1
his life span by having sexual relations during the day.
Importance of Garbhadhana
Samskara:
If one is not purified by the process of the seed giving
ceremony, or garbhadhana samskara he is immediately
classified amongst the sudras because only the sudras do
not undergo this purificatory process.
Krsna book, IIp.236
The pious seminal succession in the twice born families
of the brahmanas and ksatriyas especially, as well as in
the families of vaisyas also, must be kept very pure by
the observation of the purificatory process (samksaras)
beginning with garbhadhana samskara, which is
observed before conceiving a child. Unless this
purificatory process is strictly observed, especially by the
brahmanas, the family descendents become impure, and
gradually sinful activities become visible in the family.
SB 4.14.42, purport
It is to be concluded that while conceiving a child one's
mind must be very sober and devotional. For this
purpose the garbhadhana samskara is recommended in
the Vedic scriptures.
SB 3.16.35
Date:
After the marriage the newly wedded couple should
observe brahmacarya for three days, sleeping on the
earth. On the fourth day, the couple go to the husband's
house and caturthi homa is performed. After this, during
the day time, the preliminaries for the first garbhadhana
samskara may be performed, taking into consideration
the suitable and forbidden times . It may also be
performed after six or twelve nights, or after one year.
The rules for time and the samskara should be observed
thereafter whenever the desire for sex and children
arises. To say the least, each sex act must be carefully
planned in advance, by use of intelligence, using the
scriptural injunctions, and not determined by lust alone.
...Before engaging in sexual intercourse, both the
husband and the wife must consider their mental
condition, the particular time, the husband's direction
and obedience to the demigods. SB 3.14.38,
purport
Forbidden Hours:
The union of man and wife should take place neither
during the day nor during the sandhyas (daybreak and
twilight). Daytime is of course the time when man
should carry out his duties: waking bathing, meditating,
worshipping the Supreme Lord, studying scripture,
chanting japa, serving the deity, carrying out household
duties, welcoming guests etc. Sandhyas should only be
utilized for chanting gayatri mantra and meditating on
the Lord. As well, Prasnopanisad says that a man reduces
One who performs during the night is considered to be
brahmacari (ie he maitains his strength).
pranam va ete skandanti ye diva ratya samyujyante
brahmacaryam eva tad ya ratrau ratya samyujyante
Prasnopanisad 1.13
According to Asvalayana Smrti from the end of the
evening sandhya up until midnight is allowed:
upeyan madhyaratrante
Exception to this is when the wife is extremely lusty. To
prevent her from going elsewhere for satisfaction the
husband should concede to her demands, though not
according the scriptural recommendations of proper
time.
Forbidden Days:
Numbering the nights from the start of the menses of the
woman, then at least the first four nights are forbidden
for sexual activity. Kalaprakasika, states that the first
day is fatal for the husband,the second day is fatal forthe
wife, thethird day causes abortion and the fourth day
impairs the power of the father and produces a short
lived son bereft of good habits.
Srila Prabhupad gives a slightly longer period.
The recommended period is six days after the
mensturation period.
letter from Srila Prabhupada,
Shama dasi, Jan.18, 1969
The eleventh and thirteenth nights are also forbidden, as
the offspring produced are of bad quality. The remaining
ten days are permitted, and the later nights are favored.
Even numbered nights favor male children, and uneven
numbers favor female children. Sexual union after the
sixteenth night is also forbidden. In the sequence below
the starred days starting from 1 (beginning of menses)
are forbidden for sexual intercourse.
12 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21
2223 * * * * * * * * * * * * *
24 25 26 27
* * * *
The remaining ten days (5-10, 12, 14-16) are suitable
provided they do not fall on those lunar tithis which are
forbidden.)
Forbidden Lunar Tithis:
Sexual union must also be avoided on days of vrata and
fasting, such as ekadasi, and on the parva days (full
moon, dark moon, astami and caturdasi tithis, as well as
sankranti, when the sun passes into a new zodiac sign)
when the body is in weak condition, and the days when
the moon passes throught the same naksatra as at ones
birth.

Forbidden Week days:
Saturday, Tuesday and Sunday should be avoided being
ruled by malefic planets,saturn, Mars and Sun.
Forbidden Naksatra: contact should be avoided when the
moon is in the following constellations: bharani, krttika,
ardra, aslesa, magha, purvaphalguni, visakha, jyestha,
purvasada, purvabhadra
Rising Sign or Ascendent: best signs are taurus, gemini,
cancer leo, virgo, libra and pisces according to Kala
Prakasika.
Proper Planetary Combinations:
]In addition to the above strictures the man and woman
who desire proper, harmonious, sexual relations between
themselves, and desire healthy, intelligent, spiritual
children, should with knowledge choose an auspicious
day, hour and moment for their union. Malefic planets
(saturn, mars, sun) should not afflict the ascendent,
kendras, or trikona, by occupation or aspect, and
benefics, particularly jupiter should be strongly situated
in rasi and navamsa charts. Kala Prakasika says it is
better if the ascendent and eighth house are free of
planets. If the above are considered when choosing a
proper time pleasant union and good offspring are
assured.
Other Forbidden Times:
As soon as the wife is pregnant, no more sex life until
the child is born and is grown up at least for six months.
After that one may have sex life on the same principle. If
one does not want more than one or two children, he
should voluntarily stop sex life. One should not use any
contraceptive method and at the same time indulge in
sex life. That is very much sinful.
letter from Srila Prabhupada,
San Fransisco, Sept 20, 1968
Semen is meant to be discharged when one has a home,
a wife and the intention to beget children, otherwise
there is no injunction for discharging semen.
SB 4.8.1 purport
Contraception Forbidden:
According to the Vedic scriptures the contraceptive
method should be restraint in sex life. It is not that one
should indulge in unrestricted sex life and avoid children
by using some method to check pregnancy. If a man is is
in good consciousness, he consults with his religious
wife, and as a result of this consultation with
intelligence, one advances in his ability to estimate the
value of life.
SB 4.27.6 purport
Sex Once a Month:
2
Amongst the permissable days during one month for
sexual union, only one day can be chosen for the act. If
the couple are desirous of having children, the husband
is encouraged to approach his wife once every month,
provided the times are auspicious, until preganancy
occurs. Then he should stop.
According to religious injunctions a man is restricted to
enjoy sex only once in a month, after the menstrual
period of the wife, and if the wife is pregnant, he is not
allowed sex life at all. That is the law for human beings.
Sb. 4.27. 5 purport
Illicit sex:
If the husband and wife do not follow the above rules,
then, even though married their relations are considered
illicit.
These laws and srciptures are meant for human beings.
As such if one violates these laws, he becomes sinful.
The conclusion is that unrestricted sense enjoyment
means sinful activities. Illict sex is sex that violates the
laws given in the scriptures. When one violates the laws
of the scrptures, or the Vedas, he commits sinful
activities. One who is engaged in sinful activities cannot
change his consciousness. Our real function is to change
our consciousness from kasmala , sinful consciousness,
to Krsna, the supreme pure.
SB 4.27.5 purport
Partner:
The husband must satisfy himself only with his wife,
with no one else or by any other means. The husband
who thinks of anyone other than his wife reduces his life
span and receives birth in a body without bones, trapped
in the womb and bitten by insects.
Place:
The husband should approach his wife in his own house,
in a clean room, on a clean, wide, unbroken bed;
not in a temple, a guru or teacher's or vaisnava's house,
not under a holy tree, not at a tirtha, a gosala, a
crematorium, in the forest, or in the water.
Condition of Body and Mind:
The husband should be free from the influence of
intoxicants, should be bathed, nicely scented, garlanded,
healthy, free from anxieties, and both affectionate or
considerate, and passionate.
The wife should be bathed, free from anger, in good
spirits, in good health, neither underfed or overfed and
desirous of her husband. She should have no longing for,
sexual relation with anyone else. She should not be
pregnant, nor should she have recently borne a child.
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Permission of Guru: picture or pot according to puja vidhi and worshipped

accordingly. Nandisraddha, including worship of
Grhasthas should indulge in sex life only in accordance visvaksena and the 16 matrgana, may also be performed
with the order of the guru. before the worship of visnu.
SB7.12.11, purport
VISNU PUJA AND SATTVIKA VRDDHI SRADDHA

Age: One should start by performing acamana, svasta vacana,

sankalpa, guru visnu puja.
Susruta, the famous ayurvedic writer says that woman
matures when she is sixteen and a man when he is om svasti no govindah svasti no' cyutanantau
twenty five. Sexual union when either partner is not svasti no vasudevo visnur dadhatu
mature will lead to unhealthy children. He recommends svasti no narayano naro vai
that the woman should be at least sixteen and the man at svasti nah padmanabhah purusottamo dadhatu
least twenty five, but prefers that they should be older in svasti no visvakseno visvesvarah
order to bear good children. svasti no hrsikeso harir dadhatu
svasti no vainateyo harih
The above strictures, which limit sexual intercourse to svasti no'njanasuto hanur bhagavato dadhatu
once a month, and only on certain days when the woman svasti svasti sumangalikeso
is fertile and the man and woman are in proper physical mahan sri krsna saccid ananda ghanah
condition, are the condition for sex according to nature's sarvesvaresvaro dadhatu
laws. However, in addition, and just as important , is
the the rite of purification which accompanies the act. If sri krsna prityartham
this is not performed, then even restricted sex activity is garbhadana samskarartham
in vain, for the consciousness of the man and woman sri visnu puja purvaka arghya danam
will be motivated solely by raja and tama guna. This aham karisye
will only lead to greater addiction for sex and children
with no spiritual assets. One should establish a ghata if there is no salagrama or
deity in the house, and invoke visnu.
At minimum the following procedure must be done if the
sex act of husband and wife is to be called garbhadhana One should worship guru and then visnu with sixteen
samskara. If it is not, the act is not befitting a civilized upacaras.
human being. It is kama which is dharma aviruddha: One may then worship as follows.
lust according to irreligious principles, ie demoniac.
Panca Bhagavata Puja:
According to Vedic culture, sex is enjoyed under Vedic
instructions. Thus the Vedas give direction to civilized ete gandha puspe ..........
human beings to enable them to satisfy their propensities
for sense gratification. om visvaksenaya namah
SB 4.25.39 purport om sanakaya namah
om sanatanaya namah
om sanandaya namah
********************************************** om sanat kumaraya namah
***************
Ceremony as Directed by Srila Prabhupad: Nava Yogendra Puja:

Our grhasthas should simply chant 50 rounds before om kavaye namah

conceiving a child. om havaye namah
letter from Tamal Krishna to om antariksaya namah
Madhusudana May 19, 1976 on behalf om prabuddhaya namah
of Srila Prabhupada om pippalayanaya namah
om avirhotraya namah
********************************************** om drumilaya namah
*************** om camasaya namah
om karabhojanaya namah
Vaidic Procedure:
Maha Bhagavata Puja:
In the evening (or some auspicious moment of the day),
in a clean room, the husband should offer worship om brahmane namah
salagrama or the deity of the house om sukadevaya namah
om sadasivaya namah
If there is not an installed deity in the house which is om garudaya namah
offered daily worship, then before the arghya is offered, om naradaya namah
a deity should be temporarily called either into a murti, om kapilaya namah
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om balaye namah om dinabandho krpa sindho

om bhismaya namah paramananda madhava
om prahladaya namah navapuspotsave me'rghyam
om hanumate namah grhana madhusudana
om ambarisaya namah
om janakaya namah etat arghyam om sri visnave namah (or mula mantra)
om yama bhagavataya namah
om svayambhuvaya namah om visvatman visvabandho
om uddhavaya namah visvesa visvalocana
om vyasaya namah navapuspotsave me'rghyam
grhana syamasundara

Visnu Sakti Puja: etat arghyam om sri visnave namah (or mula mantra)

om paurnamasyai namah om cidananda hrsikesa

om laksmyai bhaktavasya janardana
om antarangayai navapuspotsave me'rghyam
om yamunayai grhana kamalapate
om gopyai
om vrndavatyai etat arghyam om sri visnave namah (or mula mantra)
om gayatryai
om tulasyai (Oh supreme Lord, at this festive occasion with fresh
om sarasvatyai flowers please accept the arghya offered by me.)
om prthvyai
om gave
om yasodayai
om devahutyai The husband facing east , should situate himself behind
om devakyai his seated wife. With his right hand reaching over her
om rohinyai right shoulder he should touch her yoni saying:
omsitayai
om draupayai om visnuh yonim kalpayatu
omkuntyai acyuto rupani pimsatu
omrukminyai asincatu harih garbham
om satyabhamayai jagadiso dadhatu te
om jambavatyai
om nagnajitayai May visnu prepare the yoni; may acyuta fashion the
om laksanayai forms; may hari carry out the fertilization; may jagadisa
om kalindyai present the child to you.
om bhadrayai
om mitravindayai om garbham dhehi garbhosasayin garbham te
naranarayanau
Then, in a conch or earthen vessel five times with the adhattam puskara srajau
following mantras, he should offer arghya to visnu five
times, using the following mantras. Garbhodasayi visnu please bestow the child; nara
narayana, bedecked with lotus garlands, please give her
(Arghya consists of pancamrta, pancagavya, water, milk, the child.
haritaki, gandha, betels, flowers, candana, tumeric,
kumkuma, durba grass, tulasi, amlaki, scents and other Touching her navel he should say:
auspicious items. It may be offered over the Lord's head
or to his hand.) om dirghayusam krsna bhaktam
putram janaya suvrate
om jagannatha mahabaho
sarvopadrava nasana Oh virtuous wife, bear a long-living son, a devotee of
nava puspotsave me'rghyam Krsna.
grhana jagadisvara
Then they should unite.
etat arghyam om sri visnave namah (or mula mantra)

om narayana hare rama Bathing After the Act:

govinda garuda dhvaja
navapuspotsve me'rghyam As one has to take bath after using the toilet, so one has
grhana paramesvara to wash himself with water after sexual intercourse,
especially when at a forbidden time.
etat arghyam om sri visnave namah (or mula mantra) SB 3.14.38, purport
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As with every vedic ritual, gifts should be distributed at

the conclusion of the ceremony.

Garbhadhana Samskara PAGE 2