Punsavan Samskar and Poojan

What is Punsavan Samskar and Poojan?

It is a continuation off the foundation of the Garbh Dharana Samskar for the preparation of the parents, especially the mother, in whom the child begins life.  The first trimester can be a difficult adjustment period for the new parents to be, especially for the mother-to-be.  The female may have mood swings, may have difficulty with the physical changes, and may feel stressed.  For the husband, he may be wondering why his wife is asking him to get her peanut butter and strawberry ice cream at 3AM when she has never liked these things before.  🙂  The Punsavan Samskar is a reminder along the way for the parents-to-be of the immensely important journey they are undertaking.  It was to help them understand the changes—emotional, physical, mental, and spiritual—that are occurring during this time.

Often times, a Pooja can help calm the mind and body so one can re-focus on the mission at hand.

Not everyone does this, is it really necessary?

It is not a necessity.  With or without the Pooja, life still goes on and babies are still born.  🙂  However, it is one part of a healthy lifestyle and healthy pregnancy.  Some people exercise, some do not.  Some people eat healthy foods, some do not.  Every one has choices during pregnancy and life in general.  Performing a Punsavan Pooja is among the possible choices for a healthy lifestyle.  The more of the healthier choices we make regarding lifestyle, the better our chances for improving physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual health.

Why was the Punsavan Pooja done?

The Pooja was done for the purpose of initiating the proper establishment of the Panch Kosha into the baby, specifically the Mana Mayakosha and the Prana Mayakosh.

What is the Panch Kosha?

Panch translated means five.  Kosha translated means “layer” or “sheath” as in the layers of complexity and uniqueness of any organism.  Thus, the  Panch Kosha is a description of the five sheaths of each living organism including Anna Mayakosha (physical sheath), Mana Mayakosha (mental and emotional sheath), Prana Mayakosha (Life Force sheath), Vignana Mayakosha (intelligence and knowledge sheath), and Anand Mayakosha (Blissful Sheath).   Much more information regarding these sheaths can be found here (and many other places).

Can you tell us more about the Prana Mayakosh and Mana Mayakosh?

The Punsavan Pooja is for the purpose of establishing good Mana Mayakosha and Prana Mayokosha (the other aspects will come during the Shreemant Poojan).  The Mana Mayakosha helps establish a strong and disciplined mind.  A strong mind and will can help the child-to-be stay focused on the important aspects of life amidst potential distractions.  A strong mind can also help overcome obstacles and difficulties in life.

The Prana Mayakosha involves the Prana or Life Force, consciousness, or “energy” of a person.  We often talk about the “energy” of a person such as someone being high energy or low energy, positive vibes (energy) or negative vibes, full of energy or lacking in energy.  These concepts we often recognize without our own conscious awareness.  The Prana is believed to be a large reason for the “energy” someone gives off.

Is Prana just a philosophical concept?  Why is the Pooja done at the end of the first trimester?

Prana is not merely a philosophical concept.  The establishment of the Prana (Punsavan Samskar) is timed with the slope of neural development.  The Pooja is timed around some of the most important neural changes.  For example, the cerebral cortex is dividing into different lobes, the corpus callosum is being formed, the cerebellum begins to resemble its adult shape, and neural communication and electrical activity can be detected in the child’s brain.

Prana is also associated with the breath (such as with Pranayama).  The timing of the Pooja is also timed to the development of the respiratory tract for the fetus including formation of the mouth and lips, bronchial tree (airway ducts), and cilia (lining of the airways).

What types of things was the mother-to-be advised to do?

There is quite a bit of variety regarding this topic.

Regarding physical health, the basic information such as eating fruits and vegetables while avoiding fatty, fried foods obviously holds true.  Furthermore though, she was advised to include almonds, turmeric powder, cardamom, and cinnamon in her diet (among other things).  The fat in almonds is used as a building block for the nervous system (myelination of nerves).  Turmeric powder has been found to be a potent anti-inflammatory and stress reducing agent at the cellular level.  Cardamom and cinnamon (usually mixed with milk at night time) are very helpful in reducing reflux and bloating symptoms.

For emotional, mental, and spiritual health, she was encouraged to spend a few minutes each day for meditation to reduce stress and promote calmness in her and the baby.  She was instructed to maintain a positive and happy mood and environment to help the baby feel nurtured and loved.

She was also advised to read books about great characters, cultures, and philosophies to promote these qualities in the baby.

There are many other options available.  But, the advice above covers some of the basic options.

What comes after the Punsavan Pooja?

After the Punsavan Pooja, the next step is the Shreemant Samskar….