suresvara gives some detail in the ritual in his
vartikas in BUBV 6.4 on the Upanishad sections 6.4.18 etc. With regards to the
question re meat and rice grains, he writes:

 

taṇḍulān māmsa-sam-mishrān paktvā māmsaudanam viduḥ।

ukṣā sechana-shakto gauḥ sa eva riṣabho
mahān ॥ [BUBV 6.4.77]

 

They have ascertained by meat-rice
that which one has cooked with rice grains and meat

Ukṣan is a bull which is capable of
sprinkling (its seed), and when the same is fully grown is a riṣabha 

 

He then goes on to clarify:

 

Prasiddhy-asambhavāt tvadya hyuktam māmsaudanam prati ।

Māmsam kriṣṇa-mrigacchāgaviṣayam
tvadya kurvate ॥ [BUBV 6.4.78]

 

This is mentioned here with
reference to meat-rice, since it is not accepted today

They now take meat to refer to that
of a black deer or goat

 

In BUBV 6.4.79-80  he then clarifies that the meat should be
bought, as killing is prohibited for the yajamana, and he should not kill the
animal himself. He clarifies the use of atha in 6.4.19 has the sense of an
option amongst meats, according to one’s choice. He then explains the sthālīpāka
etc as well as a detailed description of lovemaking (not bad for a sannyasi).
If you have access, I would suggest you read all of BUBV 6.4 to give the full
context

 

Hope the above is helpful

 

Regards

Subhanu