Hiranyagarbha (IAST: hiraṇya-garbha) is an ancient Indian ritual ceremony involving the donation of a golden vessel. It is mentioned as one of the "Sixteen great gifts" in the historical texts.[1]

Ritual

The word hiranyagarbha literally means "golden womb": it signifies a golden pot (kunda) donated to a Brahmana, and also refers to the god Vishnu.[2]

The donor performs an archana (worship ritual), and utters a mantra praising the lord Hiranyagarbha, that is, Vishnu. The performer then enters into the "golden womb", as the priests perform the rites usually performed for a pregnant woman: garbhadhana, pumsavana, and simantonnayana.[2]

Next, the donor is taken out of the "golden womb", and the priests perform jatakarma and other rites usually performed for a newborn. The donor utters a mantra announcing a "rebirth" from the divine womb, and is called "born of the hiranyagarbha".[2]

After the ceremony, the donor gives away the "golden womb" and other gifts to the priests.[3]

History

The Atharvaveda-parishishta, composed in the 1st millennium BCE, describes hiranyagarbha, besides tulapurusha and gosahasra donations.[4] These three donations are included among the sixteen great gifts in the later text Matsya Purana; the relevant section of the text appears to have been composed during 550-650 CE.[5] It states that several ancient kings performed the great gifts.[4] The Linga Purana also mentions the sixteen great donations; according to R. C. Hazara, the relevant portion of the text was composed during c. 600-1000 CE, most probably after 800 CE. The great gifts are also described in the later digests devoted to the topic of charity (dāna), such as Ballala's Dana-sagara, and the Danakhanda section of Hemadri's Chaturvarga-chintamani (13th century).[4]

The Chalukya king Pulakeshin I (c. 540-567) is known to have performed the hiranyagarbha ritual (although not mentioned as a great gift) to proclaim his sovereignty.[6] The 7th century Pandya king Jayantavarman (alias Cendan), according to one of his inscriptions, performed three of the great gifts: hiranyagarbha, gosahasra, and tulapursuha.[7]

The great gifts went on to become the principal sign of a king's beneficence, overlordship, and independence in the subsequent centuries.[8] In particular, hiranyagarbha finds a mention in multiple historical inscriptions of Indian kings, including:[9]

The ruler of Travancore used the ritual to raise his caste status to that of a Kshatriya.[13]

References

  1. ^ D. C. Sircar 1971, p. 164.
  2. ^ a b c D. C. Sircar 1971, p. 166.
  3. ^ D. C. Sircar 1971, p. 167.
  4. ^ a b c Annette Schmiedchen 2006, p. 146.
  5. ^ Annette Schmiedchen 2006, pp. 145–146.
  6. ^ Daud Ali 2000, p. 146.
  7. ^ Florinda De Simini 2016, p. 32.
  8. ^ Nicholas B. Dirks 1993, p. 37.
  9. ^ a b c D. C. Sircar 1971, pp. 164–165.
  10. ^ a b c d Vijay Nath 2001, p. 120.
  11. ^ D. C. Sircar 1971, p. 165.
  12. ^ https://www.wisdomlib.org/south-asia/book/middle-chola-temples/d/doc210452.html
  13. ^ Fuller, Christopher John (1975). "The Internal Structure of the Nayar Caste". Journal of Anthropological Research. 31 (4): 283–312. doi:10.1086/jar.31.4.3629883. S2CID 163592798. The Raja of Travancore used to perform an extraordinary ceremony known as Hiranyagarbhan, or "golden womb." The essential feature of this ceremony was the casting of a hollow golden vessel through which the raja passed. On emerging from the vessel, the raja's caste status rose from Samantan Nair to Kshatriya.

Bibliography

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