Samskara #2 of 16 · Prenatal (Garbha)
पुंसवन
Pumsavana
Puṁsavana
Timing: 3rd month of pregnancy
Purpose
To invoke divine protection for the developing fetus and pray for a strong, healthy child with virtuous character.
The ritual
The husband offers oblations and places a few drops of nyagrodha (banyan) shoot juice in the wife’s right nostril while reciting Vedic hymns for the wellbeing of the unborn child.
Key elements
- ●Banyan shoot juice
- ●Mantras from Atharva Veda
- ●Sankalpa for child’s long life + virtue
- ●Often combined with Simantonnayana in modern practice
Performed by
The husband with family priest
Modern relevance
A ritual recognition that the mother’s mental + physical state in the second trimester profoundly shapes the child — modern prenatal care echoes this insight.