Garbhādhāna
गर्भाधान
Also written: garbhadhana · garbhādhāna · garbhadhana sanskar · garbhadhana ceremony
Garbhādhāna (गर्भाधान) is the first of the sixteen saṃskāras. The conscious invitation of a life, rather than its accidental arrival.
| Number | 1 of 16 |
| Stage of life | Prenatal |
| Performed | Before conception |
| Purpose | The conscious invitation of a life, rather than its accidental arrival. |
What the rite is and why
The first saṃskāra treats conception as a deliberate act undertaken with preparation of body, mind and intention by both parents — not as a consequence of appetite.
The couple prepare through diet, restraint, prayer and the choice of an auspicious time; the muhūrta is selected with care because the moment of conception is held to carry into the child's constitution.
The underlying doctrine is that the incoming jīva is drawn by the state of the parents at that moment. What the parents are, in mind and body, is the field the seed enters.
Where it stands today
Rarely performed as a formal rite, but its principle survives wherever a couple prepares deliberately for a child rather than leaving it to chance.
The sixteen Saṃskāras
From before conception to the final fire: the sixteen refinements that mark a human life, what each one actual…
Puṁsavana
Puṁsavana — the second saṃskāra, performed third or fourth month of pregnancy. Protection and healthy developm…
Sīmantonnayana
Sīmantonnayana — the third saṃskāra, performed sixth to eighth month. The mother's wellbeing, and the child's …
Jātakarma
Jātakarma — the fourth saṃskāra, performed at birth, before the umbilical cord is cut. Welcoming the child, an…
Nāmakaraṇa
Nāmakaraṇa — the fifth saṃskāra, performed eleventh or twelfth day after birth. The giving of the name — an id…
Niṣkramaṇa
Niṣkramaṇa — the sixth saṃskāra, performed third or fourth month. The child's first journey out of the house —…
Last revised 2026-08-16. Corrections are welcome — see how this site is written.