An English Translation of the Sushruta Samhita (Bhishagratna ed.)

Chap. III.] SARIRA STHANAM,

for a visit to a hermitage. The desire of a pregnant woman to see a divine image or an idol, predicts the birth of a child in her womb who would grace the council of an august assembly in life. Similarly, a desire to see a savage animal on the part of a pregnant woman signifies the presence of a child of savage and cruel temperament in her womb. A desire for the flesh of a Godha indicates the presence of a sleepy, drowsy person in her womb who would be tenaciously fond of good things in life. Similarly a longing for beef on the part of the mother (during gestation) indicates the birth of a strong and vigorous child capable of sustaining any amount of fatigue and physical pain A longing for bufifalo-meat of the mother indicates the birth of a hairy, valiant and red-eyed child (in her womb); a longing for boar-flesh indicates the birth of a drowsy child though valiant ; a longing for venison indicates that of an energetic, determined and sylvan-habited child ; a longing for Srimara-meat indicates that of a distracted person ; a longing for the flesh of Tittira bird indicates that of a child of timid disposition ; whereas a desire on the part of an enciente for the flesh of any particular animal indicates that the child in the womb would be of such stature and would develop such traits of character in life as are peculiar to that animal. The desires of a woman during her pregnancy are determined by ordained fate and effects of the acts of the child in its prior existence (that are to be happened during the present life). 15.

Development of the FcBtus s— In the

fifth month the foetus is endowed with mind (Manah^
and wakes up from the sleep of its sub-conscious exis-
tence. In the sixth month cognition (Buddhi) comes
in. In the seventh month all the limbs and members

I40 THE SUSHRUTA SAMHITA. [Chap. III.

of its body are more markedly developed. The Ojo- dhdtu (in the heart of the foetus) does not remain silent in the eighth month * A child born at that time (eighth month) dies for want of Ojo-dhatu soon after its birth, a fact which may be equally ascribed to the agency of the malignant monsters. Hence (in the eighth month of gestation) offerings of meat should be made to the demons and monsters (for the safe continuance of the child). The parturition takes place either in the ninth, tenth, eleventh or twelfth month of conception, otherwise something wrong with the foetus should be appre- hended. i6.

The umbilical chord (Nadi) of the foetus is found to
be attached to the cavity of the vein or artery of its
maternal part through which the essence of lymph-chyle
(Rasa) produced from the assimilated food of the
mother, enters into its organism and fastens its growth
and development, (a fact which may be understood from
the analogy of percolation or transudation of blood).
Immediately after the completion of the process of
fecundation, the vessels (Dhamani) of its maternal body
which carry the lymph-chyle (Rasa) and run laterally and
longitudinally in all directions through it, tend to foster
the foetus with their own transudation all through its
continuance in the womb. 17.

Different opinions on the formation
of the foetal body :— Saunaka says that
probably the head of the foetus is first developed
since head is the only organ that makes the functions
of all other organs possible. Kritaviryya says, it is
the heart that is first developed since heart is the seat
of Manah and Buddhi (mind and intellect). The son of

* Sometimes it passes from the body of the child to that of the mother and vice versa.

Chap. III.] SARIRA STHANAM. I4I

Para'sara says that the development of the umbilical re- gion of foetus must necessarily precede (that of any other part of its body) inasmuch as it is through umbilical chord that an embryo draws its substance from mother's body. Matrkandeya says that the hands and feet of a fcetus are first te be developed since they are the only means of movements in the womb. Subhuti Gautama says that the development of the trunk is the earliest in point of time since all other limbs and organs lie solder- ed to and imbedded in that part of the body. But all these are not really the fact. Dhanvantari holds that the development of all the parts of the body of an embryo goes on simultaneously ; and they can not be perceived or detected in their earlier stages of development in the womb owing to their extremely attenuated size like a mango fruit or sprouts of bamboo. As the stone, marrow, pith etc. of a ripe and matured mango-fruit or the sprouts of bamboo, cannot be separately perceived in the earlier stage of their growth but are quite distin- guishable in the course of their development, likewise in the early stage of pregnancy the limbs and organs of the body (foetus) are not perceptible for their extremely attenuated stage but become potent (and therefore they are distinctly perceived) in the course of time for their development. 18.

Factors respectively supplied by the paternal and maternal elements :-Now

we shall describe the parts and principles of the
body of a foetus which are respectively contributed by
the paternal element, maternal factor, the serum
(Rasaja),the soul (Atmaja), the natural (Sattvaja) and the
innate physiological conditions (Satmyaja). The hairs
of the head and body, beard and moustaches, bones,
nails, teeth, veins (Sira), nerves, arteries (Dhamani),

142 THE SUSHRUTA SAMHITA. [Chap. III^

semen and all the steady and hard substances (in
the organism of a child) are contributed by the
paternal element in the conception Pitraja ; whereas
flesh, blood, fat, marrow, heart, umbilicus, liver, spleen,
intestines, anus (Guda) and all other soft matters in
the body owe their origin to the maternal element
(Matrija) ; strength, complexion, growth, rotundity and
decay of the body are due to the serum (Rasaja\
The sensual organs, conciousness, knowledge, wisdom,
duration of life (longivlty), pleasure and pain etc. are
the outcome of the spiritual element in man (Atmaja).
We shall describe the Sattvaja features of the body in
the next chapter. Valour, healthfulness, strength, glow
and memory are the products of a child naturally
born with physiological conditions of the parents
(Sdtmyaja). 19.

Signs of male and female concep-
tion : — An enciente, in whose right mammae the milk
is first detected, who first lifts up her right leg at the
time of locomotion, whose right eye looks larger, or
who evinces a longing largely for things of masculine
names, dreams of having received lotus flowers (red
and white), Utpala, Kumuda, Amrataka, or flowers of
such masculine denomination in her sleep, or the glow
of whose face becomes brighter during pregnancy, may
be expected to give birth to a male child; whereas
the birth of a daughter or a female child should be
pre-assumed from the contriety of the foregoing indi-
cations. An enciente whose sides become raised and
the forepart of whose abdomen is found to bulge out
will give birth to a sex-less (hermaphrodite) child. An
enciente, the middle part of whose abdomen becomes
sunk or divided in the middle like a leather-bag, will
give birth to a twin. 20.

Chfip. ni-3 SARIRA STHANAM. I43

lYIemorable verses :— Those women who
are devout in their worship of the gods and the
BrAhmins and cherish a clean soul in a clean body
during pregnancy are sure to be blest with good,
virtuous and generous children ; whereas a contrary
conduct during the period is sure to be attended
with contrary fruits. The development of the limbs
and the members etc. of a foetus in the womb is natural
and spontaneous, and the qualities and conditions
which mark these organs are determined by the acts
of the child which arc anterior to its genesis and wcro
done in its prior existence. 21-22.

Thus ends the third Chapter of the S'arira Sihiinain in the Su 'ru(a Samhita which treats of the generation and pregnancy.

CHAPTEE IV.

Now we shall discourse on the Sariram which
treats of the development of a fcetus in the womb,
as well as of the factors which contribute to the growth
of its different bodily organs and principles (Garbha-

Vyakaranam-^gfriram). i.

The Pittam (fiery or thermogenic) and Sleshma
(lunar principles of the body, the bodily Vayu, the three
primary qualities of Sattva, Rajas, and Tamas (adhesion,
cohesion and disintegration), the five sense organs, and
the Self (Karma-Purusha) are the preserver of the life
(Prdnah) of the Fcetus. 2.

Folds of Skin : —Seven folds or layers of cover-
ing (Tvaka — skin) are formed and deposited on the
rapidly transforming product of the combination of
(semen) Sukra and Sonita (fertilized ovum) which
have been thus charged with the individual Soul
or Self in the same manner as layers (of cream) are
formed and deposited on the surface of (boiling) milk.
Of these the first fold or layer is called Avabha'sini
(reflecting) as it serves to reflect all colours and is cap-
able of being tinged with the hues of all the five mate-
rial principles of the body. The thickness of this fold
measures eighteen-twentieth of a Vrihi^ (rice grain) and
it is the seat of skin diseases, such as Sidhma, Padma-

* The complexion of a person is due to this first layer ; and as the colour of an opaque body is due to the rays that are reflected from its surface, this layer is rightly named Avabba^'ini or reflecting layer.

** The text runs "Vriherashtadashabhaga," which means eighteen (or so mnny) parts of a Vrihi ; and Dalian comments that "Vrihi" stands for a measure equal to the twentieth division of a Vrihi or rice grain.

Chap, IV.] SARIRA STHANAM. I45

kantaka etc. The second fold (from the surface) is called Lohitai ; it measures a sixteen-twentieth of a Vrihi and is the seat of such (cutaneous affections; as Tilakilaka, Nyachcha and Vyanga etc. The third fold or layer is called S'/^ti which measures in thick- ness, a twelve-twentieth of a Vrihi, and forms the seat of such diseases as Aj.igalli, Charmadala, and Mas'aka etc. The fourth fold or layer is called Tstmrak measuring an eight-twentieth of a Vrihi and forms the seat of such diseases as the various kinds of Kilasa and Kushtha etc. The fifth fold or layer is called Vedini, measuring in thickness a five-twentieth of a Vrihi and forms the seat of Kushtha, Visarpa, etc. The sixth fold or layer is called Rohini, which is of equal thickness as a Vrihi (grain), and is the seat of Granthi, Apachi, Arvuda, SHpada and Gala-ganda etc. The seventh fold or layer is called Matasa-dhara( twice a Vrihi in thickness and is the seat of Bhagandara, Vidradhi, and Ars'a etc. These dimensions should be understood to hold good of the skin of the fleshy parts of the body, and not of the skin on the forehead, or about the tips of the fingers, inasmuch as there is a surgical dictum to the effect that an incision as deep as the thickness of the thumb may be made into the region of the abdomen with the help of a Vrihi-mukha (instrument). 3.

The Kala(s too number seven in all and are situated
at the extreme borders (forming encasement and support)
of the different fundamental principles (Dhatus) of the
organism. 4.

Memorable Verses : — As the duramen or
core of a piece of wood or stem becomes exposed to view
by cutting into it, so the root principles (Dha'tus) of the
body may be seen by removing the successive layers or

146 THE SUSHRUTA SAMlilTA. Chap. IV. J

tissues of its flesh. These Kalds are extensively supplied
with Snayus (fibrous tissues), bathed in mucous, and
encased in a membranous covering. 5-6.

lYIansadhara-Kala: - Of these Kalas,the first
is named Ma^nsadhara (fascia), in the contained flesh
(bodily substance of the Kala) of the Sira (veins), Snayu
(fibrous tissues), Dhamani (arteiies) and other Srotas
(channels; are found to spread and branch out. 7.

lYlemorable Verse : — As the roots and stems
of a lotus plant respectively situated in the ooze and
water (of a tank;, do si.nultaneously grow and expand,
so the veins etc situated in the flesh, grow and
ramify. 8.

Raktadhara- Kala : -The second Kald is

called Raktat-dharai (Vascular tissue of the blood vessels
etc.). The blood is contained in these inside the flesh
and specially in the veins (Sira) and in such viscera of
the body as the liver and spleen. 9.

IVIemorable Verse:— As a piant containing
latex in its tissues, when injured or pricked, exudes
milky juice, so blood oozes out instantaneously on the
flesh of the body (supplied with the Raktadhara-kala)
being injured. 10.