karNavEda

कर्ण means ear and वॆध means piercing. Piercing the child’s ear first time to adorn it with earrings is called “karNavEdha कर्णवॆध” or ” karNavyadhabandhanam कर्णव्यधबन्धनम् “

Two dates for “karNavEdha” are prevalent today.
1.a. The ears of the child can be bored somewhere between the 5th month to 8th month.

amarEjya bRuhaspati, a commentator on astrology quotes from jyOtisha shAstra

शिशॊरजातदन्तस्य मातुरुसङ्गचर्तिन: ।
सौचिकॊ वॆधयॆत्कर्णौ सूच्या द्विगुणसूत्रया ॥

The karNavEdha ceremony should be performed for the child when he is about to get his teeth and when he is able to creep up and down the mothers lap.

The Auspicious days are:- (The family priest may be consulted in selecting the dates)

कार्तिकॆ पौषमासे वा चैत्रे वा फल्गुनेऽपि वा ।
कर्णवॆधं प्रशंसन्ति शुक्लपक्षे शुभॆ दिने ॥
सुनक्षत्रे शुभे चन्द्रे सुस्थे शीर्षॊदये शुभे ।
दिनच्छिद्रव्यतीपतातविष्टिवैधृतिवर्जितॆ॥
हस्तॊश्विनिस्वातिपुनर्वसू च तिष्येन्दुचित्रा हरिरॆवति च ।
चन्द्रॆऽनुकूले गुरुशुक्रवारे कर्णौ तु वॆध्यावमरॆज्यलग्ने ॥
a. The months of kArtik, pausha, chaitra and phalguni
b. An auspicious day in shukla paksha.
c. On the stars of hasta, ashvini, svAti, punarvasu, pushya,chitra and revati.
d. On thursdays or fridays.

The inauspicious days are:

a. vyateepAta yogam
b. ishTi
c. vaidhRuti yogam
d. when the moon changes its position in the beginning or end around mid-day.

1.b. Sushruta, the 1st surgeon of 6th century says( Sushruta samhita, Chapter 16, Verses.1,2,3)

१. अथात: कर्णव्यधबन्धविधिमध्यायं व्याख्यासाम:
२. यथॊवाच भगवान् धन्वन्तरि:
३. रक्षाभूशणनिमित्तं बालस्य कर्णॊ विध्यते तौ षष्ठे मासि सप्तमे वा शुक्लपक्षे
प्रशस्तेषु तिथिकरणमुहूर्तनक्षत्रेषु

Meaning: bhagavAn dhanvantari says: The ears of the child should be bored for 1. protection of the body and 2. decoration (wearing ear-rings). It has to be done in the 6th month or the 7th month or on an auspicious star and time during the bright fortnight (shukla paksha)

2. The ears of the child are bored in the third or fifth year of the child, for the shukla yajur vedis.

Quote:The kAtyAyana sutrA of shukla yajur vedis included in the “pratishiShTa of the Paraskara gRuhya sootram” , 1.2 says:

कर्णवेधो वर्षे तृतीये पञ्चमे वा।
In this case it can be combined with the chaula samskAra which is done in the 3rd year.

An auspicious day is chosen. The ceremony has to be performed in the first half of the day.

The child is seated facing east and given sweets to distract him/her from the pain. First the right ear is pierced with a needle made of gold/silver/iron in which a thread has been inserted and levelled into double thread. The following mantra is recited:

shukla yajur vEda 25.21

pÉýSìÇ MühÉåïþÍpÉ: zÉ×hÉÑrÉÉq´ÉÑhÉÑrÉÉqÉ

SãuÉÉ pÉýSìÇ mÉþzrÉåqÉÉý ¤ÉÍpÉþrÉïeɧÉÉ: |

ÎxjÉýUæU…¡æûþxiÉÑ¹Ò uÉÉqÉ

xÉþxiÉýlÉÔÍpÉýUçurÉþzÉãqÉSãuÉÌWûþiÉÇý

rÉSÉWÒûþ:

Meaning: May we listen with our ears all that is good. May we see all good. May we praise the Lord with strong bodies and limbs and firm determination thereby remembering our sages.

Then the left ear is pierced with the following mantra:

shukla yajur veda 29.40

uÉý¤rÉliÉÏýuÉåSÉaÉþlÉÏaÉÎliÉý MühÉïÇþ

ÌmÉëýrÉóèxÉZÉÉþrÉÇ mÉËUwÉxuÉeÉÉýlÉÉ |

rÉÉãwÉãþuÉ ÍzÉla£åüý ÌuÉiÉýiÉÉÍkÉý

kÉluÉýgerÉÉ CýrÉóèxÉqÉþlÉå mÉÉýUrÉþliÉÏ ||

Meaning: The thread pierces into the ear with sweet sound and embraces the ear and protects it. Thus may we be protected.

The ceremony concludes with the feeding of brAhmaNas.

कृतमङ्गलस्वस्तिवाचनं धात्र्यङ्कॆ कुमारधराङ्के वा कुमारमुपवेश्य बालक्रीडनकै:
प्रलॊभ्याभिसान्त्वयन् भिषग्वामहस्तेनाकृषय कर्णं दैवकृते छिद्र आदित्यकरावभासिते शनै:
शनैर्दक्षिणहस्तेनर्जु विध्यॆत् प्रतनुकं सूच्या बहलमारया पूर्वं दक्षिणं कुमारस्य वामं कुमार्या: तत:
पिचुवर्तिं प्रवेशयेत्।

1. Svasti Vachanam i.e.mantras of auspicious blessings have to be recited by brAhmaNas.
2. The child should be placed in the lap of the mother facing east.
3. He must be given toys and diverted away from the tension.
4. A surgeon is invited to bore the ears. He should pull the boy child’s right ear first and pierce it slowly at the natural holes seen under the sunlight.
5. If the ears are tender he must pierce it with a needle, if they are tough then he should use a surgical instrument.
6. He should then bore the left ear. For a girl child, first the left ear should be bored and then the right.
7. After piercing, oil should be applied on the ears with cotton.