Pregnancy, Birthing, Breastfeeding and Mothering: Hindu Perspectives from Scriptures and Practices
This article looks at the regulations of pregnancy, birthing, breastfeeding in Ayurvedic treatises, and at representations of mothering in Vedic and Puranic texts related to childrearing. Ayurvedic garbha sanskar (educating the mind of the foetus) regulates the pregnancy of women to ensure the safe...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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De Gruyter
2020-02-01
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| Series: | Open Theology |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1515/opth-2020-0010 |
| _version_ | 1818690331852406784 |
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| author | Sarkar Sucharita |
| author_facet | Sarkar Sucharita |
| author_sort | Sarkar Sucharita |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | This article looks at the regulations of pregnancy, birthing, breastfeeding in Ayurvedic treatises, and at representations of mothering in Vedic and Puranic texts related to childrearing. Ayurvedic garbha sanskar (educating the mind of the foetus) regulates the pregnancy of women to ensure the safe birthing of superior babies. Breastfeeding is both glorified and strictly regulated in Ayurvedic texts. Several Vedic texts describe a range of rituals to benefit a caste Hindu child’s life from before birth to the beginning of manhood. These rituals are formally conducted by the father, whereas the mother’s role is marginalized. Although these texts scrutinize and discipline maternal bodies, yet there are several interstices where female and/or maternal agency can be performed. Ayurvedic obstetric practices often incorporate the indigenous knowledges of midwives (dais). The scripturally-mandated practice of wet-nursing shifts and complicates biological motherhood roles. The domestic tradition of performing vratas to secure the offspring’s longevity allows mothers to have a more central role in childrearing rituals. I will compare the regulatory texts and the potentially resistant practices from a maternal feminist perspective in order to interrogate the multiple ways in which the Hindu childbearing and childrearing framework is a site of surveillance as well as assertion for mothers. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-17T12:24:18Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-9a8383f3d59245e1b467d8b39ba77710 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2300-6579 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-17T12:24:18Z |
| publishDate | 2020-02-01 |
| publisher | De Gruyter |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Open Theology |
| spelling | doaj.art-9a8383f3d59245e1b467d8b39ba777102022-12-21T21:48:51ZengDe GruyterOpen Theology2300-65792020-02-016110411610.1515/opth-2020-0010opth-2020-0010Pregnancy, Birthing, Breastfeeding and Mothering: Hindu Perspectives from Scriptures and PracticesSarkar Sucharita0D.T.S.S. College of Commerce, Mumbai, IndiaThis article looks at the regulations of pregnancy, birthing, breastfeeding in Ayurvedic treatises, and at representations of mothering in Vedic and Puranic texts related to childrearing. Ayurvedic garbha sanskar (educating the mind of the foetus) regulates the pregnancy of women to ensure the safe birthing of superior babies. Breastfeeding is both glorified and strictly regulated in Ayurvedic texts. Several Vedic texts describe a range of rituals to benefit a caste Hindu child’s life from before birth to the beginning of manhood. These rituals are formally conducted by the father, whereas the mother’s role is marginalized. Although these texts scrutinize and discipline maternal bodies, yet there are several interstices where female and/or maternal agency can be performed. Ayurvedic obstetric practices often incorporate the indigenous knowledges of midwives (dais). The scripturally-mandated practice of wet-nursing shifts and complicates biological motherhood roles. The domestic tradition of performing vratas to secure the offspring’s longevity allows mothers to have a more central role in childrearing rituals. I will compare the regulatory texts and the potentially resistant practices from a maternal feminist perspective in order to interrogate the multiple ways in which the Hindu childbearing and childrearing framework is a site of surveillance as well as assertion for mothers.https://doi.org/10.1515/opth-2020-0010ayurvedabreastfeedingchildbirthgarbha sanskarhinduismmidwivesmotherhoodmotheringpregnancysamskarasvrataswet-nursing |
| spellingShingle | Sarkar Sucharita Pregnancy, Birthing, Breastfeeding and Mothering: Hindu Perspectives from Scriptures and Practices Open Theology ayurveda breastfeeding childbirth garbha sanskar hinduism midwives motherhood mothering pregnancy samskaras vratas wet-nursing |
| title | Pregnancy, Birthing, Breastfeeding and Mothering: Hindu Perspectives from Scriptures and Practices |
| title_full | Pregnancy, Birthing, Breastfeeding and Mothering: Hindu Perspectives from Scriptures and Practices |
| title_fullStr | Pregnancy, Birthing, Breastfeeding and Mothering: Hindu Perspectives from Scriptures and Practices |
| title_full_unstemmed | Pregnancy, Birthing, Breastfeeding and Mothering: Hindu Perspectives from Scriptures and Practices |
| title_short | Pregnancy, Birthing, Breastfeeding and Mothering: Hindu Perspectives from Scriptures and Practices |
| title_sort | pregnancy birthing breastfeeding and mothering hindu perspectives from scriptures and practices |
| topic | ayurveda breastfeeding childbirth garbha sanskar hinduism midwives motherhood mothering pregnancy samskaras vratas wet-nursing |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1515/opth-2020-0010 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT sarkarsucharita pregnancybirthingbreastfeedingandmotheringhinduperspectivesfromscripturesandpractices |