Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 10.7.4
Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devoteesCelebrate a Child’s Growth With Spiritual Care
“Śukadeva Gosvāmī said: When mother Yaśodā’s baby was slanting His body to attempt to rise and turn around, this attempt was observed by a Vedic ceremony. In such a ceremony, called utthāna, which is performed when a child is due to leave the house for the first time, the child is properly bathed. Just after Kṛṣṇa turned three months old, mother Yaśodā celebrated this ceremony with other women of the neighborhood. On that day, there was a conjunction of the moon with the constellation Rohiṇī. As the brāhmaṇas joined by chanting Vedic hymns and professional musicians also took part, this great ceremony was observed by mother Yaśodā.”
What the purport teaches
- When Kṛṣṇa began attempting to rise and turn around, mother Yaśodā celebrated the utthāna ceremony. Neighboring women, brāhmaṇas chanting Vedic hymns, and musicians joined the celebration.
- The purport describes Vedic society as well organized and advanced in spiritual consciousness. In such a society, childbirth is a cause for jubilation rather than a burden.
- A child’s growth, even the attempt to turn over, brings joy to the parents. Recommended ceremonies accompany pregnancy and childhood, giving these occasions spiritual importance.
Try this today
Offer one kind word of appreciation to a parent caring for a child.
Ask yourself
How can I show greater appreciation for the care and joy surrounding a child’s growth?
Carry the question through the day, then answer it in your own words before sleep.
The study points, practice and question are short summaries drawn from Śrīla Prabhupāda's translation and purport. Read the full purport to go deeper.