16 sanskaron men jatakarm sanskar ka vishesh mahatva hai. yah sanskar shishu ke janm lene ke pashchat kiya jata hai- jatmatrasya vedoktan karm jatakarm arthat shishu ke utpann hote hi jo vedokt karm kiya jata hai, vah jatakarm sanskar kahlata hai. is sanskar se dosh nivaran ke sath hi balak ki ayu evan buddhi (medha) barhti hai, atah ise ayushyavarddhak ya medhajanan sanskar bhi kaha jata hai. jatakarm sanskar ki mukhya prayojnta is medhajanan sanskar men samahit hai. is sanskar ka ayurved ke sanhita granthon men vishad varnan milta hai. anya dharmik granthon ke sath hi vrihdaranyakopnishad (1-5-2) men bhi is sanskar ke vishay men vivechna ki gai hai.
acharya charak ne yah sanskar kar lene ke pashchat hi shishu ko stanapan karane ka adesh diya hai- ato'nantaran jatakarm kumarasya karyam. tadyatha-madhu sarpishi mantropamantrite yathamnayan prathman dadyat. stanamat udhrvame tenaiv vidhina dakshinan patun purastat prayachchet. arthat janm lene ke pashchat shishu ka jatakarm sanskar karen. iski vidhi yah hai ki shahad aur ghi ko asman matra men lekar mantra se abhimantrit kar shastra riti ke anusar shishu ko chataven. iske bad usi prakar mantrochcharan karte huye pahle dahina stan use dudh pilane ke liye uske mukh men uski mata dale. yah sab vidhan karte huye ghi-shahad chatane vale vyakti ka aur uski mata ka man pramudit (atyadhik prasanna) rahna chahiye.
acharya sushrut ne do dinon tak madhu-ghrit adi chatane ke pashchat tisre din dudh pilane ke liye likha hai jiski vyakhya men vyakhyakar shri bhaskar govind ghanekar ne likha hai ki ‘charak sanhita men pratham din se hi stanapan karane ke lie kaha hai. adhunik pashchatya kaumarbhrityon ka bhi kathan hai ki pratham din se hi balak ko stanapan karayen. balak ko pratham din se stanapan karane se dugdhotpatti men sahayta hoti hai. balak ko ahar ki avashyakta hai ya nahin? stanapan karne ka samathrya hai ya nahin? iska gyan tab tak nahin hoga jab tak ki mata dvara shishu ko stanapan nahin karaya jayega. isliye uparyukt labh prapt karne ke liye charak ke matanusar pratham din se hi stanapan karane ki vidhi prashast hai.’
jatakarm sanskar men jo dravya upyog men laye jate hain, unse uttam svasthya ke sath-sath bal aur visheshtah medha ki vriddhi hoti hai. yah sanskar ghar ke vriddh purush ya vriddh mahila ke dvara kiya jata hai. samanyatya balak ke liye vriddh purush aur balika ke liye vriddh mahila yah sanskar sanpadit karti hai. janbhasha men ise kahin-kahin ghunti dena bhi kahte hain. dakshin bharat men ise urmaent kahte hain. kisi charitranishth sanbhrant vyakti dvara yah karya karaya jana adhik upyukt hai. chatate samay jis mantra ka uchcharan karna hai, vah mantra is prakar hai- prateddami madhuno ghritasya, vedan savitra prasutan madhonam.
ayushman gupto devtabhiah, shatan jiv shardo loke asmin. (ashravlayan grihya sutra 1-5-1) yadyapi acharya charak ne jatakarm hetu madhu aur ghrit ko hi upyogi kaha hai kintu acharya sushrut ne svarn mishrit madhu-ghrit ko upyogi kaha hai- prathme'hni madhusarpiranantamishran mantraputan trikalan payyet. jatakarmani krite madhusarpiranantachunr amgulya'namikya lehyet. (anant churnan suvarn churnan, ten mishran madhyavadi lehyet) acharya vagbhat ne sushrut ke anusar hi varnan kiya hai. manusmriti men bhi aya hai- prannabhivardhanatpun so jatakarm vidhiyate. mantravatprashnan chasya hiranyamdhusarpisham..
(manusmriti 2-29) arthat shishu ke nalachchedan se pahle uska jatakarm sanskar kiya jata hai. iske liye vedmantra ke uchcharan ke sath us balak ko svarn, madhu aur ghrit chatana chahiye.