Garbha Upanishad

English Translations (See: http://www.vedarahasya.net/garbha.htm and http://www.geocities.com/advaitavedant/garbha.htm) Background:

Unless man does all he can, to attain Godhead, the main pain that he is going to encounter after death, is that he did not attain the real ob ective of his life, which happens to be to reali!e his true Spiritual "otential. #he Garbha Upanishad is a treatise. $Garbha means $%omb& 't e(pounds the details of what human consciousness goes through, while it still resides in the womb, in the form of a fetus. %hen the brain of the fetus forms, its active mind is more active than that of children and/or adults. #he reason is that while in the womb, the fetus is not distracted by the senses, and its connection with the attractions and distractions of the outside world. So now the soul, imprisoned within the mother, goes through physical and emotional turmoil. )e now reali!es the fact that he is going to incarnate once again to go through trials and tribulations, whose main ob ective is that he learns through pain, to become, what he intrinsically is: *n image of God+ #he Garbha Upanishad states that, the fetus promises God, that he will not repeat his evil deeds. ,ut alas+ %hen the child is born, a force called the $-aishnava "rana& touches him, and he forgets his thoughts and prayer. So the learning process, continues+ *r una in the ,hagvad Geeta as.ed /rishna, what happens, if man dies while putting in his effort to learn about Spiritual truths in one life0 't is heartening to note, that man, ta.e off, from where he left off, in his spiritual efforts. 1oo. deep within you as you read these words, do they ring a bell0 2o they sound true0 *s. yourself+ 3our S415 will reply+

Introduction: #his Upanishad e(plains in detail about the conception and growth of a child in the mother&s womb. *t each stage of development in the womb, the physical condition of the child&s body and the mental state and the condition of the eevan (the soul) within is also e(plained in detail in this scripture. 't is great wonder that our ancient 6ishis (the seers of truth) were able to grasp and visuali!e such intense secrets about the body and soul in those ancient days when there were no traces of today&s modern science and research. #o go a step ahead, we can even say that parts of this Upanishad are yet to be physically researched and understood by the modern scientists and will remain un.nown to the Science world till such time. #his Upanishad is part of the /rishna 3a ur -eda.

The Upanishad: 78+ 8ay ,rahman protect us (the Guru and Sishya) both+ 8ay he give us both (enough) to en oy+ 4fficiency may we both attain+ 4ffective may our study prove+ 8ay we not hate (each other) at all+ Om Shanti ! Shanti ! Shanti ! #he human body is constituted of five things (the five forces of earth, s.y, air, water and fire) and is of si( shelters (li.e the physical, ethereal and so on). 't is of si( different characters and seven compounds, three impurities and has two points of source of birth. 't is dependent on four types of food. 9. %hy is the body called as :"anchaatma.am0; ("ancha<5ive) ,ecause it is constituted out of the five forces of nature = vi!., earth, water, fire, air and s.y. >.7ut of the body which portions represent each such force of nature 0 #hat portion which is hard is representative of the earth, the li?uid one is of the water, the hot one is of the fire, the airy portion is of the air and the portion which gives space is representative of the s.y or the space. #he earth force enables to sustain, water helps consolidation, fire enlightens, air ma.es the team wor., and the space gives time and options to carry on the various duties. 4ach of the sense organs are created for some specific purpose = the ear (srodhram) for hearing sounds, the s.in (twa.) for feeling the touch, eyes (ca.shu) for the vision, tongue ( ihvah) for en oying the taste, nose (naasi) to smell, the birth organ (upastham) to en oy pleasure and the rectum (apaanam) to shed the unwanted from the body. #he ivan (or the soul) identifies through the brain, desires with the mind and spea.s with the language (vaa.). @.%hy is the body said to be having si( shelters 0 't can sense and distinguish the si( forms of taste such as sweet, sour, salty, bitter etc., #he seven forms of basic sound vi!., shat am, rishabam, gaanthaaram, madhyamam, panchamam, daivatam and nishaadam, alongwith the other three vi!., ishtam, anishtam and pranidaanam constitutes the ten basic forms of sound. *gain, the colors are basically of seven types vi!., white, red, blac., smo.y gray, yellow and golden white. %hy is the body said to be of seven compounds 0 %hen a man gets to possess and en oy the material ob ects which are meant for such en oyment, because of the good combination of such ob ects, si( types of taste (rasam) are brought in. 7ut of such taste is created the blood, from the blood the tissue, from the tissue the fat, from the fat the nerves, from nerves the bones, from bones the body, and from the body the reproductive fluids. #hus there are seven compounds and the body is formed of such compounds. %hen there is a oin or combination of the male and female reproductive fluids, the garbha (pregnancy or the embryo) is formed. #hat garbha is controlled by the )ridayam (the heart). #he heart houses an ever<burning internal fire from which a biological fire is generated, which in turn, gives birth to air. #hat air, which runs throughout the body, ultimately and dutifully traces bac. its route to the )ridayam or the )eart,

as a rule laid down by the Supreme. The formation of the embryo and its stages of de elopment 7n a perfect day and on the uniting of the male and female reproductive fluids, after the lapse of one night, the embryo is in a mi(ed (semi<fluid) state. *fter seven nights from thereon, it ta.es the shape of a bubble formed out of water. *t the end of a fortnight, it ta.es the shape of a solid lump. 't gets solidified and hardened at the end of one month. 'n two months, the head ta.es form. *t the end of three months, the legs and foot are formed. *nd by the fourth month, the wrist, stomach and the hip, waist etc are formed. 2uring the fifth month, the spine and the ad oining bones get shaped. #he 8outh, Aose, 4yes and the 4ars are all formed during the si(th month. 'n the seventh month, life or the ivan enters the body shaped so far. ,y the eighth month, it attains full shape and gets fulfilled with all other remaining parts. 'f the potency of the father (the male) is stronger than the mother, it becomes a male and vice<versa. 'f the potency of both the father and the mother are e?ual with no pulling force in either, it becomes a nabumsa.a. (neither a male nor a female) 't is born as a blind or as a deaf or dumb or short or with other deficiency due to any mental confusion during the period of pregnancy. 'f the male reproductive fluid is split because of the air moving around in the body, twins are born. %hen the body comprised of the five natural forces ac?uires intelligence by the infusion of the ivan (or the soul), it also ac?uires the five intellectual organs and the brain, which enables the ivan to distinguish between different forms of ob ects and tastes. )aving obtained this intelligence, the ivan immediately starts contemplating on the eternal syllable :78;. 7nce he digests the essence of the same, he understands the fact that the eight basic forces (five sense organs, the mind, intellect and ego) and their si(teen variants belong to the soul or the ivan residing in the body. %hatever is consumed or drun. by the mother passes through the nerves dovetailed with the child&s to the ivan, which is satisfied with such feed. 't is during the ninth month that all the sense organs and intellect organs attain completeness. *nd during this time, the ivan is reminded of its previous birth and it reali!es all the good and bad deeds it committed during such previous birth. #hus thin.s the ivan: :,y me thousands of birth points (vagina) have been seenB various foods have been tastedB and innumerable times mother&s mil. has been drun. (to convey that the ivan had various mothers during its earlier births). ' have born and died again and again. *ll my near and dear (of earlier births) for whom ' performed various actions (in earlier births), whether good or bad, have en oyed the benefits of my actions and have left me all alone. ' am left behind all alone. 7nce ' come out of this birth source (vagina), ' am going to surrender myself to the destroyer of all sins and the Salvation provider = 8aheswara, also called as Aaaraayana (or the Supreme ,eing called by various names). ' am going to chant his name and other mantras to destroy all my sins carried from my earlier births. 7nce ' come out of this birth source, ' am going to practice the Gnaana 3oga (the pursuit of .nowledge) strictly to destroy all my sins and to release myself from the bondings of all actions in

this materialistic world. 7nce ' come out of this birth source, ' am going to contemplate on this Supreme 2ivine ,rahman.; = #hese are the thoughts of the ivan during the time it remains in the womb. )owever, when he reaches the birth source (vagina) and comes out of it with great difficulty on to the earth, he is inflicted with the illusory force (8aya) created by -ishnu and immediately forgets all the previous births and the deeds performed therein. )is memory is cleansed of all the history the very moment he first inhales the air after coming to the earth. %hy is the body called as :Sariram; 0 #he body is composed of three different types of fire = vi!., Gnaana agni, darsana agni and .oshta agni. /oshta agni is that fire which enables the digestion of all that is consumed by the human. 't creates the internal fire that is used to combust all the materials in ta.en. 2arsana agni is the internal fire that gives the power of seeing to the eyes with which we are able to see different ob ects. Gnaana agni is that fire of .nowledge which enables one to distinguish between the good and bad. #hese three fires have ta.en their positions in one&s face, stomach and the heart and are referred by the names aahavaniyaagni, .aarhapatneeyaagni and da.shinaagni respectively. %ith these fires present within, an internal homa or yagna (or the ritual sacrifice) ta.es place within a human body regularly and incessantly. *tma or the soul is the performer of the homaB the mind is the ,rahma (the one who ma.es it happen)B the bad intentions such as anger, greed, ealousy, desire etc are the sacrificial ob ects (comparable to the animals sacrificed)B 8ental strength or control is the vowB Contentment and the intellectual organs are the utensils that can be utili!ed in the homaB the sense organs are the sacrificial ob ects (comparable to the )avis or the rice) to be usedB the )ead or the s.ull is the utensilB the )air thereon is the 2arbha (the dried grass used in homa)B the face is the sacrificing stage and the two lines of teeth, the bones, nerves and tissue are comparable to the other utensils and ob ects used in a )oma. !onstitution of a human body: (*part from what is said in the earlier paragraphs), #he human body consists of 9DE secret spots (comparable to the genitals), 9FD unction points, 9DG nerves called as :snaayu;, EDD other nerves, HDD tissue groups (muscle), @ID bones, four and a half crore hairs, F palam (palam is an old measure that weighs around @H grams) weighing )eart and 9> palam weighing tongue. #he body also has got one ser (ser is a measure weighing around @DD grams) weighing biological fire, two ser weighing watery substance, a ?uarter ser weighing semen or other reproductive fluid and two<sers weighing fat. #here is no laid down measure or weight of the urinary or the other solid e(cretions, which are dependent on the inta.e. ()aving thus .nown the complete constitution of a human body), one should understand his composition and divert all his power and energy into the path of attaining salvation. #his 8o.sha Sastra (the scripture leading to Salvation) was enunciated by the great sage, "ippalaada. #his 8o.sha Sastra (the scripture leading to Salvation) was enunciated by the great sage, "ippalaada. (second stress given in the Upanishad itself). 78+ 8ay ,rahman protect us (the Guru and Sishya) both+ 8ay he give us both (enough) to en oy+ 4fficiency may we both attain+ 4ffective may our study prove+ 8ay we not hate (each other) at all+ Om Shanti ! Shanti ! Shanti !

Garbha Upanishad Translated by "r# $# G# %rishna &arrier 'ublished by The Theosophical 'ublishing (ouse) !hennai 7m + 8ay )e protect us both togetherB may )e nourish us both togetherB 8ay we wor. con ointly with great energy, 8ay our study be vigorous and effectiveB 8ay we not mutually dispute (or may we not hate any). 7m + 1et there be "eace in me + 1et there be "eace in my environment + 1et there be "eace in the forces that act on me + #he body is fivefold in nature (the five elements), e(isting in the five, depending on the si( (tastes of food), connected with the si( ?ualities (.ama etc.,), seven 2hatus, three impurities, three 3onis (of e(cretion) and four .inds of food. %hy say $5ivefold in nature 0& #he five elements 4arth, %ater, 5ire, %ind and 4ther. 'n this body, whatever is hard is of 4arth, li?uid is water, warm is fire, whatever moves about is air and space< enclosed is ether. #he function of the 4arth is to support, water is to consolidate (digestion etc.,). 5ire is to see, wind is for moving, 4ther is to give space (for vital functions). #he eyes are used in seeing form, ears for sound, tongue for taste, the s.in and nose for touch and smell respectivelyB genital for pleasure, *pana is for evacuation (of bowels). #he person cognises through the intellect, wills with the mind and spea.s with the tongue. #he si(<fold support is the si( tastes (of food): sweet, acid, salty, pungent, bitter and astringent. 9<E. Sad a, 6isabha, Gandhara, "anchama, 8adhyama, 2haivata, Aisadha = these are the seven agreeable and disagreeable sounds. %hite, 6ed, ,lac. smo.e<coloured, 3ellow, #awny and "ale< %hite = these are the colours of the seven 2hatus (primary )umours). %hy 0 5or 2evadatta (any person) there springs up in his mind desire for en oyment of ob ects. 5rom relish of food blood is born, from it is flesh, thence fat, bones, marrow, semenB by the combination of semen and blood the foetus is born. -ital warmth springs up in the womb and the belly. 'n the seat of the warmth bile, "rana flows = at the proper season ordained by the creator. F. #he embryo lying (in the womb) for (a day) and night is a confused massB after seven days it becomes a bubbleB after a fortnight, a mass and in a month, it hardens. 'n two months develops the region of the headB in three months, the feetB in the fourth, belly and hipB in the fifth, the bac.boneB in the si(th, nose, eyes and earsB in the seventh the embryo ?uic.ens with life and in the eighth month, it becomes complete. G. ,y the dominance of the father&s semen, the child becomes maleB the mother&s = female. %hen e?ual, a eunuch. 'f, at the time of impregnation, the parents are agitated, the child will be blind, crippled, hunch<bac.ed or stunted in growth. 'f the couple have vital<air<trouble, the semen enters in two parts resulting in twins. 9D. 'n the eighth month, in con unction with the five vital airs the Jiva gets the capacity to .now its past affairs (of past births), conceives of the imperishable *tman as 7m, through perfect .nowledge and meditation. )aving .nown 7m he sees in the body the eight "ra.ritis derived from it the five elements, mind, intellect and ego and the si(teen changes Ksee "rasnopanishadL. 99. #he body becomes complete in the ninth month and remembers the past birth. *ctions done and not done flash to him and he recognises the good and bad nature of /arma. 9><9E. $' have seen thousands of wombs, eaten several .inds of food and suc.ed many breastsB born and dead often, ' am immersed in grief but see no remedy. 'f ' can get out of this, ' will resort to San.hya<3oga which destroys misery and yields liberationB or ' resort to 8aheshvara who destroys misery. 7r ' resort to Aarayana, who destroys misery. 'f ' did good and bad deeds for the sa.e of my dependants, ' shall myself be burnt for the deeds = the others who en oyed the fruits go away

(unaffected). 9F. #he person being s?uee!ed as it were by a machine is touched by all<pervading air and forgets previous births and deeds. 9G. %hy is the body so called 0 't has three fires: the /osthagni ripens all that is eatenB the 2arsanagni helps one see colour etc., the Jnanagni is the mind which helps perform good and bad deeds. >D. #he 2a.sinagni is in the heartB Garhapatya in the belly and *havaniya in the mouthB the intellect is the performer&s consort, contentment is 2i.sha, sense organs are the utensils, head is the ar, hair is the sacred grass, the mouth the interior of the altar etc. >9. #he heart measures F "alas, tongue 9>, bile is one "rastha, phlegm one *dha.a. Su.la is one /udupa, fat two "rasthas, Urine and mala two "rasthas each, depending on what is ta.en in daily. #he scripture of liberation e(pounded by "aippalada ends. 7m + 8ay )e protect us both togetherB may )e nourish us both togetherB 8ay we wor. con ointly with great energy, 8ay our study be vigorous and effectiveB 8ay we not mutually dispute (or may we not hate any). 7m + 1et there be "eace in me + 1et there be "eace in my environment + 1et there be "eace in the forces that act on me + )ere ends the Garbhopanishad belonging to the /rishna<3a ur<-eda.

Garbha Upanishad *http:++,,,#cele-tel#org+./0upanishads+garbha#html1

Translated by Dr. A. G. Krishna Warrier Published by The Theosophical Publishing House, Chennai 7m + 8ay )e protect us both togetherB may )e nourish us both togetherB 8ay we wor. con ointly with great energy, 8ay our study be vigorous and effectiveB 8ay we not mutually dispute (or may we not hate any). 7m + 1et there be "eace in me + 1et there be "eace in my environment + 1et there be "eace in the forces that act on me + #he body is fivefold in nature (the five elements), e(isting in the five, depending on the si( (tastes of food), connected with the si( ?ualities (.ama etc.,), seven 2hatus, three impurities, three 3onis (of e(cretion) and four .inds of food. %hy say $5ivefold in nature 0& #he five elements 4arth, %ater, 5ire, %ind and 4ther. 'n this body, whatever is hard is of 4arth, li?uid is water, warm is fire, whatever moves about is air and space< enclosed is ether. #he function of the 4arth is to support, water is to consolidate (digestion etc.,). 5ire is to see, wind is for moving, 4ther is to give space (for vital functions). #he eyes are used in seeing form, ears for sound, tongue for taste, the s.in and nose for touch and smell respectivelyB genital for pleasure, *pana is for evacuation (of bowels). #he person cognises through the intellect, wills with the mind and spea.s with the tongue.

#he si(<fold support is the si( tastes (of food): sweet, acid, salty, pungent, bitter and astringent. 9<E. Sad a, 6isabha, Gandhara, "anchama, 8adhyama, 2haivata, Aisadha = these are the seven agreeable and disagreeable sounds. %hite, 6ed, ,lac. smo.e<coloured, 3ellow, #awny and "ale< %hite = these are the colours of the seven 2hatus (primary )umours). %hy 0 5or 2evadatta (any person) there springs up in his mind desire for en oyment of ob ects. 5rom relish of food blood is born, from it is flesh, thence fat, bones, marrow, semenB by the combination of semen and blood the foetus is born. -ital warmth springs up in the womb and the belly. 'n the seat of the warmth bile, "rana flows = at the proper season ordained by the creator. F. #he embryo lying (in the womb) for (a day) and night is a confused massB after seven days it becomes a bubbleB after a fortnight, a mass and in a month, it hardens. 'n two months develops the region of the headB in three months, the feetB in the fourth, belly and hipB in the fifth, the bac.boneB in the si(th, nose, eyes and earsB in the seventh the embryo ?uic.ens with life and in the eighth month, it becomes complete. G. ,y the dominance of the father&s semen, the child becomes maleB the mother&s = female. %hen e?ual, a eunuch. 'f, at the time of impregnation, the parents are agitated, the child will be blind, crippled, hunch<bac.ed or stunted in growth. 'f the couple have vital<air<trouble, the semen enters in two parts resulting in twins. 9D. 'n the eighth month, in con unction with the five vital airs the Jiva gets the capacity to .now its past affairs (of past births), conceives of the imperishable *tman as 7m, through perfect .nowledge and meditation. )aving .nown 7m he sees in the body the eight "ra.ritis derived from it the five elements, mind, intellect and ego and the si(teen changes Ksee "rasnopanishadL. 99. #he body becomes complete in the ninth month and remembers the past birth. *ctions done and not done flash to him and he recognises the good and bad nature of /arma. 9><9E. $' have seen thousands of wombs, eaten several .inds of food and suc.ed many breastsB born and dead often, ' am immersed in grief but see no remedy. 'f ' can get out of this, ' will resort to San.hya<3oga which destroys misery and yields liberationB or ' resort to 8aheshvara who destroys misery. 7r ' resort to Aarayana, who destroys misery. 'f ' did good and bad deeds for the sa.e of my dependants, ' shall myself be burnt for the deeds = the others who en oyed the fruits go away (unaffected). 9F. #he person being s?uee!ed as it were by a machine is touched by all<pervading air and forgets previous births and deeds. 9G. %hy is the body so called 0 't has three fires: the /osthagni ripens all that is eatenB the 2arsanagni helps one see colour etc., the Jnanagni is the mind which helps perform good and bad deeds. >D. #he 2a.sinagni is in the heartB Garhapatya in the belly and *havaniya in the mouthB the intellect is the performer&s consort, contentment is 2i.sha, sense organs are the utensils, head is the ar, hair is the sacred grass, the mouth the interior of the altar etc. >9. #he heart measures F "alas, tongue 9>, bile is one "rastha, phlegm one *dha.a. Su.la is one /udupa, fat two "rasthas, Urine and mala two "rasthas each, depending on what is ta.en in daily. #he scripture of liberation e(pounded by "aippalada ends. 7m + 8ay )e protect us both togetherB may )e nourish us both togetherB 8ay we wor. con ointly with great energy, 8ay our study be vigorous and effectiveB 8ay we not mutually dispute (or may we not hate any). 7m + 1et there be "eace in me + 1et there be "eace in my environment + 1et there be "eace in the forces that act on me + )ere ends the Garbhopanishad belonging to the /rishna<3a ur<-eda.

"ate of this scripture:

.2.3 B!E (http://www.geocities.com/freethoughtmecca/embryo.html) 8oore also hints at ama!ement with the Garbha Upanishad in almost the same breath. 6egarding this te(t, he writes: * brief Sans.rit treatise on ancient 'ndian embryology is thought to have been written in 9M9I ,.C. #his scripture of the )indus, called Garbha Upanishad, describes ancient ideas concerning the embryo. 't states: 5rom the con ugation of blood and semen the embryo comes into e(istence. 2uring the period favorable to conception, after the se(ual intercourse, (it) becomes a /alada (one<day<old embryo). *fter remaining seven nights it becomes a vesicle. *fter a fortnight it becomes a sperical mass. *fter a month it becomes a firm mass K9>L 're45/// B!E #he first ?uestion concerns the date of the Garbha Upanishad. Since it is ascribed to "ippalNda, we need to determine this sage&s place in the -edic tradition, although it is believed that the te(t may not be as old as the sage. "ippalNda is also the instructing sage of the "raOna UpaniPad and the author of the *tharvaveda ON.hN named after him ("aippalNda ON.hN). *s a principal arranger of the *tharvaveda, he should be assigned to at least the middle of the second millennium ,C4, if the Qgveda is to be ta.en to be no later than >DDD ,C4, as is suggested by hydrological evidence related to the drying up of the SarasvatR river around this time, and the fact that the Qgveda celebrates this river as the great river of its time, flowing from the mountains to the sea. *ccording to the "urNSas, "ippalNda was the disciple of the QPi -edasparOa, and he instructed 3udhiPThira in the significance of the *UgNravrata, which is based on a dialogue between Vu.ra and -irocana. #he physiological .nowledge in the Garbha UpaniPad is consistent with that found in the oldest UpaniPads. 1i.e the other te(ts, it spea.s of recursion, but it doesn&t list as many channels (veins and nerves) as the other te(ts do. #his indicates that this UpaniPad may be older than what has been assumed. "ippalNda answers si( ?uestions in the "raOna UpaniPad, a number that is reminiscent of the si( darOanas. #he si( ?uestions touch upon si( different aspects of reality: forms (nyNya), basis of life (mRmNWsN), origins (sNW.hya), devas within (yoga), ne(t world (vedNnta), and modifications (vaiOePi.a). #his is not an argument for the lateness of the "raOna UpaniPad, but rather for the remote anti?uity of si( bases to reality, which mirroring the si( directions. !O6!7USIO6: Given that this 2harmic Scripture may be in or ust after the -edic "eriod (MDDD to >DDD ,C4), and associated with the 3a ur -eda, it is most li.ely composed between 58// and .8// B!E#

Sushruta explains the following rules to be followed by the pregnant woman till the delivery. Immediately on the ascertainment of her pregnancy the woman should avoid all kinds of physical labour, sexual intercourse, fasting, day sleep, things that emaciate the body, late nights, indulgence in grief and fright, journey by carriage or any kind of conveyance that causes jerky movements. Sneha karmas (Oliation internal and external , !akta mokshana(bloodletting , "egadharana(controlling natural urges are completely avoided. #rom the first day of conception the lady should be joyful, wear clean and white garment. $ngage herself in peace giving activities. %ive in devotion to the gods, brahmins, elders and teachers. She should not touch& come in contact with unclean, deformed, maimed persons. She should forego the use of fetid smelling things. 'void dreadful sights, painful or agitating sounds and use of dry, stale, dirty food as well as that stored overnight. %ong and distant walks from home to resorts, cremation grounds, solitary retreats, chityas(a haunted or deified tree and sitting in the shadow of the tree should be absolutely forbidden. Indulgence in anger, fright or other agitating emotions of the mind should be deemed as injurious. (o carry heavy loads, to talk in a loud voice should be refrained from. (he practice of constant oil massage, udwarthanm (rubbing or cleaning the body with fragrant unguents or powders , etc should be given up. $xercises which cause fatigue are discontinued. (he couch and the bed of a pregnant woman should be low, soft, and guarded on all four sides by a number of soft pillows or cushions. )er food should be sweet, palatable (hridya , well cooked, prepared with appeti*ing drugs, unctuous and drava (li+uid consistency . ,haraka explains the garbhopaghatakara bhavas (factors that damage the fetus as follows. (he fetus dies in the womb or expelled out prematurely or dries up if the woman sits on rough, uneven or hard seat, suppresses urge of wind, urine, stools, undergoes strenuous exercises, takes hot food and eats very little food. (he fetus may delivered untimely by injury, compression, fre+uent looking at ditches, wells, waterfalls, traveling on a conveyance with excessive jerk, or hearing unpleasant words and loud sounds. If she constantly lies down in supine position, the umbilical cord gets twisted around the neck of the fetus. (he pregnant woman who sleeps in open place and moving out in night gives birth to an insane. If she indulges in +uarrels and fights the progeny will be epileptic. One indulged in sexual intercourse gives birth to an ill-physi+ued, shameless progeny. If she is always under grief, the child will be timid, underdeveloped or short lived. One thinking ill of others gives birth to a harmful, envious and woman devoted child. One who sleeps constantly will give birth to a drowsy, unwise child with a deficient digestive power. If pregnant woman takes wine constantly her child will be always thirsty, poor in memory and unstable mind. One who uses pork regularly during pregnancy will have an offspring with red eyes, obstructed respiration and very rough body hair. One who uses fish constantly during pregnancy will have a progeny with delayed closure of eyes or stiff eyes. One who uses sweet things constantly during pregnancy will give birth to an offspring suffering from prameha (urinary disorders , dumbness and obesity. If she uses sour things constantly during pregnancy, her offspring will suffer from

internal hemorrhage, skin diseases and eye diseases. On using salt thing constantly the offspring will suffer from early wrinkles, premature graying of hairs and baldness. On using pungent things constantly the offspring will suffer from semen deficiency or infertility. (he pregnant lady who takes bitter things constantly will give birth to shoshi(consumptive ,weak and underdeveloped progeny. (he pregnant lady who uses astringent things constantly will give birth to a blackish progeny who will also suffer from bloatedness of abdomen and udavartha (upward movement of wind in the abdomen . (he offspring of a lady who used excess godha mamsa ('lligator will suffer from sharkara and ashmari. renal or (bladder stone Monthly regimens to be followed by pregnant lady (masanumasika charya) First month: She should drink 'nupaskrta sheeta dugdha ( non processed cold milk in proper +uantity. She should eat saatmya bhojana, morning and evening. (,h.Sh. . She should take processed cold milk. #irst /0days She should take 1sheerodhbhava sarpi( ghee extracted from milk processed with Shaliparni and 2alasha, followed by cold water which is pre boiled and cooled in golden or silver vessel.(anupana She should take li+uid & semisolid saatmya food that has madhra rasa (sweet , sheeta guna(cold in potency , in the morning and evening. Should not take 'bhyanga(smearing the body with unctuous substance and udwarthanam(rubbing the body with powders , and the doshakara bhavas( factors that damage the fetus upto 3th month.('. S.Sh 4 She should take 5adhura(sweet , Sheetala(cold in potency , and 6rava aahara (li+uid food . ( Su. Sh. /7 Second month: She should drink milk processed with madura aushadhas( sweet category drugs . ("agbhatacharya mentions the same. Sushruta recommends madhura( sweet , sheetala(cold , drava(li+uid food, in second month also. Third month: ,haraka and vagbhata recommends processed milk along with madhu(honey and sarpi(ghee . Sushruta recommends Shastika shaali(variety of rice grown in 87 days with milk. Fourth month: ,haraka says in the fourth month the pregnant lady should drink milk along with /aksha i.e. /0gms of butter. Sushruta recommends her to drink milk with butter, eat hridya(desired food along withjangala(wild meat, shashtika rice with curd. "agbhata advices to drink milk processed with sweet drugs along with one aksha +uantity of butter. Fifth month: ,haraka and "agbhata say in fifth month the lady should take ghee extracted from milk. Sushruta recommends shashtika rice with milk and ksheera sarpi( ghee extracted from milk . Sixth month: ,haraka and "agbhata recommends the ksheerasarpi(ghee extracted from milk processed with drugs of sweet category(madhura oushadha . Sushruta advices that in 8th month she should take ghee processed with 9okshura in ade+uate +uantity or :avagu (gruel prepared with 9okshura . 7th month: ,haraka and "agbhata advices to follow the regimen of 8th month in the ;th month also. Sushruta recommends her to take a ghee processed with 2rithakparni in ;th month. th month: ,haraka advices her to take a gruel(yavagu mixed with ghee and milk in the .th month. 'charya <hadrakapya fears that by drinking this yavagu(gruel in .th month the baby may suffer

from 2aingalya(yellowish discoloration of the skin . <ut 'charay 'atreya says though the baby develops paingalya , by drinking this yavagu in the .th month the pregnant lady will give birth to a strong, healthy, beautiful baby with a pleasant complexion, voice and built. "agbhata=s regimen for the .th month pregnant lady is similar to that of ,haraka. 'long with that he also prescribes 'sthapana vasti(un-unctuous enema using <adara leaf decoction, palala(Seasame paste , milk, curd, mastu, thaila, lavana, 5adanaphala, ghee, madhu. (his aasthapana vasti helps to clear the stagnated impurities inside the intestine. 'fter wards an anuvasana vasti(unctuousenema should be administered using madhukadi madhura oushadha siddha thaila(oil prepared with sweet category of drugs in order to make the wind to move in downward direction(anuloma because the pregnant lady who=s wind movement is in downward direction will deliver the baby without any difficulties. 'fter the vasti the lady should take ksheerayavagu (gruel prepared with milk mixed with meat soup till delivery. Sushruta also advices to give asthapana vasti to the pregnant lady in the .th month in order to clear the retained impurities and to direct the wind in the downward direction. (he asthapana vasti is administered using the mixture of badarodaka, bala, atibala, shatapushpa, palala, milk, curd, mastu, thaila, lavana, madanaphala, honey, ghee. 'fter administering asthapana vasti, anuvasana vasti should be given using the oil prepared with sweet category of drugs and milk. In the .th month she should take unctuous gruels and meat soup of wild animals internally till the delivery. It is believed that the body of a pregnant woman thus treated becomes unctuous, gains strength and will have an uncomplicated delivery. !th month: ,haraka advices to administer anuvasana vasti in the >th month. Oil prepared with madhura skandha drugs is used for the unctuous enema. )e also advices to do yoni pichu(keeping the cotton swab dipped in oil in the vagina with the same oil as it helps in oliating the garbha sthana(uterus and garbha marga(vagilal canal . "agbhata recommends yoni pichu using the oil processed with sweet category drugs. 'ccording to Sushruta the pregnant lady should enter the Sootikagara (a special house built with all facilities to conduct the delivery and to nurse the child in the >th month after checking good time and start living there. "hy should a pregnant lady follow these regimens# "agbhata and ,haraka says the pregnant woman who follows above regimens will have a mridu(soft kukshi(abdomen , kati(hips , parshwa(waist , prista(back , skin and nails. )er bala(physical strength as well as immunity and complexion will also improve. "ayu will move in downward direction. )er mala(stools , mootra(urine and jarayu(amniotic membrane will be expelled out through their respective routes without complications. She will give birth to a icchita(desired , shresta(famous , deerghayau(long life span , and nirogi (healthy babyeasily. )ence the woman desiring excellent progeny should particularly refrain from unwholesome diet and behavior. "hat are the symptoms shown by the woman who is ready to deli$er the baby and how is deli$ery conducted in %yur$eda# In modern texts the delivery process is explained in 4 stages. Similarly in ayurveda also the whole process of delivery is explained in 4stages. (he pregnant lady should enter the well e+uipped sootikagara in the >th month after checking good time and wait for the symptoms of delivery. &st stage: 'remonitory symptoms of deli$ery (,haraka $xhaustion of the body parts(1lamo gatranam , malaise on face, laxity in eyes, feeling of the loosening of the bondage from the chest, downward movement of the womb, heaviness of the lower parts of the body, 2ricking pain in groins, perineum, waist, belly, sides and back, discharge from the vagina, lack of desire for food. (hen gradually the delivery pains and amniotic fluid leakage follows. (nd stage of deli$ery: ?hen the delivery pain begins, the bed should be made on the ground and the lady should be made to sit on the soft bed. %adies with good +ualities should attend her to educate and console her. In spite of feeling the delivery pains , if she doesn=t deliver the baby the following steps , by which the fetus starts moving down are to be followed.

She should be asked to get up and take one pestle and pound the grains in the mortar slowly, in between she should take deep breathings and move around. <ut %ord 'treya disagrees with this. )e says that severe exercise is always contraindicated for the pregnant woman particularly at the time of delivery because at this time all her dhatus and doshas are in mobile state, vayu(wind impelled by the exercise with the pestle will kill both mother and fetus. )ence holding of the pestle is discarded only deep breathing and walking are performed. (he powder of ela kusta, langali, vacha, chitraka, chirabilwa and chavya should be smelt by the woman fre+uently. Or the smoke of the bhoorja patra or shimshapa sara may be inhaled. In between the waist, flanks, back and legs should be massaged with the luke warm oil.

?hen it is felt that the fetus leaving the cardiac region is entering the pelvic region , is being fixed above the urinary bladder, the delivery pains are getting intensified and the foetus is moving downwards then at this stage she should be made to lie down on a cot and advised to strain. One lady should chant @kshitijalam--------- kartikeeyabhirakshatuA in her ear. 'nother lady should advise the woman not to strain in the absence of pains because her efforts goes in vain and her progeny may be deformed or may be afflicted with dyspnoea, cough, phthisis(shosha and spleen disorders. So should follow the instructions of attending ladies. Initially when the pains are mild she should strain mildly, and gradually with stronger effort .(he attending ladies should keep encouraging her saying, @just delivered a worthy sonA. (hus she is filled with joy. )rd stage of deli$ery: Immediately after the child birth one should look for placenta(apara . In case if it has not expelled out , one of the attending ladies should press the area above the navel region with her right hand , hold her on the back with left hand and shake her body strongly. (he pelvic region of the delivered woman should be rubbed with the attending lady=s heel. )er buttocks should be pressed strongly. (he delivered lady=s throat and palate should be touched with the tip of her hair. (he vaginal area should be fumigated with the leaves of bhoorja, kaachamani and slough of the serpent. (he paste of kusta, taaleesapatra is given to drink with one of the li+uids like balwaja yusha or maireya or suramanda or kulattha yusha or decoction of mandookaparni and pippali. (he paste of sookshmaela, devadaru, kushta, naagara, vidanga, pippali, agaru, chavya, chitraka, upakunchika or the tip of the right ear of the living untamed bull, pounded on a grinding stone should be kept soaked in one of the li+uids like balwaja yusha, maireya, suramanda, kulattha yusha, decoction of mandookaparni and pippali. #or one muhurtha duration. (hen filtered and administered to the delivered woman. ' cotton swab soaked in the oil prepared with shatapushpa, kusta, madanaphala and hingu are placed in her vagina. 'n anuvasana vasti(oil enema should be given with same oil. 'n aasthapana vasti should be administered using the paste of madanaphala, jeemoota, ikshwaku, dhamargava, kutaja, kritavedhana, hastipippali, along with one of the li+uids like balwja yusha or suramanda or maireya or kulattha yusha or decoction of mandookaparni and pippali. (his non-unctuous enema makes the body expel the adhered placenta along with flatus, urine and stool. %acharya *agbhata: &st stage of deli$ery: (aasanna prasa$a lakshanas) (he premonitory symptoms of the delivery are same as explained by ,haraka. 1lamogatranam( exhaustion of the body parts Birmukta bandhane ivaksheeni ( feeling if loosening of eyes Bisteevika(excess salivation 5ootra pureesha bahulyam(increased urge to pass urine and stools Shithila kukshita( loosened feeling in the abdomen

'dhogurutwa(heaviness in the lower parts of the body 'nannabhilasha( no desire for the food "edana in hridaya, kati, basti, vamkshana(pain in the cardiac, hip, pelvic, groins area. (oda, bheda, shoola, sphurana in yoni region(pricking, cutting twitching type of pain in the vaginal area (nd stage of deli$ery: ?hen the head of the fetus starts showing in the vaginal opening, ' fruit having male name is to he given in her hand to hold during the delivery. :avagu(gruel with plenty of ghee should be given to drink. She is made to lie down on her back , both the legs folded in the knee joint (lithotamy position , covered with a clean cloth except in the abdominal area. (hen ashankhaniya(non suspicious , priyadarshana(pleasant and lovingC, parinata vayasa(expert and elderly , prajanana kushala(expert in conducting delivery , pragalbha(honest , kritha nakha(with trimmed finger nails ladies should attend her to give her the courage and to console her. (he powder of any one of the kushta, langali, ela, vacha, chavya, chitraka, chirabilwa should be smelt by her every now and then. Or she is made to inhale the smoke of any one of the drugs like bhoorja patra, shimshapa, and sarjarasa. ?aist, back, hip, thigh region of the woman should be gently massaged with lukewarm oil. ?ith all these procedures the foetus starts moving down further and will show symptoms such as the foetus completely enters the abdominal area and leaves the cardiac region, it will get fixed near the basti shira( above the bladder and the intensity of the pains will gradually increase. If with these procedures the fetal head does not descend then the lady should strain strongly, walk around in the sootikagara and take deep breathings or yawning fre+uently. (hen follow these procedures. ?hen the fetal head starts showing in the vaginal orifice the lady is made to lie down on the cot . One attending lady should gently massage the vaginal orifice in anuloma gati(downward direction . Should press the buttock area with her feet. 'nother attending lady should instruct her to strain strongly when the pain appears and tell her happily that she will deliver a baby boy. (he 4rd lady should chant the garbha prasava mantra in the woman=s ear. (he woman should strain slowly with less pressure in the beginning of the 0nd stage. ?hen the fetal head starts showing she should strain with complete pressure till the baby comes out. ?hat should be done in the obstructed labourD #umigate the vaginal area with the slough of black serpent and madanaphala. (ie the root of hiranya pushpa on the hands and legs. (he beads made up of the roots of suvarchala or vishlya(langali are worn on neck and hands. )rd stage: In most of the normal cases the placenta is expelled out on its own. If it is not expelled on its own then "agbhatachrya explains to follow these steps. (he area above the navel region is pressed with right hand and hold the back with left hand and shake her body strongly. 2ress the pelvic area with the heel of the foot and press the buttocks strongly. (ouch the throat and palate with the tip of the hair #umigate the vagina with the leaves of bhoorja, kachmani and slough of black serpent. Or fumigate with bhoorja patra and guggulu. 'pply the ghee prepared with shaalimoola and fumigate the vaginal area with katkla, alabu, jalini, nimba and slough of black serpent. If all of the above procedures fail then apply ghee on the clean hand with nails already trimmed is inserted into the vagina along with the path of the umbilical cord and remove the placenta. %acharya Sushruta:

'charya Sushrutha also instructs that in the >th month the pregnant woman should enter the sootikagara after checking good time etc. &st stage: 2ain in kati(hips and prishta(back . #eeling of urge to pass stools and urine. 5ucus discharge from the vagina. (nd stage: (hese symptoms indicate that the lady is ready to deliver the baby. Immediately her body should be anointed with oil and washed with warm water and a fruit having of masculine name is given in her hand. (hen plenty of yavagu(gruel should be given to her with ghee. She should lie down on a soft and spacious bed in supine position. 2arinata vayasaha(old , prajanana kushala(expert in conducting the delivery , karthita nakhaha(with trimmed nails ladies should attend her. One lady should gently massage her vagina in anuloma gati(downward direction , and instruct her to strain when she feels the pain. ?hen there is mild pain in pelvis, supra pubic area she should strain lightly. ?hen the fetal head starts showing in the vaginal orifice, she should strain strongly till the baby comes out. If she strains in the absence of pains she will deliver a mooka(dumb , badhira(deaf , kubja(short , vyastha hanu(dislocated jaw , moordhabhighata(head injury , kasa(cough , shwasa(breathing difficulties , shoshi(imaciated and vikata(changed in appearance or ugly baby. In case of abnormal presentations, it should be corrected to a normal one. In case of obstruction to the foetus in vagina then fumigate the vagina with the slough of black serpent or pindeetaka(madanaphala . (he roots of langali or suvarchala, or vishalya should be tied around the neck, waist and legs. Sootika paricharya(postnatal care): %charya +haraka: Once the placenta is expelled out , when the mother feels hungry one of the fats like ghee, oil, vasa( muscle fat , majja(bone marrow fat should be mixed with panchacola powder given to her according to the suitability and digestive capacity. 'fter she has taken the ghee and oil and wrapped round with a big clean cloth bandage so that vayu(wind may not find any space to produce a disorder. 'fter the fat is digested, she should drink yavagu(gruel prepared with pippali etc, and added with unctuous substance. She should take hot water shower both the times before the intake of fat and gruel (his procedure should be followed for 3 or ; days and later on nourishing food should be given to her. %charya *agbhat: Sootika should be anointed with bala thila soon after delivery. ?hen she feels the hunger, one of the E fats, which will be digested in whole day should be mixed with panchcola powder or the powder of ajamoda, upakunchika, chaya, chitraka, vyosha, saidhava is given to her after considering her saatmya. If the lady is not suitable for snehapana( oral intake of unctuous substance , then the fat should be processed with wind alleviating drugs or hraswa panchamoolas and administered to her. Immediately after the snehapana her abdomen is applied with ghee and oil or any yamaka(combination of two fats and wrapped tight with a long and strong cloth, so that the wind does not get any space to cause a disorder. Once the ghee is completely digested a watery yavagu prepared with panchakola powder or ajamoda, etc powder is given to her along with vidaryadi gana decoction and milk in ade+uate +uantity. <efore drinking the fat and the yavagu she should have a warm water shower. (hese procedures should be followed for 4or 3or ;days, followed by yava, kola, kulattha

yusha(soup and light food for next /0 days. %ater on considering her digestive capacity nourishing foods like jangala mamsa rasa(meat soup of wild animal , etc are given to her. She should always drink boiled and cooled water. Bow onwards she can undergo abhynga(full body oil application , udwarthana(rubbing the body with powders , parisheka(pouring warm li+uids on the body , avagaha(tub bath and she can take foods prepared with jeevaneeya(life promoting , brihmaniya(nourishing , madhura(sweet , vatahara(wind alleviating , hridya(good for heart drugs internally. (hese food habits will nourish the lady who has become weak due to pregnancy, delivery, etcand will give her a good health. (hese regimens are to be followed for one and a half month or E3 days. #or these E3 days the delivered woman is called sootika. 'fter E3 days she can get back to her normal food habits. Some acharyas mention that these regimens are to be followed till she gets her menstruation. %charya Sushruta: (he body of the delivered lady is anointed with <ala thaila and treated with vatahara(wind alleviating decoction internally and externally. If the impurities are there in the body , then 9udodaka(jaggery water with panchakola powder is given to her till the impurities are expelled out of the body. i.e. 0 to 4 days. ?hen the discharge becomes normal a gruel prepared with vidarigandhadi gana decoction, milk or fat for 4 days. 'fter 3 to 8 days she can take shashtika rice prepared with yava kola kulatthadecoction and jangala mamsa rasa, according to her digestive capacity. (hese regimens are to be followed for E3days or one and a half month, after which she can get back to her normal food habits. Some acharyas advise to follow these regimens till she gets menstruation. ,ew born care( sadya prasoota shishu upachara): %charya +harak: ?hile the steps are being taken to expel the placenta one group of the attending ladies should perform following actions in respect of the new born child. ' sound should be produced by striking or rubbing two stones together near the base of the neonate=s ear. Sprinkle cold or hot water on the face of the newborn. (hus the child recovers the vital breath which was stopped due to the distress so far. If the child is not showing any movements he should be fanned with a winnowing basket(shoorpa till he recovers. Once he recovers breath and becomes normal, a warm water bath is given. )is palate, lips, tongue, throat should be cleaned with a cotton swab which is wrapped around the tip of the clean finger. 'fter cleaning the oral cavity, a cotton swab dipped in fatty substance is kept over the anterior fontanel. (hen induce vomiting by rubbing the mixture of saindhva lavana and ghee on the tongue. 'fter following above initial regimens to the child the umbilical cord should be cut. #ix a point on the umbilical cord . angulas away from newborn=s umbilicus. <oth sides of the point should be held tight and cut with a sharp, half edged golden&silver& steel instrument. (he end of the attached portion should be tied with a thread and tied loosely to the neck of the newborn. If the umbilicus suppurates, then the oil prepared with lodhra, madhuka, priyangu, devadaru and haridra kalka should be applied and the fine powder of same drugs should be sprinkled on the umbilicus. 'fter the cord cutting mixture of honey and ghee in une+ual proportion which is processed with mantras is rubbed on newborn=s tongue or is made to lick . Similarly after chanting mantras the newborn is made to suck the right breast of the mother.

' pot filled with water is kept on the head side of the newborn after chanting mantras.

-eneral measures to protect mother and newborn: (he maternity home should be surrounded by branches of aadaani, khadira, karkandhu, peelu, parushaka trees. (he seeds of sarshpa(mustard , atasi, tandula, kanakanika are scattered all over the maternity home. (he oblation of offering of rice to the fire should be performed twice a day till the namakarana samskara(naming ceremony of the child. 't the door of maternity home a wooden pestle is kept obli+uely. (he drugs like vacha, kushta, kshemaka, hingu, sarshapa, atasi, lashuna, kanakanika are well tied in a cloth bag and tied at the front door. (he same should be worn by the mother and the newborn in the neck and also put in the cooking vessels, water jars, cot, and both the panels of the door. (hese drugs help in repelling evil spirits. (here should be a fire burning constantly with kanakanika, or tinduka wood within the maternity home. (he attending women and friends should keep up the whole night near the mother and new born for /7 or /0 nights. 5oreover gifts, auspicious rites, blessings, praises, songs, playing musical instruments should be performed continuously in the maternity home. (he maternity home should be amply provided with food and drinks and be full of affectionate and happy people. (he brahmanas proficient in the 'tharvaveda too should continuously offer propitiatory oblations to the fire twice a day for the well being of the child as well as the mother. On the /7th day the mother along with the baby should take a shower with water processed with aromatic drugs, white mustard and lodhra. ?ear light, undamaged, clean cloth and auspicious, desirable, light and splendid ornaments. Should touch auspicious objects, worship the appropriate deity and receive blessings from brahmanas wearing white cloth and have no deformity. ?rap the baby in a clean and undamaged cloth and held facing east or north direction. (hen the father of the child should say that the child is offering salutations to the deity and brahmanas. )aving said so, the child should be given two names, one based on the nakshatra at the time of the birth and other popular name for the day to day use. (he popular name should begin with ghosha(consonant alphabets and end with antastha(semi-vowels or ushma. (here should not be a letter with vriddhi(diphthong , it should be similar to that in preceding generations and should not be newly established. (he constellatory name is similar to the deity of the constellation and should consist two or four letters. 'fter the namakarana the child is examined for the knowledge of the span of his life. ,ursery for the child: It should be well planned by the architect. It should be spacious, beautiful, well ventilated, free from darkness and excess wind, strong, inaccessible for various animals, rats, and insects. It should have a distinct places for water, pounding, urinal, lavatory, bathroom and kitchen. It should be comfortable in the particular season, e+uipped with cot, chairs and beddings according to the season. 2rotective measures, offerings, auspicious rites, oblations and expiatory rites should be performed well there. It should be full of clean and elderly people, physician and affectionate people. (he beddings, chairs and coverings for the child should be soft, light, clean and perfumed. Soiled cloths should be discarded. If there are no additional ones the same may be used after they are washed, dried and well fumigated. #or fumigation of clothing=s, cots, beddings and coverings the drugs like yava, sarshapa,

atasi, hingu, guggulu, vacha, choraka, vayastha, golomi, jataila, palamkasha, ashokarohini and slough of serpent mixed with ghee are used. 'mulets made of the tip of the right horn of an alive rhinoceros or deer or wild bull should be worn by the child. (he herbs like indri, jeevaka, rishbhaka or whatever indicated by the brahmanas conversant in 'tharvaveda may also be used for wearing. (oys for the child should be of various shapes, sound producing, beautiful, not heavy, without sharp edges, big (so that can not enter into the mouth and should not be terrifying.

.eha$iour of other people with the child: (he child should not be frightened. )ence when the cries or does not eat or is attracted to some other things, one should not try to subside him by frightening by calling the names of rakshasas, pishachas, putanas, etc. If the child falls sick, then the physician should start the treatment after examining cautiously the constitution, etiology, premonitory symptoms, symptoms and therapeutic suitability. (he drugs selected should be sweet, mild, light, fragrant, cold in nature. <ecause the children are suited to such measures and they get cured from the same. In case of healthy baby, he should be maintained on the code of conduct for healthy and using the things contrary to the place, time and his self constitution. (he unwholesome habits should be gradually changed to the wholesome ones and thus all unwholesome should be avoided. (hus he attains the excellence of strength, complexion, physi+ue and lifespan. In this way the child should be looked after till he is an adult and gets the skills to ac+uire virtue and means of sustenance. %charya *agbhata: 's soon as the child is born, the child is born the oral cavity is cleaned with saindhava lavana and ghee. )is body should be applied with bala thaila. ' sound should be produced by striking two stones together near the base of the new born=s ear. If the child does not show any movement, he should be fanned with a winnowing basket, till he recovers and chant mantras in his right ear. Once the child regains breath and becomes normal or looks healthy, his umbilical cord should be cut by tying it in two points with a silk thread E angulas away from newborn=s umbilicus. (he cord is cut with a sharp edged instrument. (he stump is tied loosely to the neck of the newborn. (he umbilicus is anointed with 1ushta thaila. (hen a warm water shower is given using water processed with any one of the drugs like ksheerivriksha or sarva gandha dravyas or red hot gold or silver or kapittha patra. (he newborn=s tongue, throat and lips should be cleaned gently with the tip of tarjani(fore finger wrapped with cotton. One harenu matra of paste of indri, brahmi, shankhapushpi, vacha, honey and ghee is taken on a golden spoon or aswattha leaf , chanted with mantras by touching it with the tip of kusha is given to the new born. (his helps to improve the medha(intelligence , aayu(life span , bala(strength of the new born. Similarly the powder of brahmi, bala, ananta, shatavari can also be given to the new born. (hen the newborn is made to vomit by giving saindhvalavana and ghee. (his emesis helps to clear the chest, throat and it makes the child=s body lighter and improves the appetite. (hen jatakarma should be done according to the praajapatya vidhi. 'chaya vagbhata says that the breast milk secretion starts on 4rd or Eth day of the delivery. So what should be given to the newborn for those 4 daysD )e says On the first day ananta mixed with honey and ghee after purifying with mantras. On the 0ndand 4rd day lakshmana processed with honey and ghee is given. On Eth day ghee should be

given two times and the breast feeding should be started. (he +uantity of the ghee on Eth day should be e+ual lent to the +uantity that can be held in child=s own palm(panitala . $very day a cotton swab dipped in oil should be kept in the ear passage and on the shringataka region. (he child should be made to sleep on a soft cloth bed with head pointing east or north direction. ' pot filled with water and cleansed with mantras is placed on the head side. Similarly two more pots should be placed on both sides of the entrance door. (he branches of aadari, vidari, badari, khadira, nimba, peelu, parushaka are used for fanning child. <ranches of the same drugs should be placed on all four sides of the maternity home. (he seeds like sarshapa, atasi, kanakanika are scattered inside as well as out side of the maternity home. (he oblation should be done in the morning and evening. 5aternity home should be fumigated using guggulwdi dhoopa explained in vranatreatment. (he brahmanas who are proficient in atharvaveda should chant maayuri, mahamaayuri, aaryaa, ratnaketu, dhaarini in the morning and evening. (he drugs like hingu, vacha, turushkara, rakshoghna(mustard are well tied in a cloth bag and tied on the front door. (he same should worn by the newborn and mother in the neck. Similarly mantras like aaryaa, parna shabari, aarya aparaajita are written on the bhoorja patra with gorochana, tied in a piece of cloth and worn by newborn child and mother. (he same should be tied on the sides of the cot. 't the entrance door of the maternity home , a pestle should be kept obli+uely. ' holy fire should be lit using tinduka woods and mustard, kandaka(rice should be offered to this fire in the morning and evening. #riendly and pleasant ladies should stay inside the maternity home. On the sixth night, a special care should be taken to protect the newborn child by doing bali(religious offering and homa(oblations to god by putting ghee into the fire . 'll friends and relatives should keep up on this night. On the /7th or /0th day depending on their kula, gotra, aachara, etc the father should do the namakarana samskara. Baming ceremony can be done on /7th,/0th or /77th day or after one year. On the day of naming ceremony , a paste of manahshila, haratala, gorochana, agaru, chandana should be applied on child=s body. (he rules for selection of the name is similar to 'charya ,haraka=s explanations. 'fter the naming ceremony the child should be examined for the knowledge of the span of life. ,ursery: It should be well planed by an architect , completely e+uipped, clean, well ventilated and lighted. $lderly ladies and a physician should be there inside the nursery. It should be free from insects, rodents, etc. Bursery should have distinct places for bathing, etc. (he mattress, bed covering, etc of the child should be soft, washed and dried fumigated with the rakshoghna dravyas ( drugs that protect from the evil spirits . (he cloths and beddings should be fumigated with vacha, ghee, kushta, shreevestaka, sarshapa. One should not suddenly wake up the sleeping baby. Soon after waking up one should not lift him high, by doing so he will be frightened and his urine and stools will be obstructed. (he paste of honey, amalaki, vyosha, brihatimoola, saindhava lavana should be applied into the oral cavity to reduce the salivation of the child. 'mulets made of tip of right horn of the alive rhinoceroses, deer or wild bull to be worn by the child. (he herbs like indri, jeevaka, rishbhaka can also be used for wearing in the hands, head and neck. (hese things will improve the aayu(life span ,

medhaa(intelligence , smriti(memory and swsthya(health of the child. It also protects the child from raakshasas(evil spirits . In the Eth month the child should be brought out of the maternity home. (he child should be well dressed and should do namaskar(showing respect by bowing down to the devatas(gods before going out. (he child should follow agni and skandha. In the fifth month the child should be made to sit on the floor which is smeared with gomaya(cow dung and offered oblations. ?hile sitting the child=s back should be supported and the back, hips should be gently massaged. In the 8th month 'nnaprashana samskara should be done. 's the +uantity solid food intake increases the breast feeding should be reduced gradually. In 8th, ;th or .th month ear piercing should be done. Fp to one year the child should not be taken for outing in hot or bright sun. 'ny kind of shining objects, lightning and fire should not be shown to the child. ?hen the teething process starts, gradually the breastfeeding should be weaned off. ?eaning off should be tried with sneha(love and prema(affection , when these does not work out, pastes should applied on the nipples which looks like a wound . Once the weaning process is started the milk processed with laghu panchamoola should be given to the child. %ight and nourishing foods should be started gradually. ?hen the breastfeeding is completely stopped the child should be given a modaka(laddoo prepared with priyalamajja, madhuka, madhu, laaja, sitopala. Saktu(the fried barley flour of baala bilwa, ela, sharkara, laja also can be used. (his preparation acts as agnideepaka. ' tarpana of dhaataki pushpa, sharkara, laaja is used as sangrahi 'fter weaning if the child=s appetite increases abnormally, treatments of atyagni roga or paarigarbhika roga are done. (hen aacharya explains the +uality of the care taker of the child. If the child does not listen to his elders or throws tantrums, the child should not be scared by parents. One should protect the child from jumping from heights and from the cloths falling on the face. (he place where the child plays should be free from metal pieces, stones, weapons, mud dust, etc. (he play area should be sprinkled with water processed with vidanga or maricha or nimba. (he toys should make pleasant noise, should have pictures& drawings on them, (hey should not be scary ones, should be huge, should not have sharp edges, should have the shapes of cow, horse, etc, animals or fruits. ?hen the child attains the appropriate age to pursue the education , he should be taught dharma(customary observances of a caste, etc , vinaya(discipline , etc which helps him to control his horse like indriyas(sense organs during his yauvanavastha(young age . 'bhyanga(oil application on the body , udwarthana( rubbing the body with powders and snana(shower are done everyday. Oil for 'bhyanga is prepared using sahadeva, shaliparni, harenu, shwetakamala, chandana, brihati phala, tarkari, sarshapa, kushta, saindhava, ashwagandha, eranda, tila, apaamarga tandula, aatmagupta phala and goat=s milk. (his oil helps to keep away all evil spirits and it is balya(that which improves the strength . 2owder for udwarthanaG- (he powder of same drugs are used along with 4 parts of chikkisa(fried yava choorna , curd and honey. 2owder of moorva moola, rajani dwaya, yava or kulattha powder or ashwagandha powder can also be used for udvarthana. ?ater for bathG- (he water for bath should be processed with sarvaoushdhi (eladi gana paste.

Seasonwise care for the child: In cold season (sheetakala and "asanta ritu the water for bathing should be processed with aaragwadhadi gana drugs. (he ghee processed with vatsakadi gana drugs should be

used internally for the child. In greeshma ritu due to wind, hot sun(aatapa , sweat the child will attain klama(tiredness . So the milk processed with jeevaneeya gana drugs is to be given to the child in the morning. Or Saktu(fried barley flour with ade+uate +uantity of ghee and sita(candy sugar can be given to the child. If the child has the habit to drink more water then the ghee should not be given. If the plain ghee is saatmya for the child, the ghee should be processed with kakoli, shrkara, meda, vamshalochana, yastimadhu and jeevaka. ' lepa(application of the paste of kutannata or any cooling herb is applied on the child=s forehead. 9hee processed with vidaryadi gana decoction, raasna, sarala, varshbhu, hingu, saindhava, devadaru can also used for internal use. In sharad ritu ghee extracted from milk and processed with prapaundareeka, madhuka, soopyaparni, duralabha, priyalamajja, kakoli, vidari, katphala, amruta, draksha, ajashringi, dugdhika, ksheerashukla, ashwagandha, shringi, madhooka kusuma, meda, rishabhaka, jeevaka is used internally. <rahmi gritha or saraswata gritha also can be used.

-eneral care: 2owders of vacha, little swarna bhasma mixed with honey and ghee is made to lick by the child till he becomes one year old to develop his medha(intelligence , vani(speech and agni(digestive fire . 2owders of hareetaki, pippali, kushta, haridra, sariva, vacha, mamsi, kaidarya in e+ual proportions are mixed with e+ual +uantity of brahmi choorna. (his mixture of powders should be given to the child with ghee up to one year. 2owder of above said drugs are mixed with the powder of any one of the drugs like doorva, moorva, brahma suvarchala, lakshmana, shwetakantakari, avyanda, shweta sarshapa, sahasraveerya, phalini, brihatipakwa phala, rohisha in e+ual +uantity and used for children as well as adults. One should protect the child from eating mud. 5ud eating leads to paandu, shopha, shwasa, kasa, atisara, krimi, vamana, moorcha, agnimaandya, stanya dwesha, angaruk and bhrama. (he brush should not be used to child till his gums become strong(sthira . %acharya Sushruta: 's soon as the child comes out the jarayu(amniotic membrane sticking to the face and oral cavity is removed and the oral cavity is cleaned with saindhava lavana and ghee. ' cotton swab dipped in ghee is kept over the brahma randhra& anterior fontanel. (hen the umbilical cord should be cut .angulas away from the umbilicus after tying it with a thread. (he stump should be tied to the neck of the newborn. 'fter cutting the umbilical cord the child=s face should be sprinkled with cold water. Once the child looks comfortable jaatakarma should be done. (he mixture of honey, ghee and ananta choorna(gold powder should be taken in the tip of the anamika(ring finger and rubbed on the newborn=s tongue. #ull body abhyanga should be done with bala thaila and washed with warm water processed with one of the drugs like 1sheerivriksha, Sarvagandhodaka(eladi gana or chaturjataka , kapittha pattra or water dipped with hot silver or gold foil. 'ccording to aacharya sushruta also describes that the breast milk secretion starts on the Eth day. So he advices to give a mixture honey, ghee and ananta powder after chanting mantras, three times a day on the first day. On 0nd and 4rd day ghee processed with lakshmana. On the Eth day a mixture of honey and ghee should be given in swapaanitala matra and the breast feeding should be started. (he child should be wrapped with silk cloth and made to sleep on a soft bed covered with silk cloth. (he child should be fanned with peelu, badari, nimba, parushaka branches. ' cotton swab soaked in oil is kept on the child=s forehead.

#umigation should be done with rakshoghna dhoopa. (he drugs of rakshoghna dhoopa should be tied on hands, legs, neck and head of the newborn. (ila, atasi, sarshapa should be scattered inside the maternity home. ' sacred fire should be lit inside the maternity home. (he regimens explained in vranitipasaneeya chapter should be followed. On the /7th day the newborn=s parents should name the child according to the nakshtra.

/ow to beha$e with child# (he child should be lifted or handled gently as not to cause any discomfort. (he child should not be scolded nor suddenly roused up from sleep, as it might get frightened. (he baby should not be suddenly drawn up or suddenly laid down. (his may result in the derangement of bodily wind. (he child should not be made to sit for long time as it might cause kaubjya(short stature . (he child should be fondled and amused with toys and play things. ' child unruffled by these methods becomes healthy, cheerful, intelligent as he grows older. (he infant should be guarded against exposure to the rain, sun, bright light, lightning, grhachayas and dusta grahas. )e should not be taken under the trees& creepers, into empty houses, nimna sthanas like cave, well, etc. (he child should not be left alone in an unclean, unholy place nor under the sky(lonely or open place , uneven places. )e should not be exposed to heat, cold, storm, rain, dust, smoke and water. In the absence of mother=s milk, cow=s milk or goat=s milk should be given to the child in the proper +uantity. In the 8th month the child should be fed with light and wholesome food. (he child should protected from evil spirits by keeping him inside the house and by doing the religious rites. (he education of the child should be commenced at a suitable age and with suitable subjects according to his social varna(caste or order he belongs to. On attaining 03th year he should marry a girl of /0 years. 0rugs to impro$e the immunity: (he growth, memory, strength, intellect of the child can be improved by using the following medicinal mixtures. Swarna powder, kushta, vacha, honey, ghee. 5astyakshaka, shankhapushpi, swarna bhasma, honey, ghee. 'rkapushpi, vacha, swaena powder, honey and ghee. Swarna powder, kaidarya, shweta doorva, honey and ghee. +aesarian section in %yur$eda: In Sushruta chikista sthana /3th chapter he explains about extraction of garbha shalya(dead foetus with surgical intervention or decapitation of the foetus. (he live fetus should be delivered with various manipulations. ?hile explaining the causes for 5oodha garbha in Bidana sthana .th chapter there is a verse saying that if the mother is dead and the foetus is alive then the foetus should be delivered by doing udara vipaatana ( opening the abdomen by putting an incision . <ut there no description about the udara vipatana on living mother by aacharyas like Sushruta, "agbhata and ,haraka.
(his article was published on 5onday 0/ Hune, 07/7.