Grihapati Avatara

Nandishvara said

Full of joy the brahmana went home and told his beloved everything. Hearing it, Shuchishmati was overjoyed and with great love praised her own good fortune. After some time she became pregnant. The conception rite, garbhalambhana, was done properly. As the foetus grew, her learned husband followed the grihya sutras and had the pumsavana rite performed, and in the eighth month, so the foetus would grow well and the delivery be easy, he had the simantonnayana done, being skilled in learning. An auspicious star-time came, with Jupiter at the centre and a good ascendant, and the planets in excellent conjunction. Shuchishmati's son was born, with a face like the lord of the stars. When the destroyer of all misfortune was born, the lamps in the delivery room paled before his brilliance. Sharva, who brings happiness to all the dwellers of earth, heaven and the space between, was born. Smoke rising from the house turned into a fragrant breeze spreading in all directions. Dense clouds rained fragrant flowers, the gods' drums sounded and the directions turned bright. In every direction rivers and the minds of beings grew clear, tamas withdrew from darkness and rajas from dust. Sattva's purity was everywhere and nectar rained down. Everywhere speech turned pleasant and beings spoke pleasantly. Apsaras with Rambha in front came with auspicious articles in their hands, and thousands of vidyadhara and kinnara women, and women from the uragas and yakshas, came and honoured him, singing many auspicious songs sweetly. For the pacifying rite the sages who came to Vishvanara's house were Marichi, Atri, Pulaha, Pulastya, Kratu, Angiras, Vasishtha, Kashyapa, Agastya, Mandavi's son Vibhanda, Lomasha, Romacharana, Bharadvaja, Goutama, Bhrigu, Galava, Garga, Jatukarna, Parashara, Apastamba, Yajnavalkya, Daksha, Valmiki, Mudgala, Shatatapa, Likhita, Shilada, Shankha, Uncchabhuk, Jamadagni, Samvarta, Matanga, Bharata, Amshuman, Vyasa, Katyayana, Kutsa, Shounaka, Sushruta, Shuka, Rishyashringa, Durvasa, Shuchi, Narada, Tumburu, Uttanka, Vamadeva, Pavana, Asita-Devala, Salankayana, Harita, Vishvamitra, Bhargava, Mrikandu and his son, Parvata, Daruka, Dhoumya, Upamanyu and others. The sages' daughters also came. Brahma came with Brihaspati, and the divinity who rides Garuda. Vrishadhvaja came with Nandi, Bhringi and Gouri. The gods came with great Indra leading them, and the nagas of Patala. Many rivers and great oceans came bearing jewels, and thousands of unmoving things came in moving forms. There were great festivities as if moonlight had come at the wrong time.

Brahma himself performed the birth rites. Reflecting on the shruti and on the child's form he named him Grihapati, on the eleventh day. The naming rites were done to the chanting of shruti, and, uttering mantras of the four nigama texts and pronouncing blessings, the grandfather took leave of all and left on his swan. Following the world's custom, Hara and Hari did the proper protective rites for the child and left on their mounts for their own abodes. The visitors spoke among themselves, full of joy and with hair standing up: how wonderful his great energy, he bears all the auspicious marks on his limbs, how wonderful is Shuchishmati's good fortune that Hara himself was born through her; yet there was nothing strange in it, since Sharva had incarnated through his own devotee and Rudra had come because Rudra had been worshipped. They took leave of Vishvanara and returned where they had come from.

A householder wants a son. The eternal shruti says one conquers the world through a son. Without a son the house is empty, earning wealth is futile, austerities are lost, and a man without a son is not sanctified. No gain is greater than getting a son, no happiness greater, and in this world and the next no friend greater. In the fourth month the father did the nishkramana rite and took him out of the house, annaprashana after six months, and at a year chudakarma. Skilled in rites, he had the ear-piercing done when the moon was in Shravana. To increase his brahmana energy he made him keep a vow in his fifth year, and after upanayana taught him the Vedas himself. For one year, by the rules and in order, he studied the Vedas and Vedangas. Strong in capacity, he gained all this learning on his own, the guru's mouth being a mere witness. He had humility and the other qualities. In his ninth year Narada came to Vishvanara's house to see Grihapati and found him serving his parents. Curious, the divine sage took his seat, asked after their welfare, remembered Shiva's lotus feet, and told Vishvanara of his son's destiny and dharma. He told the boy to come sit on his lap so he could examine the marks, and asked to see his right hand. The child, with his father's leave, bowed to Narada and sat devotedly. Narada examined everything, even his palate and tongue. Then, urged by Shiva, the wise one spoke to Vishvanara: listen, sage, he would lovingly tell him the signs on his son. His son had excellent marks on all limbs and very auspicious signs, all his qualities and every good sign, all his digits brightly pure. But only destiny could protect him, so every effort must be made to protect the child, for when destiny turns adverse even good qualities can turn into flaws. In the twelfth month from now Narada feared danger to him from fire and lightning. So saying he went back to the gods' world.