Bhaktivedanta VedaBase: Śrī Caitanya Caritāmṛta Ādi 13.110

śrīvāsera brāhmaṇī, nāma tāńra 'mālinī',

ācāryaratnera patnī-sańge

sindūra, haridrā, taila, kha-i, kalā, nārikela,

diyā pūje nārīgaṇa rańge

SYNONYMS

śrīvāsera brāhmaṇī — the wife of Śrīvāsa Ṭhākura; nāma — name; tāńra — her; mālinī — Mālinī; ācāryaratnera — of Candraśekhara (Ācāryaratna); patnī — wife; sańge — along with; sindūra — vermilion; haridrā — turmeric; taila — oil; kha-i — fused rice; kalā — banana; nārikela — coconut; diyā — giving; pūje — worship; nārī-gaṇa — ladies; rańge — in a happy mood.

TRANSLATION

The wife of Śrīvāsa Ṭhākura, whose name was Mālinī, accompanied by the wife of Candraśekhara [Ācāryaratna] and other ladies, came there in great happiness to worship the baby with paraphernalia such as vermilion, turmeric, oil, fused rice, bananas and coconuts.

PURPORT

Vermilion, kha-i (fused rice), bananas, coconuts and turmeric mixed with oil are all auspicious gifts for such a ceremony. As there is puffed rice, so there is another preparation of rice called kha-i, or fused rice, which, along with bananas, is taken as a very auspicious presentation. Also, turmeric mixed with oil and vermilion makes an auspicious ointment that is smeared over the body of a newborn baby or a person who is going to marry. These are all auspicious activities in family affairs. We see that five hundred years ago at the birth of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu all these ceremonies were performed rigidly, but at present such ritualistic performances hardly ever take place. Generally a pregnant mother is sent to the hospital, and as soon as her child is born he is washed with an antiseptic, and this concludes everything.

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His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda, Founder Ācārya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness