320-322. Yavanas on the Progress: Now stated are the views of Yavanas ‘on the monthly developments affecting the child in the womb, and of the lords thereof. (a) It will be a fetus (Semi-liquid form) in the 1st month. In the 2nd month, it will become an embryo (solidified form). Limbs will sprout in the 3rd month. The 4th month will help formation of bones and muscles. Skin will envelope the child in the 5th month. The 6th one will contribute blood, pair and nails. Mental feelings will occur to the child in the womb in the 7th month while in the 8th month it will develop hunger, ‘third and taste. The child will be desirous of coming out of the womb in the 9th month.
In the 10th month, under the lordship of the Sun, the child ready with all limbs, will quit the womb, and will take its birth.
(b) The lords of these 10 months in order are Mai’s, Venus, Jupiter, the Sun, the Moon; Saturn, the Moon, the lord of Adhana ascendant, the Moon and the Sun.
(c) The auspicious and in auspiciops developments that can occur to the child in the womb can be guessed with the help of the state of the various lords in their transits.
Notes: (b) The views of Yavana naincorrectly exclude Mercury from any rulership whereas he is the ruler of the 7th month. Or their original text could have read “Sasankaja” (Mercury) instead of “Sasanka” (the Moon). Further in case of rulerships for the 1st and. 2nd months, there are errors. The author puts the record straight in the relevant verses vide infra, with the views of sages Vasishta and Garga. However, Varbha Mihira erroneously followed Yavanas.
Notes: Also see slokas 199-208, and 325-341 of this chapter for more information.
323. As per Sukra Jataka: On the various developments that are due to the child in the womb in the various months, Sukra Jataka states thus. Comforts will exist (only) if developments occur in the various months as prescribed (earlier). If these developments be at variance, ahead or behind schedule, these will ever cause grief (that is, both the mother and the child will be endangered).
Notes: The work Sukra Jataka suggests that each month should exactly have the prescribed development, not before and not later. Should it be out of tune with the time schedule, both the mother and’ the child will be endangered.
For example, skin formation should be in the 5th month. This should not advance to the 4th month, nor should it defer to the 6th month.
Bala Bhadra observes: Varaha Mihira has interchanged the lords of the 1st and 2nd months as against the ones stated by Yavanas. This will be clear from the list of lord of months, infra.
324. Sage Vasishta: (a) For sage Vasishta enjoins that Venus, Mars, Jupiter, the Sun, the Moon, Saturn, Mercury, lord of the Adhana ascendant, the Moon and the Sun are the lords of the months in order. The developments in the respective month will be obstructed when its k>rd is strained in transit.
(b) Bala Bhadra Observes: These months should be understood on the above lines. Here the views of Yavanas and Vasishta clash with each other. But the views of Vasishta are widely agreed upon. The proof of this lies in the views of sage Garga (as reflected in the following verses).
(g) Later on, in the 7th month, the sensory organs will be activate with the headship of Mercury.
(h) The lord of the Adhana ascendant rules the 8th month giving hunger and thirst to the child.
(i) The resident in the womb will acquire emotions in the 9th month which is lorded by the Moon.
(j) The Sun is the lord of the 10th month when delivery will take place.
(k) Whichever planet is weak, or goes into debility, or gets combust (in transit during pregnancy), will in its month cause damage to the process of carriage or delivery.
325 – 330. Sage Garga: (a) In the1st month, the foetus will be formed. The 1l1ler of the month is Venus.
(b) Mars is the ruler of the 2nd month when the foetus will assume the form of a seed, i.e. embryo.
(c) Limbs will occur in the 3rd month, the lord of which is Jupiter.
(d) Marrow and bones will be added in the 4th month. Its lord is the Sun.
(e) The 5th month will cause formation of skin under the rulership of the Moon.
(f) Saturn is the lord of the 6th month when all limbs will sprout.
331 – 341. Parasara’s Special Clues on the Various Months: (a) in the 1st month it will be a foetus in the state of (semi-) liquid.
(b) In the 2nd month, it will solidify into an embryo – an enveloped bubble – during which the sex of the child, viz. male, female or hermaphrodite will be formed.
(c) Major limbs, viz. head, hands, legs etc. along with minor limbs will sprout in the 3rd month.
(d) These limbs will acquire full-fledged formation in the 4th month. During this month, the female will exhibit courage if the child is a male, will develop timidity if it is a female, and will display both courage and fear if it is a hermaphrodite. And the child will also acquire the same disposition of the mother. That is why, all the desires of the mother should be fulfilled so that the pregnancy is in tact. Otherwise, the child will be sickly.
(e) In the 5th month, the child will become conscious and its blood will acquire potence.
(f) The 6th month will lead o to formation of bones, muscles, nails and hair.
(g) In the 7th month, increased vigor, refinement in physical complexion and completion of limb-formation will take place. During this month, the child will cover its face and ear-holes with its hands, will become emotional and will recall the various memories of the previous birth. Further it will find ways and means to get itself freed (from its stay in the womb).
(h) In the 8th month, skin, ears and mind will become active (i.e. feeling of touch, hearing, and thinking will be acquired), blood will get purified, and the child will move in the womb. It is good for the child not to remain any more in the womb of its mother after the 8th month.
(i) Otherwise, the delivery will take place in the 9th month or later on (i.e. in the 10th month).
Notes: The reader’s attention is invited to slokas 199 – 208, ch. 1 as well.
From all these we observe differences of opinion between one authority and the other. Garuda Purana (II – 32) has also different views (as stated by Lord Vishnu to Garuda) on this issue as under:
“The nucleus of the foetus is formed within a day. It becomes a frothy bubble in five days. Within 14 days, it becomes a mixture of flesh and lymphatic substances. It
becomes a solid flesh in 20 days, sufficiently strong in 25 days and after that it begins to develop gradually. The foetus would have assimilated completely the five
elements (Prithvi, Jala, Tejas, Vayu and Akasa) within a month. By the time the two months are over the fat and skins are evolved. The marrow and the bones are formed
in three months time. The hair and the heels are formed in the fourth month. The ears, nose and the belly are formed in the 4th month. The throat, back and the reproductive organs are developed in the 7th month.
(There is no mention of the 6th month in the original text.) By the eighth month, all the limbs are completed. In the beginning of the ninth month, the child in the womb is fully developed. It comes out in the 9th or the 10th month.”
Since these developments are inaccessible to human comprehension, I cannot boldly make any intelligible comments but only leave the after to the individual reader’s choice.
342. Remedies: Sage Vasishta enjoins the duty to perform remedial measures every month during the time of pregnancy, in the following words. Using white corns, the lord of each month should be pleased by the individual desirous of having a son (i.e. progeny) with Roma (fire sacrifice) and donations. Blessings of the virtuous should also be sought. A.B a result, the pregnancy will securely progress.
