Kumaragara (कुमारागार) - Revision history

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Kumaragara refers to the infant care room specially designed to take care of a newborn child and mother. The design of this room has been discussed in depth by Ayurveda scholars. The special room for newborn is intended for isolation, protection and monitoring of the growth & development of the child.

== Introduction ==
Newborn children, infants, toddlers were taken care of with lot of care and affection in ancient times. Their physiological needs, vulnerability to environmental harmful factors, health status and wellbeing parameters were well-known to the ancient scholars and they had given a complete guide to fulfill all these necessary things in detail. Therefore Ayurveda has proposed isolation of newborn baby with mother in a separate room where arrangements can be made as per the special health needs of a baby. In this way the baby and mother can be protected from known and unknown harmful factors and gradually the baby can become capable of surviving in the outside environment. Birth of the baby occurs in [[Sutikagara (सूतिकागारम्)|Sutikagara]]. The child with mother remains in Sutikagara upto one and the half month post delivery and then the child enter Kumaragara specifically designed to cater the newborn child's needs.

[[Nishkramana Samskara (निष्क्रमणम्)|Nishkramana samskara]] refers to one of the rites of passages of the baby in childhood. This ceremony of samskara is performed in the 4th month post delivery. It is a samskara performed to mark the first exposure of the bay to the outside world. It is at this time when the newborn child is taken out of the house and taken to some other place (to the temple) for the first time in child's life. Till this period the child stays in Kumaragara with the mother.

In todays time we see that neonatal intensive units, special care neonatal units pediatric clinics and pediatric wards are designed in a specific manner and attractive way to make it acceptable by the child and fulfill the child's needs. Thus Kumaragara is an ancient time concept described in Ayurveda for infant care and it can be seen practiced even today in a modified way on the basis of similar logic.

== Etymology ==
The term Kumaragara can be split into 2 parts, Kumara and Agara.

Kumara- The child

Agara- house or the dwelling place.

Thus Kumaragara refers to the house of a child.

== Structure and arrangements in the Kumaragara ==
अतोऽनन्तरं कुमारागारविधिमनुव्याख्यास्यामः- वास्तुविद्याकुशलः प्रशस्तं रम्यमतमस्कं निवातं प्रवातैकदेशं दृढमपगतश्वापदपशुदंष्ट्रिमूषिकपतङ्गं सुविभक्तसलिलोलूखलमूत्रवर्चःस्थानस्नानभूमिमहानसमृतुसुखं यथर्तुशयनासनास्तरणसम्पन्नं कुर्यात्; तथा सुविहितरक्षाविधानबलिमङ्गलहोमप्रायश्चित्तं शुचिवृद्धवैद्यानुरक्तजनसम्पूर्णम्|

इति कुमारागारविधिः||५९||

शयनासनास्तरणप्रावरणानि कुमारस्य मृदुलघुशुचिसुगन्धीनि स्युः; स्वेदमलजन्तुमन्ति मूत्रपुरीषोपसृष्टानि च वर्ज्यानि स्युः; असति सम्भवेऽन्येषां तान्येव च सुप्रक्षालितोपधानानि सुधूपितानि शुद्धशुष्काण्युपयोगं गच्छेयुः||६०|| (Char. Samh. 8.59)

== The concept of Kumaradhara ==
अभियुक्तः सदाचारो नातिस्थूलो न लोलुपः|

कुमारधारः कर्त्तव्यस्तत्राद्यो बालचित्तवित्|

अधार्मिकं दुराचारः स्थूलो विकटगामिनम्|

करोति लोलुपो बालं घस्मरत्वेन रोगिणम्||४४|| (Asht. Samg. utt. 1.44)

== Kridabhoomi and Kridanaka ==
क्रीडाभूमिः समा कार्या निश्शस्त्रोपलशर्करा|

वेल्लोषणकणाम्भोभिः सिक्ता निम्बोदकेन वा|

जातुषं घोषविच्चित्रमत्रांस रमणं बृहत्|

अतीक्ष्णाग्रं गवाश्वादिमङ्गल्यमथ वा फलम्||४७|| (Asht. Samg. Utta. 1.47)

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-Kumaragara refers to the infant care room specially designed to take care of a newborn child and mother. The design of this room has been discussed in depth by Ayurveda scholars. The special room for newborn is intended for isolation, protection and monitoring of the growth & development of the child.
+Kumaragara (Samskrt: कुमारागारः) refers to the infant care room specially designed to take care of a newborn child and mother. The design of this room has been discussed in depth by Ayurveda scholars. The special room for newborn is intended for isolation, protection and monitoring of the growth & development of the child.
-== Introduction ==
+== परिचयः ॥ Introduction ==
-Newborn children, infants, toddlers were taken care of with lot of care and affection in ancient times. Their physiological needs, vulnerability to environmental harmful factors, health status and wellbeing parameters were well-known to the ancient scholars and they had given a complete guide to fulfill all these necessary things in detail. Therefore Ayurveda has proposed isolation of newborn baby with mother in a separate room where arrangements can be made as per the special health needs of a baby. In this way the baby and mother can be protected from known and unknown harmful factors and gradually the baby can become capable of surviving in the outside environment. Birth of the baby occurs in [[Sutikagara (सूतिकागारम्)|Sutikagara]]. The child with mother remains in Sutikagara upto one and the half month post delivery and then the child enter Kumaragara specifically designed to cater the newborn child's needs.
+Newborn children, infants, toddlers were taken care of with lot of care and affection in ancient times. Their physiological needs, vulnerability to environmental harmful factors, health status and wellbeing parameters were well-known to the ancient scholars and they had given a complete guide to fulfill all these necessary things in detail. Therefore Ayurveda has proposed isolation of newborn baby with mother in a separate room where arrangements can be made as per the special health needs of a baby. In this way the baby and mother can be protected from known and unknown harmful factors and gradually the baby can become capable of surviving in the outside environment. Birth of the baby occurs in [[Sutikagara (सूतिकागारम्)|Sutikagara (सूतिकागारः)]]. The child with mother remains in Sutikagara upto one and the half month post delivery and then the child enter Kumaragara specifically designed to cater the newborn child's needs.
-[[Nishkramana Samskara (निष्क्रमणम्)|Nishkramana samskara]] refers to one of the rites of passages of the baby in childhood. This ceremony of samskara is performed in the 4th month post delivery. It is a samskara performed to mark the first exposure of the bay to the outside world. It is at this time when the newborn child is taken out of the house and taken to some other place (to the temple) for the first time in child's life. Till this period the child stays in Kumaragara with the mother.
+[[Nishkramana Samskara (निष्क्रमणम्)|Nishkramana samskara]] (निष्क्रमण संस्कारः) refers to one of the rites of passages of the baby in childhood. This ceremony of samskara is performed in the 4th month post delivery. It is a samskara performed to mark the first exposure of the bay to the outside world. It is at this time when the newborn child is taken out of the house and taken to some other place (to the temple) for the first time in child's life. Till this period the child stays in Kumaragara with the mother.
 In todays time we see that neonatal intensive units, special care neonatal units pediatric clinics and pediatric wards are designed in a specific manner and attractive way to make it acceptable by the child and fulfill the child's needs. Thus Kumaragara is an ancient time concept described in Ayurveda for infant care and it can be seen practiced even today in a modified way on the basis of similar logic.
-== Etymology ==
+== व्युत्पत्तिः॥ Etymology ==
 The term Kumaragara can be split into 2 parts, Kumara and Agara.
-Kumara- The child
+* Kumara (कुमारः)- The child
+* Agara (आगारः)- house or the dwelling place.
 Thus Kumaragara refers to the house of a child.
-== कुमारागारविधि Structure and arrangements in the Kumaragara ==
+== कुमारागारविधि॥ Structure and arrangements in the Kumaragara ==
 The details of building and designing Kumaragara can be found in Ayurveda texts.<ref>Charaka Samhita ([https://niimh.nic.in/ebooks/ecaraka/?mod=read&h=sudhUpitAni Sharirasthanam Adhyaya 8 Sutra 60])</ref> The details are as follows,
@@ Line 28: / Line 27: @@
 * '''Rakshavidhana'''- Before bringing the child into the room, the place should be properly purified, sanctified and sterilized in a traditional way by performing raksha vidhana (protective measures in the form of pujas, prayers and rituals for the protection of the child, bali (sacrifices), Homa (fire sacrifices), mangala (auspicious chanting and sacrifices), Prayashchitta (repentence) as prescribed in vedic texts.
 * '''People inside the room'''- Entry should be permitted to only those who are clean (sanitized), aged and experienced family members who can properly guide and only those who have care & affection in heart for the child. A vaidya should have access to this place easily or should visit frequently.
-== The concept of Kumaradhara ==
+The staff that is otherwise selected who is adharmika (devoid of dharma or moral values), ill behaving or greedy in nature and practices bad ways of living will negatively influence the child and also make the child a similar person. Therefore the staff appointed to take care of the child should be selected very cautiously.
-कुमारधारः कर्त्तव्यस्तत्राद्यो बालचित्तवित्|
+== क्रीडाभूमिः क्रीडनकाः च॥ Play area and toys for the child ==
-अधार्मिकं दुराचारः स्थूलो विकटगामिनम्|
+=== क्रीडाभूमिः॥ Kridabhoomi ===
-करोति लोलुपो बालं घस्मरत्वेन रोगिणम्||४४|| (Asht. Samg. utt. 1.44)
+It should be clean and devoid of excreta, sand, pebbles, thorns, needles, sand or gravel.
-== Kridabhoomi and Kridanaka ==
+The place should be sanitized using water medicated with Vella (Embelia ribes), Ushana (Black pepper or dry ginger) and Kana (pepper) or neem (Azadirecta indica) infused water. <ref name=":0">Ashtanga Samgraha (Uttaratantra Adhyaya 1 Sutra 47)</ref>
-वेल्लोषणकणाम्भोभिः सिक्ता निम्बोदकेन वा|
+=== क्रीडनकाः॥ Kridanaka ===
-जातुषं घोषविच्चित्रमत्रांस रमणं बृहत्|
+* Toys should be preferably made up of jatusha or laksha (लाक्षा॥ lacifer lacca). If we look at the properties of laksha (medicinal and purified lac) it is known to be haemostatic (stops bleeding from wounds, injuries etc.), strengthens bones, helpful in diarrhoea/dysentery and moreover it is moldable.<ref>Manohar R, Nithin. (2018). A REVIEW ON LACCIFER LACCA. World Journal of Pharmaceutical Research. 206. 10.20959/wjpr201810-12282. </ref> <ref>Charaka Samhita (Sharirasthanam Adhyaya 8 Sutra 63)</ref>Therefore even if the child licks or tries to bite the toy only the medicinal lac will be ingested and it will not harm the child instead will provide health benefits. One can clearly see the vision and in detail thinking of ancient Ayurveda acharyas in proposing use of such toys for children.
-अतीक्ष्णाग्रं गवाश्वादिमङ्गल्यमथ वा फलम्||४७|| (Asht. Samg. Utta. 1.47)
+== References ==

@@ Line 17: / Line 17: @@
 Thus Kumaragara refers to the house of a child.
-== Structure and arrangements in the Kumaragara ==
+== कुमारागारविधि Structure and arrangements in the Kumaragara ==
-अतोऽनन्तरं कुमारागारविधिमनुव्याख्यास्यामः- वास्तुविद्याकुशलः प्रशस्तं रम्यमतमस्कं निवातं प्रवातैकदेशं दृढमपगतश्वापदपशुदंष्ट्रिमूषिकपतङ्गं सुविभक्तसलिलोलूखलमूत्रवर्चःस्थानस्नानभूमिमहानसमृतुसुखं यथर्तुशयनासनास्तरणसम्पन्नं कुर्यात्; तथा सुविहितरक्षाविधानबलिमङ्गलहोमप्रायश्चित्तं शुचिवृद्धवैद्यानुरक्तजनसम्पूर्णम्|
+The details of building and designing Kumaragara can be found in Ayurveda texts.<ref>Charaka Samhita ([https://niimh.nic.in/ebooks/ecaraka/?mod=read&h=sudhUpitAni Sharirasthanam Adhyaya 8 Sutra 60])</ref> The details are as follows,
-इति कुमारागारविधिः||५९||
+* '''Who should build it?'''- Vastuvidyakushala (architect) should build the Kumaragara. Thus a specialist in the field of architecture who is conversant with science of building should construct a dwelling place for a child.
+* '''Measurements and built'''- It should be specious. A congested or small room is not recommended. Measurements may vary but it should be a rigid & firm structure.
-शयनासनास्तरणप्रावरणानि कुमारस्य मृदुलघुशुचिसुगन्धीनि स्युः; स्वेदमलजन्तुमन्ति मूत्रपुरीषोपसृष्टानि च वर्ज्यानि स्युः; असति सम्भवेऽन्येषां तान्येव च सुप्रक्षालितोपधानानि सुधूपितानि शुद्धशुष्काण्युपयोगं गच्छेयुः||६०|| (Char. Samh. 8.59)
+* '''Specifications'''- It should be pleasant, well lit, well ventilated but non airy. The doors and windows should be designed in such a way that the air coming into the room should come in direct contect with the child.
 == The concept of Kumaradhara ==