Canto XI - Conversation between the father and son (continued)

Sumati (Jaḍa) explains how living beings are conceived and born, and mentions the evils of all existence.

The son spoke:

“Now human impregnation^[1] of women is a seed sown in darkness; immediately it is discharged it sets out from Naraka or Svarga. Dominated thereby the two seeds attain firmness, O father! and next the character of a speck—of a globule—of a ball of flesh. As there may be a minute seed in the ball of flesh, so it is called a germ. So the five limbs up-grow according to their parts; and the minor limbs also, the fingers, the eyes, the nose, the month, and the ears, grow out of the limbs; similarly the nails and other features grow out of them. In the skin is developed the hair of the body, and afterwards the hair of the head. The womb verily increases in size equally with it. Just as the cocoa-nut enlarges together with its shell, so it grows in size. The womb is situated with its month downwards. But at the bottom of the womb the foetus develops, placing itṣ hands on either side of the knees: and its thumbs are placed upon the knees, and its finger in front of them; behind the knees are the eyes, and between the knees is the nose; and the buttocks rest on the heels; the arms and legs lie outside.

“In this way gradually grows the human being, when contained in a woman’s womb: in the womb of other creatures, the position of the fœtus corresponds to its form. The gastric fluid^[2] renders it firm. It lives on the food and drink taken by its mother. Thus the gestation of a living creature is meritorious, and constitutes a means of obtaining merit. Also the cord, which is called Āpyāyanī, is fixed in its navel, and it becomes fixed in the belly of women. As women’s food and drink penetrate into their womb, the fœtus increases in size, its body being nourished thereby.

“Numerous matters of its transmigrations occur to its memory; hence distressed on this side and on that it becomes dispirited, thinking, ‘Never again will I thus act, when once I am delivered from this womb; assuredly I will so strive that I do not again undergo conception.’ Thus it meditates, recollecting the hundreds of pains attending existence, which have been experienced aforetime, and which spring from destiny.

“Afterwards in the course of time the fœtus turns round with its face downwards, since it is horn in the ninth or tenth month. While it is being expelled, it is pained by the wind of the prajāpatis, and it is expelled wailing, being pained at heart by its sufferings. And when expelled from the belly, it falls into an intolerable swoon; and it gains consciousness when it comes into contact with the air. Thereupon Viṣṇu’s magical power, which effaces consciousness, assails it; its soul being stupefied thereby, it loses its knowledge.

“Thereafter the human being, bereft of knowledge, enters on childhood; and afterwards on boyhood, youth and mature age; and again the human being undergoes death, and so birth. Hence he revolves in this round of mundane existence, like the jar and rope at a well.

“Sometimes a man reaches Svarga, sometimes Niraya; and sometimes the dead man goes to Naraka and Svarga. Sometimes indeed re-born here, he obtains the consequences of his own actions; and sometimes the man who has consumed the consequences of his actions, passes at death with a very small remainder. And hence he is sometimes born here with a scanty stock of good and evil, having almost consumed them in heaven^[3] and in hell,^[4] O brāhman! In the hells there is this very great suffering that the dwellers in Svarga are visible thence, O father; and the denizens of hell rejoice,^[5] as they are hurled down. Even in Svarga there is an unparalleled pain in that from the very time of ascension there this thought revolves in one’s mind, ‘I shall fall from hence’: and from viewing the hells great suffering is felt; day and night one is cheerless, thinking ‘I shall go this course.’ One who is being born has great suffering in remaining in the womb; and after birth one has suffering in childhood and old age. The connexion also between desire envy and anger is grievous to bear in youth; and old age is almost all suffering; the heaviest suffering lies in death. Both for him who is borne off by Tama’s messengers, and for him who is hurled down to the hells, there are again destined both conception, and birth, death and hell.

“So in this round of mundane existence creatures revolve about, like the jar and rope at the well; and having been bound with the fetters of nature, they are bound repeatedly. No pleasure is there a whit, O father, in this world crowded with hundreds of pains; why then should I in striving for emancipation from existence observe the three branches of religion?”

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

For niṣekam mānavcim read niṣeko mānavaḥ?

[2]:

Agni; or, the digestive faculty.

[3]:

Svar-loka

[4]:

Naraka

[5]:

For modante read sīdante ?