Mirror of Auspicious Timing

The First Entry onto the Ground

The ritual for the first entry onto the ground term: Bhumipravesha (the ceremony where the child is first placed on the floor or earth instead of being held or in a cradle) is considered highly beneficial. Before this, one should worship the Boar original: Varaha (the incarnation of Vishnu who rescued the Earth from the cosmic ocean) for the sake of the land, and then worship the Earth herself. On that day, as prescribed in previous rituals, one should worship the teachers, the deities, and the twice-born original: dvija (scholars or priests).

After smearing and purifying a portion of the ground and preparing a sacred circle original: mandala, the child should be placed upon the earth to the sounding of conches and bells. This act is remembered by the sages as one that brings peace and liberation. The following mantra should be recited:
"O Goddess Earth, you who are auspicious and always omnipresent, may the full span of life be granted to this beloved child in their home."

The First Feeding of Solid Food

Now, regarding the first feeding of new grain term: Annaprashana (the rite of passage marking a child's first intake of food other than milk). The sage Garga states: The feeding of the child should be performed in the sixth month. If that is not possible, it may be done in the eighth month, or even within the first year.

Narada specifies: For male children, the auspicious time for the first feeding is the sixth or eighth month. For female children, it should be performed in the fifth or seventh month.

The following constellations original: nakshatras are favorable for the first meal: Ashvini, Rohini, Mrigashira, Punarvasu original: Aditi, Pushya, the "Latter" stars Uttara Phalguni, Uttara Ashadha, and Uttara Bhadrapada, Hasta, Chitra, Swati, Vishakha, Anuradha, Shravana, Dhanishtha, Shatabhisha, and Revati.

According to the Narada Samhita, the auspicious lunar days original: tithis for the feeding are the second, third, fifth, seventh, thirteenth, and fourteenth. One should avoid the "empty" days original: rikta (the 4th, 9th, and 14th of the lunar cycle) and the five "joint" days original: parva (the transitions of the moon) for this feeding, as they may cause harm to the child's lifespan.

For the purposes of traveling, binding, the tonsure ceremony original: chaula, the first feeding, and the sacred thread ceremony original: upanayana, the child's birth constellation is considered auspicious. According to the treatise Rajamartanda, when planets are situated in the third, sixth, or eleventh houses, they bring about gain and success for these endeavors.