Garbobanishad
The Garbha Upanishad गर्भ उपनिषत्, is one of the minor Upanishads, listed
number 17 in the modern anthology of 108 Hindu Upanishadic texts. Written
in Sanskrit, it is associated with the Krishna Yajurveda by some, and as a
Vedantic Upanishad associated with the Atharvaveda by other scholars. It is
considered one of the 35 Samanya (general) Upanishads. The last verse of
the Upanishad attributes the text to sage Pippalada, but the chronology and
author of the text is unclear, and the surviving manuscripts are damaged,
inconsistent with each other and incomplete. The term Garbha literally
means "womb" and "relating to gestation”. The text's title means "esoteric
doctrine relating to gestation, womb, foetus". It is also called
Garbhopanishad (Sanskrit: गर्भोपनिषत्).
The Upanishads has 5 divisions indicating the pancha bhuta we are
made of.
What is earth? what water? what fire? what wind? what ether?
— Garbha Upanishad, Section 1
Section 1: What is the human body?
Human body is composed of five elements, states the Garbha Upanishad.
Whatever is hard in the body is constituted of earth, whatever is liquid is
of water, what is warm is from fire, what moves in the body derives from
the essence of air, and the hollow in the body is the essence of space. The
earth principle provides it with support, the water necessary for
assimilation of food, the fire essence for illumination, the wind principle
distributes of substances with the body, while ether provides avakasha
(room within).
The five objects of sense are related to ear, skin, eye, tongue, nose. The
related support system consists of the mouth to speak, hands to lift, feet
to walk, tongue for tasting, nose for smelling, Apana for excretion, and
the genitals for sexual enjoyment The body discriminates and knows by
Buddhi (intellect), fancies and thinks through Manas (mind) and speaks with
speech. There are five tastes, representing food it needs for development,
and these are sweet, saline, bitter, pungent and astringent.
The body goes through six stages from existence in its life, and these are
creation as foetus, birth, growth, maturity, decay and death. It develops
six "chakras (wheels)", which denote "the dhamani (nerves), mūlāḍhāra,
svāḍhishthāna, maṇipūraka, anāhaṭa, viśuḍḍhi, and ājñā." Then six gunas and
seven notes of sounds, which are combined to form sounds, some acceptable
and some non-acceptable.
Section 2: How is human embryo formed?
Seven colour constituent elements (dhatus) in the body are, states the
text, white, red, opaque, smoke colored, yellow, brown and pale colored.
>From white which is food rasas (juice, sap, essences) develops the blood
(red), out of blood develops the flesh (opaque), from flesh develops the
fat (smoke colored), from fat develop the bones (yellow), inside bones
develops the bone marrow (brown), and from marrow develops the semen (pale
colored). From the union of the male shukla (शुक्ल, semen) and shonita (
शोणित, blood, female vital energy) develops the human embryo, asserts the
Garbha Upanishad. {Zygjote}
Section 3: How does the embryo develop?
The Upanishad gives details about how the conception takes place in the
womb and how it develops over a period of nine months. After the union
takes place in a particular (Ritu) season, the growth of the body in the
embryo on the first day is a "nodule". It becomes a "bubble" by the seventh
night; in 15 nights it becomes a "lump"; in a month's time the embryo is
hard; by the end of two months, head is formed; parts of the feet appear by
three months; stomach, the hips and ankle appear by the fourth month; the
vertebral column shapes up by the fifth month; the face, nose and ears
appear by the sixth month; the seventh month is when fetus is imbibed with
Jiva or soul (Atman), in the eighth month has all body parts, and fully
developed in the ninth month. The fetus grows and is nourished by what the
mother eats and drinks, through a vein, states the text.
The Upanishad asserts its theory for the gender of the child, birth defects
and the birth of twins. It states that dominance of male semen results in a
male child while a female child is born when there is surfeit of female or
mother's semen. When semen of both male and female are equally strong birth
of a hermaphrodite occurs. Birth defects are asserted to result when either
parent is suffering from anxiety and trauma at the time of conception.
Twins of same gender develop when the shukra and shonita burst into two;
however, when only shukra bursts into two or when the parents copulate
often, then twins of mixed gender may be formed. Development and birth of a
single embryo is most common among humans, states the text. However, up to
Quintuplets are observed among humans, asserts the ancient text.
Section 4: What does the embryo know?
By the eighth month, states Garbha Upanishad, the embryo knows its past
birth, meditates and perceives Om, gains the intuitive knowledge of good
and bad.
The text states that in the last weeks of its development, the fetus
remembers the good and bad karma and being born anew through many births,
resolves to remember Maheshwara (Shiva) and Narayana (Vishnu), resolves to
study and practice Samkhya-Yoga after birth because all these bestow the
reward of liberation. The fetus resolves, states the Upanishad, to meditate
on Brahman after birth However, when the fetus is in the process of birth,
states the text, the squeezing out of the womb causes it to forget its
resolutions
Section 5 : How does embryo learns through Garbh Samskara?
Garbh means "womb" and Samskara means "ethics" or "values" Parenting your
child and teaching ethics inside the mother's womb can be the most blissful
experience that any parent can imagine. The greatest evidence of Garbh
Samskara's spiritual journey is our historical background. During
pregnancy, the mother maintains a healthy balanced diet that helps to
develop a strong, healthy placenta that determines the birth weight and
future health of the child in adult life.
The purpose of Garbh Samskara is to educate the child in the womb. It is
believed that the education of moral, traditional and spiritual values
begins right from the moment the foetus is conceived in the womb in Indian
culture and, especially in Hinduism. Science has shown that babies in the
womb will benefit from Garbhsanskar in early stages. The mother's
relationship with the baby starts right from the moment of conception. In
Ramayana, it was found that before the birth of Lord Rama during 'putra
kameshti yagna,' the Agni devata gave King Dashratha 'payas' which can only
be considered a kind of 'Garbh Sanskar'. There is also a well-known
mythological narrative in Mahabharat about how Arjuna taught Abhimanyu to
enter 'chakravyuha' when he was in the womb of his mother, Subhadra. This
history, too, proves the fact that people also believed the idea of Garbh
Sanskar during the mythological period. According to Charakacharya the mind
of the foetus is completely assimilated with its parents, whatever stories,
songs and garbh sanskar music a pregnant woman listens also affect the mind
of her baby in the womb.
Developments after birth
The text, states T.M.P. Mahadevan, asserts that soul resides in the human
body and longs for liberation.
The Garbha Upanishad posits the question, "Why is it called Sharira (the
body)?", and in response states that because in it Shriyante (exists) three
fires – the fire for knowledge, the fire for seeing and the gastric fire.
The text uses similes of yajna (fire) ritual to describe how cosmic
processes are repeated in the temple of body, with food as offering, mind
the Brahman and seeking of the soul (Atman) as the goal of the ritual of
life.
The text then abruptly jumps to enumerating anatomy of a developed human
body, likely from lost chapters of the manuscript. It asserts, states Paul
Deussen, that in a human adult, "the head has four skull bones, and in them
there are on each side sixteen sockets; in the body there are 107 joints,
180 sutures, 900 sinews, 700 veins, 500 muscles, 360 bones and 45 million
hairs".[19] Further, enumerates the Upanishad, the heart of an adult human
male weighs 364 grams, tongue weighs 546 grams, bile in the body 728 grams,
semen produced is 182 grams, fat 1,456 grams, and excrement generated is
uncertain in amount because it depends on what and how much the body eats
and drinks
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Among all species of life, human birth is very rare and important. In
Śānti-parva of Māhābhārata (chapter 180), the great devotee Bhīsma, one of
the twelve Mahājanas, tells King Yuḍhisthīra a story to show the
significance of its importance.
He describes that long ago, there was a very austere brahmaṇa, named
Kāśyapa. He was very religious and had an introverted disposition. Once
when he was walking, a proud vaiśya came from the opposite side, riding on
a chariot. Being intoxicated by his wealth, this vaiśya disregarded the
brahmaṇa and knowingly threw him off the road by hitting him with his
chariot. The brahmaṇa was hurt, not only physically, but also emotionally.
He felt very humiliated and thought that because he was poor, his life was
a waste. He had no caliber for, or interest in earning wealth, yet he
realized that people give no respect to a brahmaṇa like him. Being
frustrated, he decided to commit suicide.
When Indra understood the intention of the brahmaṇa, he took pity on him.
To instruct him, he appeared in the form of a jackal and began instructing
the dejected brahmaṇa. The jackal spoke to him as follows:
“O brahmaṇa, all living beings aspire to attain a human body, and among
human beings, the body of a brahmaṇa is very praiseworthy. You are not only
a human being, but also a brahmaṇa and on top of that, you have studied the
Vedas. Having attained such a rare opportunity, it is highly improper to
consider it worthless and plan to commit suicide. I consider the human
birth as very fortunate because I wish to have that myself. Just as human
beings aspire for wealth, we animals wish to have hands. We do not consider
any other gain superior to having hands. O Muni, many times while wandering
in the forest, the thorns from bushes get stuck in our body. We feel great
pain but because we do not have hands, we are unable to pull them out.
Similarly, flies, mosquitos, fleas, and other such insects bite our bodies
and we have to just tolerate it. Not having hands, we are unable to produce
houses as humans do, to protect us from heat, cold, rain, and hailstorm. We
cannot sew cloth to cover our bodies, nor can we eat properly. While
grazing, sometimes sharp grass pierces our cheeks and gums and we suffer
greatly. Human beings can domesticate animals and use them for plowing land
or for harnessing (yoking) them in a cart. They can ride on them and thus
enjoy, while we have no such facility. Even while suffering like this, I do
not commit suicide, knowing it well to be a very sinful act. I know that by
committing suicide I will glide down into an even lower species of life.
You should realize how fortunate you are because you have this most rare
form of a human being. You are lamenting because of poverty, but you must
know that wealth alone cannot give happiness. In this human body you have
the gift of intelligence. You should use your intelligence not for earning
wealth, but to become enlightened. If one does not work for spiritual
improvement, then one is misusing the human form of life and ultimately one
will be born in a subhuman species. You may also know that even among human
beings, there are some who are handicapped. Some are blind, others are deaf
or lame. But you, o brahmaṇa, have a healthy and a complete body. You
should use it for becoming free from material conditioning, then you do not
have to suffer in humiliation from rich or proud people. Material happiness
and suffering come as an outcome of one’s past karma. Tolerate it and
practice devotion to God assiduously.
In my past life I was a human being and proud of my intelligence. I used to
argue with brahmaṇas and criticize the Vedas. I had no respect for the
scriptures and considered empirical experience and logic as supreme sources
of knowledge. I was atheistic and foolish, but thought of myself as a
learned and wise man. As a result of such behavior I have been born as a
jackal now. In this jackal body I cannot engage in any scriptural study or
devotional practice. I very much aspire to be born as a human being, but
that is not within my control.”
IndraWhen Kāśyapa Muni heard these words of the jackal, he was very
astonished. By the eye of wisdom, he could then understand that this jackal
was Indra. He paid respect to him and thanked him for this wonderful
advice. Thus the brahmaṇa gave up the idea to commit suicide and went to
the forest to meditate on God.
This is a simple story that shows the superiority of the human body with
respect to the hands, but as human beings we have much more capabilities in
the form of speech and discriminating faculty (buddhi). We should not
undermine these faculties, but we should utilize them for the ultimate
purpose of life. According to Śrīmad Bhāgavad Purāṇa, which is the last and
topmost work of Śrī Veda Vyāsa, the purpose of life is to know the Absolute
Reality, and tattva-jijñāsa, and not just strive to accumulate wealth
throughout one’s life.
K RAJARAM IRS 51124
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On Tue, 5 Nov 2024 at 07:30, Markendeya Yeddanapudi <
[email protected]> wrote:
>
>
> We start as a zygote in our mother's womb.The zygote splices into two,two
> into four,four into eight,on and on till one becomes the baby and arrives
> in birth to the outer world.Does the splicing continue even after birth
> creating the growth of the body?Can we oldies continue the cell splicing
> with exercise and yoga.Then for how long?
> YM Sarma
>
>
>
> *Mar*In humans, cell division (mitosis) indeed continues after birth, as
> it is crucial for growth, repair, and maintenance of tissues. Here’s how
> this process unfolds across different life stages:
>
> 1. **Infancy and Childhood**: The first few years of life involve rapid
> growth. Most tissues and organs continue to grow by producing new cells
> through cell division, with growth hormones driving this process. During
> this phase, the cells undergo high rates of mitosis, contributing to
> increases in body size, height, and organ development.
>
> 2. **Adolescence**: The body undergoes another surge in growth during
> puberty. This is when hormonal changes significantly increase cell division
> rates in bones, muscles, and other tissues, leading to rapid growth in
> height and secondary sexual characteristics. Growth typically slows by the
> end of adolescence.
>
> 3. **Adulthood**: By early adulthood, most growth in height and body size
> ceases as the growth plates in bones close. However, cell division
> continues, though primarily for maintenance and repair rather than growth.
> For example, skin cells, red blood cells, and cells in the gut lining
> continuously renew throughout adulthood.
>
> 4. **Late Adulthood**: Although cell division continues lifelong, it
> decreases in rate and efficiency as we age. This decline contributes to
> slower healing and a gradual loss of muscle and tissue mass with advanced
> age. Some cells, such as neurons and muscle cells, rarely divide after a
> certain stage, relying instead on maintenance rather than regeneration.
>
> The process of **cell division continues throughout life** in most
> tissues, though its purpose shifts from growth to maintenance and repair by
> adulthood. In most individuals, growth in height typically halts in the
> late teens, though overall cellular maintenance persists until advanced age.
>
> Yes, in older adults, exercise and yoga can stimulate cell division and
> growth in certain types of cells, especially in muscle tissues, which can
> help maintain or even increase body mass to some extent. Here’s how these
> practices contribute:
>
> 1. **Muscle Hypertrophy**: Resistance training (e.g., weightlifting or
> bodyweight exercises) can stimulate muscle cell growth and increase muscle
> mass. While muscle cells don’t typically divide, they do undergo
> **hypertrophy** (increasing in size) in response to exercise, primarily due
> to increased protein synthesis and cellular adaptations within the muscle
> fibers.
>
> 2. **Stem Cell Activation**: Exercise, especially weight-bearing and
> resistance activities, activates satellite cells—muscle stem cells
> responsible for repairing and growing muscle fibers. These cells are
> limited in number but remain responsive even with age, allowing older
> adults to rebuild and grow muscle tissue to a degree.
>
> 3. **Bone Density and Growth**: Weight-bearing activities promote bone
> growth by stimulating bone-forming cells (osteoblasts), helping maintain or
> increase bone density, which can counteract age-related bone loss.
>
> 4. **Yoga and Cellular Maintenance**: Yoga and stretching exercises
> improve blood flow, oxygenation, and flexibility, promoting cellular health
> and slowing degeneration in muscle and connective tissues. Yoga also
> reduces oxidative stress, which can support cellular health by reducing
> damage to DNA and other cell structures.
>
> 5. **Hormonal Benefits**: Both resistance exercise and yoga influence the
> production of growth hormone and testosterone (even in small amounts in
> older adults), which are associated with muscle repair, cellular renewal,
> and tissue growth.
>
> While it’s challenging to induce growth comparable to that seen in youth,
> consistent exercise and yoga can help sustain and enhance cellular health,
> contributing to strength, stability, and, in some cases, moderate increases
> in muscle mass.
>
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