Rite no. 1 / 16
गर्भाधान
The rite of conception
Where the whole series begins. A child is invited into the family with intention and blessing — the parents mark the beginning of a life as something sacred and deliberate, undertaken together with a settled mind.
Performed by husband and wife together, its timing traditionally guided by the lunar calendar.
Gṛhya-Sūtras, domestic ceremonies — SBE Vol. 30 (1886), public domain
The Gṛhya-Sūtras, Part II · trans. Hermann Oldenberg · 1892 · Public Domain