7. Customs (1): Nāmakaraṇa Saṃskāra

[Full title: 7. Sacraments (religious practices) (1): Nāmakaraṇa Saṃskāra]

There were many customs or religious practices performed at that time. In the Harṣacarita, Bāṇabhaṭṭa has not only stated about court and kings but the cities which he lived. In his ākhyāyikā, Bāṇa advocated the law of Manu^[1] by admitting himself as a strong adherent of these laws (as guiding principles) of human life. In his contemporary society, people performed some customs and rituals, which are very clearly depicted in the Harṣacarita. Most of the daśa saṃskāra in Indian culture followed according to the law of Manu,^[2] were performed in Bāṇa’s time. These religious practices were known as saṃskāras,^[3] which literary means to purify. This purification starts from garbhādhāna to the last saṃskāra (i.e., antyeṣṭti.)^[4] Every saṃskāra starts with a havan or yajña in the prescribed manner. There is however, divergence of opinion as to the number of saṃskāra concerned. For example, Gautamadharmasūtra^[5] prescribed 48 saṃskāras, while some other Smṛti outlines only ten saṃskāras.^[6] Among the 10 saṃskāras, brief description some are found in the Harṣacarita. These are as elaborated below-

When the child becomes 10 or 12 days old, the nāmakaraṇa saṃskāra is performed. The child is given his name. On this, Manu^[7] suggests that the nāmakaraṇa should be according to the varṇa and ideals. Regarding this, it is found that the king Prabhākaravardhana had invited the imminent trikālajña or mauhūtrikā for examining his child Harṣa’s horoscope.^[8]