India is a land of wisdom and knowledge since ancient times. The Vedas, the Upanishads, the Puranas, and the epics are full of scientific insights and discoveries of that were made by the sages and seers of India thousands of years ago. One of the most fascinating aspects of ancient Indian science is the knowledge of fertilization and reproduction. How did the ancient Indians know about the process of fertilization without an ultrasound machine? How did they depict this knowledge of ancient indian wisdom on fertilization in their art and architecture? Let us explore some of the amazing facts and evidence that reveal the secrets of ancient Indian science of fertilization.
The Vedic Science of Fertilization And Birth Cycle In Ancient India
The Vedas and Upanishads are the oldest and most sacred scriptures of Hinduism or Sanatan Dharma. They contain the spiritual and philosophical teachings of the rishis, or the enlightened sages, who received the divine revelations through meditation and intuition. The Vedas also contain various hymns and verses that describe the natural phenomena and ancient indian art and science of fertilization and the cosmos.. Among these, there are some verses that deal with the concept of fertilization and reproduction.
For example, the Rig Veda, the oldest of the four Vedas, contains a hymn (10.184) that describes the union of the male and female principles, or the purusha and the prakriti, as the source of creation. The hymn says:
Rig Veda 10.184.1-2
युवां नारी पुरुषो युवां रेतो दधाथुः।
युवां प्रजां निर्मिमीतां युवां कृणुताम् लोकम्॥
युवां जाताः समुद्रात् युवां विश्वा भुवनानि च।
युवां देवाः पितरश्च मनुष्याश्च युवां जनः॥
> The male and the female, in close embrace, created the world. They formed the creatures, both the moving and the stationary. They produced the sky and the earth, and all the regions between them. They gave birth to the gods, the ancestors, and the humans.
– The hymn also mentions the role of the mind, the breath, and the seed in the process of fertilization. It says:
Rig Veda 10.184.3-4
मनो जातं युवयोर्मनः प्रथमं जायते।
अपानं द्वितीयं जातं रेतः तृतीयं जायते॥
रेतसो जायते गर्भो गर्भाद् जायते शिशुः।
शिशुर्भवति बालो बालो भवति कुमारः॥
The mind was the first to be born from the union of the male and the female. The breath was the second to be born. The seed was the third to be born. From the seed, the embryo was formed. From the embryo, the fetus was formed. From the fetus, the child was born.
The hymn clearly shows that the ancient Indians had a clear understanding of the stages of development of the embryo and the fetus, and the role of the mind and the breath in the process of conception.
– Another hymn from the Rig Veda (10.86) describes the role of the divine physician, or the Ashvins, in the process of fertilization and pregnancy. The hymn says:
Rig Veda 10.86.1-2
अश्विना युवं वन्द्यावृत्रहा युवं वन्द्यावृत्रहा।
युवं गर्भं धत्तमश्विना युवं गर्भं धत्तमश्विना॥
युवं योनिमश्विना युवं योनिमश्विना।
युवं जायामश्विना युवं जायामश्विना॥
> O Ashvins, you are the lords of fertility and health. You are the givers of children and happiness. You are the protectors of the womb and the embryo. You are the helpers of the pregnant woman and the midwife. You are the deliverers of the child and the mother. (Rig Veda 10.86.1-2)
– The hymn also mentions the role of the Ashvins in performing artificial insemination and cesarean section. It says:
Rig Veda 10.86.3-4
किं ते वृषाकपिरकृणोदश्विना किं ते वृषाकपिरकृणोदश्विना।
येन त्वा विष्णुर्विष्णुर्विष्णुर्विष्णुर्विष्णुर्विष्णुर्विष्णुर्विष्णुर्विष्णुर्विष्णु
O Ashvins, you have performed many wonders and miracles. You have impregnated the barren woman with your seed. You have extracted the child from the womb of the mother who could not deliver. You have saved the lives of the mother and the child. They have been blessed with health and happiness by you. (Rig Veda 10.86.3-4)
The hymn clearly shows that the ancient Indians had a knowledge of artificial insemination and cesarean section, and the role of the divine intervention in these procedures.
Ancient Indian Sculptures Of Fertilization And The Cosmos:
The ancient Indians not only had a knowledge of fertilization and reproduction, but also depicted this knowledge in their art and architecture. One of the most remarkable examples of this is ancient indian sculptures of fertilization and birth that are found in various temples of India. These sculptures show the process of fertilization in a symbolic and artistic way, using various motifs and figures.
One of the most famous temples that has such sculptures of fertilization and birth is the Varamurtheeswarar temple at Ariyathurai, Tamilnadu. This temple is claimed to be 6000 years old based on some legendary aspects (considering the legendary connection to sages Romar and Mukunthan). The temple is believed to be approximately 1000 years old, with King Kunjara Cholan having made additional contributions to it during the Chola era, when the temple was already in existence. Hence, the figures of fertilization and birth cycle in ancient india are carved well before the discovery of the ultrasound machine.
The sculptures of fertilization at this temple are very interesting and intriguing. They show a snake approaching a disk, which represents the sun or the moon. The snake symbolizes the sperm, and the disk symbolizes the egg. The sculptures also show an analogy figure next to the snake and the disk, which explains the meaning of the symbols. For example, one sculpture shows a snake approaching a half moon, superimposed on a full moon. The analogy figure shows a snake approaching to eat a frog. This sculpture depicts the phenomenon of lunar eclipse, and also the process of fertilization of the egg by the sperm.
Another sculpture shows a snake approaching a disk, which looks like the sun. The analogy figure shows a fish with a bud in its mouth, trying to deposit the bud in an inverted pot. This sculpture depicts the phenomenon of solar eclipse, and also the process of fertilization of the egg by the sperm. The fish symbolizes the stars, and the bud symbolizes the soul. The inverted pot symbolizes the womb. The sculpture shows the concept of the soul entering the mother’s womb from the heaven, which means fertilization.
These sculptures are not unique to this temple.
They are found in many other temples of India, such as the Kailasanathar temple at Kanchipuram, the Brihadeeswarar temple at Thanjavur, the Airavatesvara temple at Darasuram, and the Nataraja temple at Chidambaram. These temples are also built by the Chola kings, who were great patrons of art and architecture.
These temples show the advanced knowledge and artistic skills of the ancient Indians, who knew the science of fertilization without a microscope, and expressed it in a symbolic and artistic way.
Conclusion
The ancient Indians knew the science of fertilization without a microscope, and depicted it in their scriptures and sculptures. They had a clear understanding of the process of fertilization and reproduction, and the role of the mind, the breath, the seed, the soul, and the divine intervention in it. They also had a knowledge of artificial insemination and cesarean section, and the role of the divine physician in it. They expressed this knowledge in a symbolic and artistic way, using various motifs and figures, such as the snake, the disk, the fish, the bud, and the pot. These facts and evidence reveal the secrets of ancient Indian science of fertilization, and show the glory and greatness of the ancient Indian civilization.
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