This sanskar ensures that conception, instead of being and accident, should be a pre-planned affair at an auspicious time with religious purity when a husband and wife meet for a definite object of getting good progeny. This sanskar is said to be away with all impurities related to conception and reproductive system of female so as to ensure the birth of the lucky and healthy child.
Punsavana or making potent
Punsavana means sanskar performed with the objective of getting male progeny and with the objective of preventing abortions. Generally it is performed in the 2nd and 3rd month of pregnancy. Following consideration are necessary for deciding a proper time to perform this sanskar.
(a) Lord of month of pregnancy: The Lord of month of pregnancy should be strong in trasit (by placement in exaltation sign, own sign, friend’s sign or strong navamasha ) Lord of various month of conceptions are , first month-Venus; second month-Mars; third month- Jupiter ; forth month- Sun ; fifth month ; Moon ; sixth month-Saturn ; seventh month- Mercury ; eighth month- Lord of conception lagna ; ninth month-Moon and of tenth month is Sun.
(b) Nakshatras : Mrigshira, Pushya, Moola, Sharavana, Punarvasu, Hasta and all fixed nakshatra (i.e. Uttarafalguni, Uttarashada, Uttarabhadrapad and Rohini ) are considered good.
(c) Tithis : 1/2/33/5/7/10/11/13/ tithis of both dark and bright half.
(d) Days: Male days i.e. Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday.
(e) Lagna : Lagna and navamashas of male signs (i.e. 3/5/7/99/11 ssigns ) with benefics of Kendras and Trikonas ( 4/7/10/5/9 houses ) and melifics in 3/6/11 houses are considered auspicious.
(f) Proper Chandra : Tara Shuddhi for the pregnant woman is an important requirment.
It is a sanskar aimed at protecting the pregnant women from evil force. The purpose is to emphasize the need to keep the pregnant women happy ( like by an act where the husband has to cumb the hair of his wife ) as it will have a favourable impact on the child in the womb. Certain other religious acts performed in this sanskar emphasize the need of proper care in the last two or three month of pregnancy.
Seemanta sanskar is performed in the sixth or eight month of pregnancy, when the lord of month of pregnancy is powerful in the trasit, in same nakshatra, tithis, day and lagans as are prescribed for Punsavan Sanskar. A related sub ceremony in Vishnu puja . In the eighth month of pregnancy, in Sharvana, Rohini, Pushya nakshatras ; in 222/33/4/66/7/9/12 rashis as lagans with benefics occupying lagna and with no planet positioned in the eighth houses. Vishnu puja should be performed for the safety of the womb.
There is controversy about the above three pre-natal sanskars, that is, where these sanskars are ‘Ksshetra Sanskaras’ ( sanskar to reproductive system of female ) or whether these are ‘Garbha sanskar’ (sanskar of child in the womb ).
Those who support the former view prescribe at the time of first pregnancy only because the Kshetra of the reproductive system of female will need these sanskar only once. Those who support the latter view prescribe performance of these sanskar at each pregnancy