सङ्गीतरत्नाकर: प्रथम भाग (शार्ङ्गदेव - स्वरगताध्याय सविस्तार व्याख्या व अनुवाद सहित)

34 Treatment of Svara
through¹⁰ the words of the veda-s. (14)
By his¹¹ command Brahmā created through¹² his
mind, the Prajapati-s¹³, and from them the seminal¹⁴
creation of bodies is being expounded.¹⁵
in the context that Brahman, as conditioned by the five universal
elements created Brahmā, the progenitor of all the beings and the
physical world inhabited by them. However, the Veda proclaims Virāj
to be the first progeny of Puruṣa; Tasmād Virāḍajāyata (Rv. 10.90.5).
But then in vedic mythology, Brahmā possibly has no such place. Thus
obviously, our author has synthesised the concept of Virāj and Brahmā
in this doctrine. In this context Brahman is not differentiated from
Virāj, which has been spoken of as Saguṇa-brahman in the puranic
parlance. Indeed, perhaps that is why 'S' has equated Brahman of this
verse with Īśvara of the vedānta philosophy.
10. The creation takes place through the word, as codified in the
vedas. The vedas in the Indian tradition are considered to
be 'apauruṣeya', i.e., literally, beyond human authorship. Since
creation and dissolution in the author's view form a unitary
movement, the creation takes place through the word of the
vedas which, through the process of association give rise to
the form as ideas in the universal mind, which then creates
the world according to those ideas, the latent seeds.
11. That is, Virāj; it is notable that here 'K' also interprets it as
such.
12. That is, by his will power.
13. Literally, the word prajāpati means the lord of creatures,
of all the created beings. There have been many prajāpati-s
and their number differs from seven to twenty-one, according
to different accounts. Prajāpati originally seems to be a god
of the vedic hymns who was later raised to the status similar
to that of Brahmā in the sūtra-s. But later in the purāṇa-s, the
word prajāpati became more or less an appellation of the
founders of the great dynasties such as Marīci, Atri, Aṅgiras,
Pulastya, etc. However, in the present context prajāpati-s are
conceived as the mental progeny of the creator, Brahmā.
14. Retas, literally means 'semen', but the expression is metaphorical
and signifies the product of copulation, i. e., the creation that
takes place as a result of the opposites coming together.
Section 2 : The Genesis of the Human Embodiment 35
(vii) भौतिकदेहभेदाः
स्वेदोद्भेदजरायुण्डहेतुभेदाच्चतुर्विधम् ।
देहं यूकाऽऽदिनः स्वेदादुद्भेदात्तु लताऽऽदिनः ॥१६॥
जरायोर्मानुषादीनामण्डात्तु विहगादिनः ।
(viii) मानुषदेहाभिधाने हेतुः
तत्र नादोपयोगित्वान्मानुषं देहमुच्यते ॥१७॥
(vii) Types of physical bodies : 16-17b
The body is of four types, depending on the nature of
its cause, viz., sweat, sprout, womb¹ and egg; such as louse
etc., from sweat, creeper etc., from the sprout, human being
etc., from the womb and birds etc., from the egg.² (16-17b)
(viii) The purpose of dealing with the human body: 17cd
Of the above (four), the human body¹, being suitable
for (the manifestation of) nāda is dealt with (here). (17cd)
The Āyurvedic classification of the manifestation of life is substan-
tially different and quite comprehensive. It comprehends life under
three main heads, viz., jaṅgama (animals), audbhid (plants) and pārthiva
(minerals). The jaṅgama (animal class) is subdivided into jarāyuja,
aṇḍaja, svedaja (all the three given in the text) and udbhijja, the last of
which comprises of animals in hybernation etc. that remain unmanifest
for a certain period of time concealed in the soil, and develop only
during particular seasonal conditions. The author has identified the
vegetable kingdom with udbheda rather than the fourth category of
animals spoken of in the Āyurvedic tradition. The inclusion of creepers
etc. under types of bodies does not seem to be as scientific as the udbhijja
class of Āyurveda. The author's classification, however, appears to
follow the puranic tradition.

1. The word jarāyu of the text precisely means the outer layer
   of foetus, and technically refers to the viviparous creatures.
2. Ad. ed of S. R. reads "aṇḍatta" instead of "aṇḍattu" wherein
   tu seems to have been used as a conjunctive.
3. That is why the author has introduced this section on human
   embodiment in a musical treatise. Also, this provides the
   reason for dealing with the human body only from out of the
   four types.

36 Treatment of Svara
(ix) जीवस्य गर्भाशयेऽवतरणम्
क्षेत्रज्ञः स्थित आकाशे आकाशाद्वायुमागतः ।
वायोर्धूमं ततश्चाभ्रमभ्रान्मेघे ऽवतिष्ठते ॥१८॥
आहृत्य ऽऽप्यायितो प्रस्तरसो ग्रीष्मे च भानुभिः ।
भानुर्मेघे घनरसं निधत्ते तं वलाहकः ॥१९॥
यदा वर्षति वर्षेण सह जीवस्तदा भुवः ।
वनस्पत्योषधीर्जाताः संक्रामत्यविलक्षितः ॥२०॥
ताम्यो ऽन्नं जातमनं तत्पुरुषैः शुक्लतां गतम् ।
शुद्धार्तवाया योषाय निषिक्तं स्मरमन्दिरे ॥२१॥
सहार्तवेन शुद्धं चेद्गर्भाशयगतं भवेत् ।
जीवकर्मप्रेरितं तद् गर्भमारभते तदा ॥२२॥
(ix) The descent of jīva into the womb : 18-22
The self-aware¹ intelligence, the resident² of ether,
descends into air; and from air into smoke, from smoke into
The embodied self, i. e., the self-aware intelligence, has already
been spoken of as having two bodies, subtle and gross. Here the pro-
cess of the physical, i. e., gross embodiment is being described, and
therefore, the thought-body is taken for granted to be existent in the
form of etheric vibrations as the residue of past incarnation of the
individual self or soul who is called kṣetrajña, which signifies intelligence
involved in the self-conscious individual being.

1. The word kṣetrajña of the text literally means the knower of
   the field, i. e., the observer, the witness of the field of con-
   sciousness. The word kṣetra also means an abode: so, by
   implication the word signifies the body. Kṣetrajña thus means
   the soul or intelligence as conditioned by self-consciousness; and
   here, the word is used in this technical sense. cf. Bh. Gītā XII.
   1 & 2. "This organism, oh! Arjuna, is named as kṣetra (the
   field); and the one who is aware of it is called as kṣetrajña (the
   perceiver of the field) by the experts." (13.1)
   Thus kṣetra and kṣetrajña may roughly be understood as
   the field of consciousness and consciousness subsisting in the
   awareness of the field. The deeper significance of these terms
   would be clear from the next verse.
   "Oh, Arjuna, understand that I am the kṣetrajña (intelli-
   gence) in all the kṣetra-s (organisms). The comprehension of
   the body and the soul is considered to be my knowledge."
2. It is assumed that thought body is made of subtle matter in
   Section 2 : The Genesis of the Human Embodiment 37
   cloud-formation³ and from the cloud-formation into the
   cloud. (18)
   The sun, being satiated⁴ by the oblations and surround-
   ed by vapours drawn by its rays in the summer,⁵ confines
   the waters in the clouds. When the clouds release the waters,
   the self-conscious intelligent being,⁶ descending with the
   showers, transfers itself imperceptibly⁷ to the terrestrial
   growth of trees and herbs. This⁸ (vegetation) becomes food;
   and when eaten by men, is transformed into semen; which,
   being sprinkled in the temple⁹ of love in the body of a young
   The process of the descent of the thought-embodied intelligence
   into the physical human organism follows the general pattern of the
   evolution of the five great elements, viz., from ether to air, from air to
   fire as associated with smoke, and from fire to water as associated with
   cloud, and from water to earth, through vegetation. Having entered
   the vegetation it remains a matter of course for it to reach an appro-
   priate womb for its physical encasement.
3. Abhra of the text signifies a cloud-formation devoid of water,
   so to say, a combination of smoke, light and air, while Megha
   signifies the cloud proper full of water.
4. In the Indian tradition the sun is offered oblations in the
   sacrificial fire. The gods, in this view, have nothing to eat in
   their heavenly abode and have to be nourished through the
   sacrificial oblations offered by human beings.
5. This is significant in the context of Indian climate. The sun
   is supposed to draw the waters of the Indian ocean in
   summer through the sun's rays that fall directly upon it and
   collect them in the clouds, and this is a statement of a geo-
   graphical fact, the phenomenon of monsoon.
6. Jīva is conceived to be pure intelligence conditioned by self-
   consciousness.
7. Since consciousness is not an object of sense perception, the
   the journey of the soul from the thought body to the physical
   body is imperceptible outwardly
8. What is notable here is that the self-aware intelligence or, in
   other terms, the individual soul can never keep an identity
   without a physical vehicle. So in fact the whole journey is a
   process of the movement from a purely ideal body to a
   physical one. Thus it is also a process of evolution or mani-
   festation from the subtle to the gross. Food also is a vehicle
   for the self-enclosed consciousness and so is semen into which
   it is transformed.
9. The temple of love spoken of here refers metaphorically to the
   vagina.

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38 Treatment of Svara
ग. पिण्डोत्पत्तावायुर्वेदानुसारि निरूपणम्
(i) गर्भस्य वृद्धिक्रमः
द्रवत्वं प्रथमे मासि कललाख्यं प्रजायते ।
द्वितीये तु घनः पिण्डः पेशीषढ्नमर्बुदम् ॥२३॥
पुंस्त्रीनपुंसकानां स्युः प्रागवस्थाः क्रमादिमाः ।
तृतीये त्वङ्कुराः पञ्च कराङ्घ्रिशिरसो मताः ॥२४॥
woman in her proper course¹⁰, on entering the uterus, if¹¹
pure, unites with ovum: and then, being¹² impelled by the
accumulated residual action of the individual, it begins to
develop into the foetus. (19-22).
C. Genesis : The physiological viewpoint
(i) The development of the embryo : 23-41
In the first month a gelatinous substance (called kalala)
comes into being; in the second a hardened mass in the form
Now, the author goes on to describe the various stages through which
the embryo develops during the entire period of pregnancy and connect-
ed matters. From a comparative study of the monumental works of
Indian medicine and surgery by Caraka and Suśruta, it appears that our
10. Literally, śuddhārtava means pure menstrual discharge. This
refers to the suitable period of the monthly course, i. e., the
particular days after the menses, considered as opportune for
the union of the sperm and the ovum. But, more than that,
the śuddhārtava of the text refers to the ideal physical fitness
of a woman for conceiving a child. The test for the required
purity of the blood of the menstrual flow as quoted by 'K' is
that it should be of the colour, as red as the solution of lac or
its spots on cloth should be capable of being washed clean.
The word ārtava technically means the catamenial fluid.
11. The semen should also be of a certain standard. As, 'K'
quotes, semen to be fit for procreating should be strong,
heavy, viscous, sweet and profuse.
12. According to the Hindu view of life, fertilisation of a sperm
and an ovum is not a mechanical process, but the soul destin-
ed to be embodied in the foetus is the intelligent force guided
by its residual action (Karma), without which no conception
can materialise.

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Section 2 : The Genesis of the Human Embodiment 39
अङ्गप्रत्यङ्गभागाश्च सूक्ष्माः स्युर्युगपत्तदा ।
विहाय श्मश्रुदन्तादीञ्जन्मानन्तरसंभवान् ॥२५॥
एषा प्रकृतिरन्या तु विकृतिः संमता सताम् ।
चतुर्थे व्यक्ता तेषां भावानामपि जायते ॥२६॥
पुंसां शौर्यादयो भावा भीरुत्वाद्यास्तु योषिताम् ।
नपुंसकानां संकीर्णा भवन्तीति प्रचक्षते ॥२७॥
मातृजं चास्य हृदयं विषयानभिकाङ्क्षति ।
अतो मातुर्मनोऽभीष्टं कुर्याद्गर्भसमृद्धये ॥२८॥
तां च द्विहृदयां नारीमाहुर्दौहृदिनीं बुधाः ।
अदानाद्दोहदानां स्युर्गर्भस्य व्यङ्गताऽऽतयः ॥२९॥
मातुर्यद्विषयालाभास्तदार्तो जायते सुतः ।
गर्भः स्यादर्थवान्भोगी दोहदाद्राजदर्शने ॥३०॥
अलङ्कारेषु ललितो धर्मिष्ठस्तापसाश्रमे ।
देवतादर्शने भक्तो हिंस्रो भुजगदर्शने ॥३१॥
गोधाऽशने तु निद्रालुर्बली गोमांसभक्षणे ।
माहिषे शुकरक्ताक्षं लोमशं सूयते सुतम् ॥३२॥
प्रबुद्धं पञ्चमे चित्तं मांसशोणितपुष्टता ।
षष्ठे ऽस्थिस्नायुनखरकेशरोमविविक्तता ॥३३॥
बलवणौ चोपचितौ सप्तमे त्वङ्गपूर्णता ।
पाल्यन्तरितहस्ताभ्यां श्रोत्ररन्ध्रे विधाय सः ॥३४॥
उद्विग्नो गर्भवासादास्ते गर्भाशयान्वितः ।
स्मरन्पूर्वानुभूताः स नानाजातीश्च यातनाः ॥३५॥
मोक्षोपायमभिध्यायन्वर्तते ऽभ्यासतत्परः ।
अष्टमे त्वक्स्मृती स्यातामोजश्चेतच्च हृद्द्रवम् ॥३६॥
शुद्धमापीतरक्तं च निमित्तं जीविते मतम् ।
पुनरम्बां पुनर्गर्भं चञ्चलं तत्प्रधावति ॥३७॥

40 Treatment of Svara
अतो जातो ऽष्टमे मासि न जीवत्योजसोज्झितः ।
किंचित्कालमवस्थानं संस्कारात्खण्डिताङ्गवत् ॥३८॥
समयः प्रसवस्य स्यान्मासेषु नवमादिषु ।
मातृ रसवहां नाडीमनुबद्धा पराऽभिधा ॥३९॥
नाभिस्थनाडी गर्भस्य मात्राहाररसावहा ।
कृताञ्जलिर्ललाटे ऽसौ मातृपृष्ठमभि स्थितः ॥४०॥
अध्यास्ते संकुचद्गात्रो गर्भ दक्षिणपार्श्वगः ।
वामपार्श्वस्थिता नारी क्लीबं मध्यस्थितं मतम् ॥४१॥
of a ball¹, a tendon² or an egg³, indicative of the prelimi-
nary stage of the male, female and a eunuch respectively.
In the third month emerge the five⁴ organic⁵ seedlings, viz.,
hands, feet and the head. (23-24)
author, who is known to be a medical practitioner himself, has based
this Section of his work mainly on these two authorities, though he also
seems to have consulted subsequent literature on the subject. Therefore
parallel references are offered here for a detailed and authoritative study

1. Piṇḍa of the text corresponds to a lump which is stated by 'K'
   to be round. 'S' connects piṇḍa with peśī and interprets that,
   if the piṇḍa, in the sense of a lump of flesh, is like a peśī, then
   it is indicative of a male issue; and consequently further he
   interprets īṣadghana, i.e , 'slightly in a solid condition' to be
   indicative of a female child; and arbudam, i.e., 'like a bud of
   a tamarind tree' to be indicative of neutral gender. But obvi-
   ously this construction does not seem to be correct, specially
   in the light of Suśruta and Caraka.
2. Peśī is not in so solid a condition as to form a lump. So it is
   like a muscle more or less. K.R. says, peśī is a square piece.
   The word peśī also means foetus shortly after conception.
3. Arbudam : 'K' asserts that arbudam is of the shape of a bud of
   tamarind tree according to the physicians. The word literally,
   in this context, means a long round mass, tumor like; but here,
   it has been used in a technical sense.
4. Two hands, two feet and the head, technically make the five.
   However, as suggested by 'K', the seedling of the head in-
   cludes the neck, two eyes, two nostrils, two ears, etc. as its
   parts; the seedling for hands includes, shoulders, elbow, wrist
   fingers, wrist, etc. and the seedling for feet includes thighs,
   knees, legs. ankles, toes etc.
5. Aṅkura of the text literally means a sprout or a seedling but
   Section 2 : The Genesis of the Human Embodiment 41
   Apart from the beard, teeth and the like, that grow
   after the birth, an imperceptible⁶ and simultaneous develop-
   ment⁷ takes place in all the limbs, sub-organs and their parts.
   This is the natural course⁸, while anything contrary to it is
   considered by the wise to be unnatural⁹. (25-26 b)
   In the fourth (month) these (organs) are distinctly
   developed; and so also the mental states¹⁰ come into being,
   such as valour among men, timidity among women and
   of the particular topics dealt with in this Section. Obviously,
   Śārṅgadeva has been not only very precise but also very brief in his
   presentation, as indeed he everywhere is, throughout his entire work.
   In the first month the sperm as united with the ovum forms into a
   jelly-like substance in a liquid condition, the five elements of which,
   under the impact of cold, heat and wind solidify in the second month
   into a mass. This mass, according to our author, forms in three shapes,
   viz. a ball-like round shape, a tendon like oblong, and an egg like oval
   shape, each of which indicates respectively the masculine, feminine and
   the neuter gender. This is the rudimentary stage and the sex of the
   embryo can, on this basis, be distinguished even in the second month.
   This view is based on Caraka and Suśruta (cf., Śā. Sthā 4.9 10 and
   3.18-19 respectively).
   In the third month five protuberances appear in the solidified
   mass of flesh at the five places where the five organs have to be, while
   the minor limbs and their parts are formed in the shape of very minute
   papillae (cf., Caraka Śā. Sthā. 4.11 and Suśruta Śā. Sthā. 3.20).
   In the fourth month all the limbs and the organs and parts thereof
   are fully developed. Since the viscus of the heart too is developed and
6. The process of growth is slow and uniform, that is why it is
   said to be imperceptible.
7. That is, the entire growth takes place as soon as the seedlings
   have sprouted.
8. Prakṛti is natural disposition or tendency, so uniform develop-
   ment is the natural course of growth.
9. Vikṛti is deformation, any development that takes place
   contrary to the order of nature with respect to the process of
   growth in the viviparous animals.
10. 'K' interprets the word bhāva, here, in the sense of latent ten-
    dency; obviously, latent in the causal body and manifesting
    itself now in the physical body. Bhāva is a state of being, a
    subject in relationship with a situation.

42 Treatment of Svara
indistinctness¹¹ among hermaphrodites; that is, how it is
said.¹² (26c-27)
The heart of the embryo is a product of its mother¹³
and so it craves for enjoyment.¹⁴ Therefore the wishes of the
mother should be respected¹⁵ for the growth¹⁶ of the
foetus. (28)
the heart is considered to be the seat of consciousness, the embryo is
endowed with feeling, so much so that the desire for enjoyment is
awakened in it, which operates through the longing of the mother (cf.,
Suśruta Śā. Sthā. 3.21). Our author is suggesting that the embryo is
capable of mental states such as valour and timidity. But these are
taken as examples, what is important to note is that it is the fourth
month itself that endows the embryo with consciousness and craving for
experience.
The heart of the embryo is fashioned after the heart of the mother
as the author tells subsequently (verse 45) in this Section and here too.
The word heart is symbolic of the faculty of conation, of feeling and will,
of emotion and desire. 'K' interprets the text to mean that the heart
of the embryo as well as that of the mother beat in unison; they form a
unity, analogous to that of the twins. So the enceinte is named twin-
hearted. The cravings of the mother and the child are related in identity
11. The word saṅkīrṇa of the text literally, in this context, means
'petty', undeveloped, closed, i. e., devoid of manly or womanly
predilections.
12. Obviously, the author is not sure of the scientific basis for
this concept, so he attributes it to the general opinion as it
was prevalent.
13. According to 'K' the heart of the embryo (as well as of the
mother, the two being one in essence) desires, craves for
particular sensations. Literally, the text reads "its heart is a
product of its mother."
14. Viṣayān of the text literally means sense objects. The embryo
cannot possibly have a longing for the sense objects, for he
does not perceive them. So it is the heart of the mother
enjoined to that of the embryo that desires sense objects.
But indeed, since the embryo is endowed with consciousness
it is supposed to have longings for particular sensations which
the mother can relate to particular sense objects by intuition
or the suggestions of the subconscious mind.
15. That is, as far as possible the wishes of an enceinte should be
fulfilled.
16. Saṁṛddhi of the text literally means enrichment, i. e., physical
and mental growth, i. e., development.

Section 2 : The Genesis of the Human Embodiment 43
Such a woman with two hearts (as it were) is called
twin-hearted by the wise. If the wishes of pregnancy¹⁷ are
not respected, deformity of organs may occur in the embryo;
for whatever is denied to the enceinte becomes a cause of
discomfort¹⁸ to it (the embryo).¹⁹ (29-30b)
If the pregnancy wish²⁰ pertains to royal audience,
the child²¹ would be wealthy, reveller of enjoyments and
fond of ornamentation²², if it pertains to visiting a hermit-
age, the child would be of righteous disposition; if it pertains
to visiting a temple²³, the child would be a devotee (of
and therefore the unfulfilled desires of the enceinte (pregnant woman)
are likely, not only to cause mental complications in her mind, but those
complexes react on the consciousness of the embryo, so much so that the
nongratification of any desire for a particular sensation during gestation
tends to adversely affect that particular sense organ of the child (cf,
Suśruta Śā. Sthā. 3.21). The fulfilment of such desires is conducive to
a healthy progeny.
There is a very close relationship between the mother and the foe-
tus, and this relationship is not only physiological but also psychological;
this latter aspect is sought to be demonstrated by detailing the effect of
17. Dohada of the text technically. means the wishes of an enceinte,
and the objects of those wishes are also called Dohada-s.
18. The text literally interpreted would mean 'By whatever (object
of enjoyment) the mother is deprived, the child born is ill-
formed by it (i. e., not properly developed with reference to
that particular sense organ).
19. Literally translated, it is the 'son', for a male issue is generally
desired.
20. The longings and wishes of the enceinte during the period of
gestation have been named as 'pregnancy wishes', i.e., the
dohada-s of the text.
21. Lit. the son.
22. K.R. translates the first line of verse 31 as—"(If she spends
her time) in the hermitage of sage, (he will be) indifferent to
ornaments and devoted to virtue", obviously, he construes
'alaṁkāreṣu lalitaḥ' with 'dharmiṣṭhastāpasāśrame'. It is, however,
not clear why it can be so construed.
23. Devatā-darśana of the text literally means a desire for being in
direct communion with a deity. In view of the widespread
image worship in India, obviously the desire can only pertain
to visiting the deity as represented by an idol in a temple.
The word darśana, in India, is used in the most profound sense
of communion, as well as, 'having a look at'.

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44 Treatment of Svara
God); if it pertains to seeing a snake, the child would be
violent in nature; if it pertains to eating (the flesh of) an
alligator²⁴, the child would be addicted to sleep; if it per-
tains to eating beef, the child would be strong, if it pertains
to eating buffalo meat, the child²⁵ would have red eyes like
those of a parrot and a hairy body. (30c-32)
The consciousness awakens in the fifth (month) and
there is sufficient addition to flesh and blood. In the sixth
(month) the bones, sinews²⁶ nails, hair on the head and the
limbs²⁷ appear distinctly and there is an augmentation of
energy²⁸ and complexion. In the seventh (month) the com-
pletion of organs takes place. (33-34b)
the mental conditions, desires, and longings of the enceinte during the
period of gestation on the nature of the child after its birth. Much of
what has been said seems to be based on Suśruta with minor variations
(cf., Śā. Sthā. 3. 26-34), where it is suggested towards the end of this
topic that the pregnancy wishes of the enceinte are not so much due to
the personal disposition of the mother, as due to the cumulative effect of
the incomplete action (karma) of the child in previous lives.
In the fifth month, the thought body is revived and intelligence
begins to function through the mind. In other words, there is an
awakening of consciousness in terms of self-awareness. According to 'K'
the inner instrument, i.e., the mind which was dormant, opens upto
the movement of life, i.e., becomes sensitive. When this particular
statement (33ab) is read in conjunction with verse no. 35, it becomes
24. The dictionary meaning of the word godhā is alligator. But
K.R. has rendered it as 'wheat', which does not seem to be
very significant, since wheat forms a staple food, more or
less for all; and moreover it is difficult to say how he derives
this meaning.
25. Again literally, the text would mean 'the son'.
26. The dictionary meaning of the word snāyu is tendon, sinew,
muscle. 'K' interprets it as sūkṣma śirā. Śirā generally stands
for any tubular vessel but specifically for vein: thus, he means
a subtle vein Sinew is a fibrous tissue uniting muscle to bone.
It seems that even 'K' means sinew by his subtle vein.
27. Keśa and roma are hair on the head, and all over the body,
respectively. Probably we do not have separate words to
indicate this difference in English.
28. Ojas of the text not only means physical strength but also
vigour or energy in general, including splendour consequent
upon a full bloom of the organism.

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Section 2 : The Genesis of the Human Embodiment 45
The embryo, with the cavities of ears covered by its
hands held in-between the two thighs, being afflicted by its
stay in the environment of the womb, recalls the experiences
of past lives along with the torments of various types, and
contemplating²⁹ the means of freedom, remains self-absorbed.
(34c-36b)
Skin and memory³⁰ develop in the eighth month.
Ojas³¹ the essence of vitality, pure and of yellowish red hue,
clear that the author points out the psychological process of the revival
of the thought body, the subtle vehicle that survives the death of the
gross body but remains inactive till the fifth month of gestation. It is
said, as it is implied in the text that, the individual soul witnesses the
revival of the experiences, the torments and the unfulfilled desires of
past lives and slowly gains self-awareness. Being self-aware, the self-
conscious individual tired of remaining in the closed atmosphere of
foetus, contemplates upon the means of release from the womb; and thus,
cooperates with the mother in her mental disposition of delivering the
child safely (cf., Caraka Śā. Sthā. 4.21-23 and Suśruta Śā. Sthā.
3.33-37).
Incidentally, the author also reveals the position of the embryo at
this stage of the development in the womb, which, as 'K' points out, is
upside down with limbs drawn in, the ear-cavities being covered by
hands held in-between the two thighs.
It is worthwhile to compare this period of gestation as dealt with
by Caraka and Suśruta (cf., Śā.Sthā. 4. 21-23 and 3.35-37 respectively).
For the fifth month, Caraka agrees only as far as addition to flesh and
blood is spoken of, and maintains that the enceinte feels languor parti-
cularly in this month. According to him, this process continues in the
sixth month on a greater scale. In the seventh month the foetus is
complete in all the elements physical as well as psychological, and the
enceinte feels greatly fatigued. Suśruta speaks of mental awakening in
the fifth month and the development of the intellect in the sixth month,
while in the seventh, all the organs and the suborgans of the body are
fully and distinctly developed.
29. The line 36ab of the text has been translated with the under-
lying idea in view.
30. 'S' reads as tvakśruti instead of tvaksmṛti which is a text
variant The significance of this reading has been related
above.
31. 'S' explains ojas as an essential element, while 'K' explains it

46 Treatment of Svara
residing in the heart³² and considered to be the sustaining
force of life, being unstable, fluctuates rapidly in-between the
mother and the foetus; that is why the eighth month issue,
being deprived of the life-force, does not survive³³; and if it
does for a while, it is due to the force of momentum, like a
dismembered limb. (36c-38)
Thus, the author seems to have relied on these sources put together
as far as the physiological details of embryology are concerned. But
he has supplemented this account with the essentials of corresponding
purāṇic tradition (cf., Srimad-bhāgavatam III. 31) as far as the psycholo-
gical and the philosophical aspects of the origin and development of the
life-principle are concerned.
The author has already spoken of complexion in the sixth month
and of past recollections in the seventh month; thus, under the circum-
stance, ‘K’ raises the question as to why he once again speaks of the skin
and memory; and then he offers to explain that, in the eighth month the
skin becomes compact and thick and memory brings in the element of
choice, i.e., the operation of will. However, ‘S’reads śruti instead of
smṛti. He therefore interprets that the embryo is able to listen to
outside sounds, and he rather warns us not to identify śruti with the
sense of hearing.
In the āyurvedic system, ojas is considered to be the principle of
vital warmth and action throughout the body. It is difficult to identify
this life-principle in terms of modern anatomy. However, the statement
of the author is well-supported by Caraka and Suśruta (cf., Śā. Sthā.
4 24 & 3.38 respectively). ‘K’ elucidates ojas as ‘bright pithy,
substance’ which is said to be pure in so far as it is not vitiated by
the impurities of the atmosphere outside the body. It is slightly of
yellowish tinge on a red base, and is produced by and resides in the
heart; its function is to regulate and to support the movement of the
vital breath in the body. The purport of the text is that in the eighth
month the life principle, i.e., the vital force that regulates the flow of
the vital breath, becomes unsteady and alternately moves from the
embryo. Consequently, as explained by ‘K’, if the child is born in the
eighth month while the vital force is residing with the mother, the
32. Produced by the heart in the sense that it resides in the
heart, according to ‘K’.
33. That the eighth month issue does not live, does not necessarily
imply the completion of the 8th month for the child to live,
but implies rather the death of either the child or the mother
as explained above.
Section 2 : The Genesis of the Human Embodiment
The parturition³⁴ takes place after the ninth³⁵ month
commences. (39 ab)
• The placenta³⁶ of the foetus is joined to the lymphatic
vessels³⁷ of the mother by the umbilical cord, through
child dies as soon as it is born; but if the vital force is with the child
at the time of delivery, it is the mother who dies; and in case the
vital force is in transit, both the mother and the child may not survive.
‘K.R.’ finds in this statement a probable explanation of still birth. To
a possible objection that sometimes the eighth month issues are also
observed to be alive for some time after their birth, the author offers
an explanation: just as when a limb is cut off from the body, it keeps
on throbbing for sometime due to the momentum of the breath left in
it, so also the child born in the eighth month, even though devoid of
the vital force in its entirety, yet lives for sometime, its organism having
been vitalised by it shortly before the delivery; in other words, it lives
till the momentum of the vital force lasts.
What is the normal time for the delivery of the child, is the ques-
tion considered here. Delivery, according to our author, may normally
take place any time after the ninth month commences. The expression
navamādi in the text implies, as noted by ‘K’, that it may even take place
in the tenth or in the eleventh month as well. This contention seems to
be supported by Suśruta (cf., Śā. Sthā. 3.39) who even visualises the
possibility of parturition taking place in the twelfth month in exception-
al cases, beyond which he declares it to be indicative of something
wrong. Caraka too seems to be of the same opinion (cf., Sa. Sthā.
4.25). He says that the ninth month would commence even after one
day upon the completion of the eighth month, and that the delivery can
take place normally from the ninth to the twelfth month, beyond which
something wrong must be inferred. Obviously all agree as to the mini-
mum period of gestation, which is eight completed months.
34. The delivery of the child.
35. Navamādi of the text implies literally beginning with the ninth
month (from conception).
36. Placenta is defined in the dictionary as, flattened circular
spongy vascular organ in higher mammals, expelled in partu-
rition after nourishing foetus which is attached to it by umbi-
lical cord. Parā-nāḍī is identified with placenta.
37. Rasavahā nāḍī etymologically means the vein or artery carrying
assimilated food.

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48 Treatment of Svara
which the essence of lymph-chyle³⁸ produced from the assi-
milated food of the mother enters into its organism.
(39c-40b)
With hands folded⁴⁰ over the forehead and the limbs
flexed⁴¹, the embryo stays by the mother's back. As it is
believed, if it is in the right side of the womb, it is a male⁴²,
if in the left side, a female and if in the centre, a herma-
phrodite. (40c-41)
Here, the process by which the foetus is nourished is described,
though not in sufficient detail. The translation of this passage presents
the essential fact. Literally rendered the text would read:—
"The mother's rasavaha nāḍī is joined to the parā-nāḍī that origi-
nates from the navel and carries mother's assimilated food to the foetus."
Suśruta (Śā. Sthā. 3.40) reads in substance as under—"The umbilical
cord (nāḍī) 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 (dhamanī) of its maternal body which carry the lymph-chyle
(rasa) and run laterally and longitudinally in all directions tend to foster
the foetus with their own transudation all through its continuance in
the womb."³⁹
The author is describing here, the position of the embryo in the
parturient's womb and the process of parturition. As regards the position
of the embryo in the womb and its relationship to the sex of the child,
it appears that the author is referring to a generally accepted idea as it
is implied by his expression 'matam'.
38. Rasa, in this context, means the solution of the assimilated food.
39. Reproduced from Eng. trans. by Kaviraja Kunjalal Bhishag-
ratna, M.R.A.S. Vol. II, pub. Chowkhamba Sanskrit Series
Office, Varanasi, India.
40. Folded in the posture of salutation.
41. The limbs are not stretched but are contracted and drawn in
together, flexed.
42. The sense is implied in the text.

Page 49

Section 2 : The Genesis of the Human Embodiment 49
(ii) बालकस्य जन्म
क्रियते ऽधःशिराः सूतिमारुतः प्रबलेस्ततः ।
निःसार्यते रुजद्गात्रो यन्त्रच्छिद्रेण बालकः ॥४२॥
(iii) जीवस्य नित्यता (अनुमिता)
जातमात्रस्य तस्याथ प्रवृत्तिः स्तन्यगोचरा ।
प्राग्जन्मबोधसंस्कारादिति जीवस्य नित्यता ॥४३॥
(ii) The birth of the child: 42
As it is turned upside down by the strong force of the
parturition¹-winds it² is ejected through the vagina, its limbs
being afflicted (through the passage). (42)
(iii) The eternity of Jīva (inferred): 43
Immediately (after the birth), the newborn baby has
the tendency of sucking at the breast due to the psychologi-
cal impressions of past life, and this incidentally proves the
immortality of the soul. (43)
The author draws our attention to the inborn tendency of the
newborn baby to suck at the mother's breast. The question is, who
trains or educates and informs the baby to perform this act. It is almost
instinctive and mechanical. The author therefore infers, by deduction,
the habit built up in the past lives, and thereby he concludes that the
death of the physical organism does not mean the total annihilation of
the individual. Obviously, the thought-body is there, already spoken
of by the author, to carry over mental impressions to the next life. It
does not, therefore, necessarily follow for this reason, that the soul is
timeless. It seems that, the author finds a spiritual substratum for
psychological memory in what he calls the soul; and therefore, it is this
substratum as the witness of all mental phenomenon that, he says, is
timeless. (43)

1. The process of parturition sets in motion the prāṇa that pushes
   the embryo out.
2. Child as per the text.

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50 Treatment of Svara
(iv) देहस्य षड् भावाः
भावाः स्युः षड्धिधास्तस्य मातृजाः पितृजास्तथा ।
रसजा आत्मजाः सत्त्वसंभवाः सात्म्यजास्तथा ।। ४४ ।।
मृदवः शोणितं मेदो मज्जा प्लीहा यकृद् गुदम् ।
हृन्नाभीत्येवमाद्यास्तु भावा मातृभवा मताः ।। ४५ ।।
श्मश्रुलोमकचाः स्नायुसिराधमनयो नखाः ।
दशनाः शुक्रमित्याद्याः स्थिराः पितृसमुद्भवाः ।। ४६ ।।
शरीरोपचयो वर्णो वृद्धिः तृप्तिर्बलं स्थितिः ।
अलोलुपत्वमुत्साह इत्याद्योन्रसजान्विदुः ।। ४७ ।।
इच्छा द्वेषः सुखं दुःखं धर्माधर्मौ च भावना ।
प्रयत्नो ज्ञानमायुश्चेन्द्रियाणीत्यात्मजा मताः ।। ४८ ।।
ज्ञानेन्द्रियाणि श्रवणं स्पर्शनं दर्शनं तथा ।
रसनं घ्राणमित्याहुः पञ्च तेषां तु गोचराः ।। ४९ ।।
शब्दः स्पर्शस्तथा रूपं रसो गन्ध इति क्रमात् ।
वाक्कराङ्घ्रिगुदोपस्थानाहुः कर्मेन्द्रियाणि तु ।। ५० ।।
वचनादानगमनविसर्गरतयः क्रमात् ।
क्रियास्तेषां,
मनो बुद्धिरित्यन्तःकरणद्वयम् ।। ५१ ।।
सुखं दुःखं च विषयौ विज्ञेयौ मनसः क्रिया ।
स्मृतिर्भ्रान्तिकल्पाद्या धियो ऽध्यवसितिर्मता ।। ५२ ।।
ब्रह्मयोनीनीन्द्रियाणि भौतिकान्यपरे जगुः ।
सत्त्वाख्यमन्तःकरणं गुणभेदात्त्रिधा मतम् ।। ५३ ।।
सत्त्वं रजस्तम इति गुणाः सत्त्वात्तु सात्त्विकात् ।
आस्तिक्यशुद्धधर्मैकरुचिप्रभृतयो मताः ।। ५४ ।।
सत्त्वात्तु राजसाद्भावाः कामक्रोधमदादयः ।
निद्राऽऽलस्यप्रमादार्तिवञ्चनाद्यास्तु तामसात् ।। ५५ ।।
ऽह... तालस्याद्यास्त सात्म्यजाः ।

Page 51

Section 2 : The Genesis of the Human Embodiment 51
(iv) The six substances (bhāva-s) of the (foetal) body : 44-56b
There are six types of substances¹ (involved) in the
body (of the baby), viz., maternal², paternal³, the serologi-
cal⁴, the self-created⁵, the mental⁶ and the self-adap-
ted.⁷ (44)
Delicate parts such as blood, fat, marrow, spleen, liver,
anus, heart, umbilicus, etc. are considered to be of motherly
origin; while the beard, hair on the body and the head,
nerves, veins, arteries, nails, teeth and semen etc. of tougher
stuff are of fatherly origin. (45-46)
Now, the author goes on to describe in some detail the various
parts and the elements in the body of the embryo as they are contri-
buted by six different principles that are apprehended as derived from
the mother, the father, the food, the soul, the mind and the innate
physiological conditions inherited by the foetus. This agrees in
substance with Suśruta (cf., Śā. Sthā. 3.43 and Caraka Śā. Sthā. 3.12-20
who is more elaborate).
Now, the author goes to describe in detail, though by no means
exhaustively, the different parts and the principles of the body and the
mind of the embryo, as they are distinctly contributed by the six sub-
stances already spoken of. The entire description seems to have been
based on Suśruta (Sa. Sthā. 3.43) with minor differences, Caraka (Śā.
Sthā. 3.12, 13) deals with this subject in greater detail.

1. Bhāva of the text is quite difficult to render in English appro-
   priately, as it is used here in a very technical sense which has
   not been noted even by the lexicographers The word has
   quite different connotations e g., a mode of being, existence,
   disposition of mind, etc. Here it seems to be signifying the
   various constituent parts of the organism, classified into six
   substances according to the source from which they are
   derived.
2. Matṛja, literally means, 'derived from the mother'.
3. Pitṛja, literally means, 'derived from the father'.
4. Rasaja, literally means, derived from 'rasa', i. e., serum in
   this context.
5. Ātmaja, literally means, 'pertaining to the transmigratory self',
   i. e., the individual soul.
6. Sattva is used in the sense of mind.
7. Sātmyaja implies acquired by adaptation and habit.

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52 Treatment of Svara
Physical development⁸, complexion, growth⁹, drowsi-
ness¹⁰, strength, stability¹¹, non-greed and enthusiasm are
known to be due to the serum. (47)
Desire and aversion, pleasure and pain, virtue and
vice, motive¹² and intention, endeavour, intelligence¹³,
life-span¹⁴ and the sense organs etc. are considered to be
self-derived.¹⁵ (48-49)
Hearing, touching, seeing, tasting and smelling are said
to be the five perceptive organs, the objects of their functions
The rasaja elements are obviously related to the quality of nourish-
ment, while the ātmaja factors pertain in principle to the moral quality
of the mind and the character of the individual. It may not be forgotten
that ātman involved in the compound ātmaja, refers to the transmi-
gratory soul which is a repository of good and bad actions, moral and
immoral tendencies, knowledge and ignorance etc. (cf., Caraka Śā. Sthā.
3.16 and 18 agreeing to a large extent).
Now, the author goes on to complete the picture, as it were, by
relating the various instruments and physical organs with their respec-
8. 'S' defines upacaya as fattiness.
9. 'S' defines vṛddhi as augmentation of volume or extent.
10. The word supti of the text also means sleep and laziness.
11. Sthiti has a text variant in dhṛti, i e., fortitude; but there seems
to be no substantial difference in the meaning.
12. The word bhāvanā signifies a unified process of motive and
intention. Intention is neatly an activity of the conscious
mind, but motive may be deeply related to the subconscious
and the unconscious. Bhāvanā comprehends the total process.
13. Jñānam of the text is quite difficult to translate. The word
signifies undistorted perception. Though 'knowledge' is one
of the meanings of the word, as it is understood today in the
sense of accumulated experience and memory of facts, jñānam
can hardly be rendered as such. In the context in which it is
used, it can signify, what we understand by 'consciousness', pro-
vided it is not confused with self-consciousness. If by jñānam
we understand the capacity for undistorted perception, then
the word 'intelligence' used in its widest connotation, seems
to be the nearest equivalent. In the Vedantic parlance, jñānam
signifies witness consciousness, i.e., the consciousness which
is not a modification of mind Thus intelligence, here, has
been used in the sense of pure consciousness, i.e., undelimited
consciousness
14. Āyus literally means the period of life.
15. Ātmaja refers to the character of the individual soul as it has
acquired past lives.

Page 53

Section 2 : The Genesis of the Human Embodiment 53
being sound, touch, vision, taste and smell respectively.
(49-50)
Speech, hands, feet, anus and the genitals are the
organs of action and their functions respectively are—speak-
ing, movement, excretion and copulation. (50c-51c)
Mind and intellect are the two internal instruments.
Pain and pleasure are known to be the objects of mind,
while memory, error and choice (out of alternatives) etc. are
considered to be its functions, and the function of the
intellect is determination. (51c-52)
tive functions. The scheme of the five sense organs and the five
physical organs of action forms the common feature of most of the
orthodox schools of Indian philosophy. There is a difference of opinion
regarding the mind and the intellect. While some treat of both as
antaḥkaraṇa, i. e., the inner instrument, some consider mind to be the
sixth sense organ. Here the author follows the scheme of the Vedānta
philosophy and treats mind and intellect as different modifications of,
what may be called, the mind-stuff or consciousness, i. e., citta. The
same consciousness, when it functions as the instrument of desire, is
known as manas, i.e, mind; and when it functions as the instrument of
determination, it is known as buddhi, i. e., intellect. This, in principle,
defines the connotation of these two terms.
The word mind, in English is used in different senses, i. e., it has
a wider connotation than perhaps the word manas which has been
rendered here as mind. Mind may be used as synonymous with psyche
and also in the sense of will or even desire Mind may include the
intellect, will and reason and it may denote consciousness, either whole
or as conscious, subconscious or unconscious. Manas stands also for the
undivided antaḥkaraṇa and in that case is synonymous with mind. But,
here mind is that category of the psyche, that modification of conscious-
ness which has pain and pleasure for its objects. Desire is rooted in
pain and pleasure. The pursuit of pleasure and the avoidance of pain
is the function of the mind.
The word intellect has a more restricted connotation than the Skt.
word buddhi. Buddhi is essentially the determinative faculty of the mind
It determines the course of choice and in this sense acts as the subconsci-
ous. But since in determining the course of action it utilises the process
and the fund of knowledge, it involves analysis and discursive thinking.
So, the term buddhi has been rendered as intellect for the sake of con-
venience, or may be for want of a better word.

54 Treatment of Svara
The organs of sense-perception have Brahman for their
source,¹⁶ while others take them to be material (in nature).
(53ab)
The inner instrument called 'individual nature'¹⁷,
differentiated by the type of character, is considered to be
threefold. (53 cd)
The author, according to 'S', has enumerated memory, illusion and
choice as some of the functions of the intellect. Memory includes know-
ledge and illusion is ultimately an error of judgement or a perversion of
perception. Choice as related to action has already been explained as
the function of buddhi.
'S' quotes Vacaspatyam which says that the mind and the intellect
(i. e., manas and buddhi) combined together make for the apparent
feeling, 'I exist'. In other words, mind and intellect are responsible for
'self-consciousness'.
Here obviously the author is elucidating the principle of individual
predisposition.
Antaḥkaraṇa comprising the mind (manas) and the intellect (buddhi),
or in other terms, will and practical reason, operates at the conscious
level in modern terms. Apart from this the individual has another ins-
trument in terms of consciousness, that functions at a deeper level.
16. 'S' elucidates this point as under :—
"The Vedāntins consider Brahman to be the cause of (the
power of ) the 'indriya-s' (i.e., the sense organs and the organs
of action including the inner instrument) for indeed they
consider Brahman to be the cause of entire appearance of the
world phenomenon. Alternatively, the Sāṅkhya-s would
interpret the phrase brahmayonīni in the sense that they are not
material. Others, i.e., the Vaiśeṣika-s consider these organs to
be material, since they are produced from the five elements
such as earth, water, etc., which are physical."
However, the elucidation of 'S' with reference to Vedānta
is based on very general grounds and thus loses significance.
The Sāṅkhya philosophy considers entire prakṛti as inert; and,
therefore, it is not understood how the Sāṅkhya-s can consider
the organs to be immaterial. Actually the Sāṅkhya system
considers puruṣa to be absolutely inactive. Consequently
ahaṁkāra, i. e., the cause of self-consciousness is considered to
be the cause of senses. Again in the Vedāntic view the world
is an appearance of Brahman, which in its cit aspect can be
considered to be the cause of sense perception.
17. Sattva, literally means—nature, essence, natural character,
inborn disposition, mind and consciousness. In this context,
'S' takes it to be consciousness, as the third aspect of antaḥ-
karaṇa, the inner instrument.

Section 2 : The Genesis of the Human Embodiment 55
The guṇa-s are sattva, rajas and tamas, i.e., purity¹⁸,
activity and inertia. From the mental disposition¹⁹ of
According to the Sāṅkhya system, the inner instrument is threefold
comprising the mind, the intellect and consciousness as the cause of self-
awareness. Sattva is defined by 'S' as svabhāva, i.e., individual nature
or predisposition Three types of individual dispositions are discerned
here on the basis of the predominance of any one of the three guṇa-s.
Guṇa is an ingredient or a constituent of prakṛti as spoken of in the
Sāṅkhya system of Indian philosophy. Prakṛti is manifestation and Puruṣa
is the intelligent principle involved. It will not be relevant to go into
the philosophical exposition of the Sāṅkhya doctrine here, but it is
perhaps necessary to point out that it visualises two states of being, viz.,
the one of dissolution in which the three guṇa-s of prakṛti are in equili-
brium and the intelligent principle Puruṣa is dissociated from it; and the
other of creation, when the equilibrium of the guṇa-s is disturbed and
by their varied predominance in association with the intelligent princi-
ple Puruṣa, they create the phenomenon of names and forms. So, the
individual nature of the individual is instrumental in the individual
creation to the intelligence involved in the individual being. Thus the
mind, conscious and unconscious, is conceived here as the inner instru-
ment for the functioning of the consciousness of the individual. There-
fore, the individual consciousness as associated with the predominance
of any one of the three guṇa-s is discerned to be of three types. The
three guṇa-s seem to represent, what in our terms, we would understand
as the two opposites and the centre of their axis, the centre being
the sattva.
It is interesting to compare Suśruta (Śā. Sthā. 1.19) on this subject.
"An absence of all-killing and hostile propensities, a judicious regimen
of diet, forbearance, truthfulness, piety, a belief in God, spiritual know-
ledge, intellect, a good retentive memory, comprehension and the doing
of good deeds irrespective of consequences are the qualities which grace
the mind of a person of a sāttvika temperament. Feeling of much pain
and misery, a roving spirit, non-comprehension, vanity, untruthfulness,
non-clemency, pride, an overweening confidence in one's own excellence,
18. Rajas and tamas have been rendered here as activity and inertia
which are not only opposite in nature but are also relative
while sattva is rendered as purity being free of the extremities.
There are other sets of words in which too the three guṇa-s are
rendered into English but the essential point is that they imply
the two opposites and the transcendental principle of sattva.
19. The three types of inner disposition or consciousness have one
of the three guṇa-s as its predominant factor conditioning the
entire consciousness.

: कर्म कीर्तितः ।
व्यानो ऽक्षिश्रोत्रगुल्फेसु कट्यां घ्राणे च तिष्ठति ॥६३॥ (Wait, is it गुल्फेसु or गुल्फेष्ठु? Let's zoom into गुल्फेसु: it's गुल्फेषु! Wait, look at षु: it has a straight left side, rounded bottom, vertical stem on right, and a diagonal stroke through it: that's ष! And under it is an u-kar: ु. So it is गुल्फेषु! Wait, look at व्यानो ऽक्षिश्रोत्रगुल्फेषु: wait, before कट्यां, is there an सु or षु? It's गुल्फेषु. Wait, why does the loop look slightly open or like सु? Look at स in समानो (L64): स has an upper loop and left prong. This glyph has NO prong! It has the exact shape of प/ष. So it is गुल्फेषु.)
Wait, what about कीर्तितः? Yes, कीर्तितः ।
प्राणापानधृतित्यागग्रहणाद्यस्य कर्म च ।
समानो व्याप्य निखिलं शरीरं वह्निना सह ॥६४॥
`द्विसप्ततिसहस्रेषु

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58 Treatment of Svara
अग्नेस्तु लोचनं रूपं पित्तं पाकं प्रकाशताम् ॥६८॥
अमर्षं तैक्ष्ण्यमूष्माणमोजस्तेजश्च शूरताम् ।
मेधावितां तथा ऽऽदत्ते जलात्तु रसनं रसम् ॥६९॥
शैत्यं स्नेहं द्रवं स्वेदं मूत्रादि मृदुतामपि ।
भूमेर्घाणेन्द्रियं गन्धं स्थैर्यं धैर्यं च गौरवम् ॥७०॥
श्मश्रुकेशनखं दन्तानस्थ्याद्यन्यच्च कर्कशम् ।
(v) The five great elements (mahābhūta-s) and the human
body : 56c-71b
The body is a composite of the (five) great elements¹
(mahābhūta-s) and has therefore acquired their qualities (as
herein described); sound, the faculty of hearing, porosity,
individuation², intelligence³ and hollowness from space; and
touch, the sense organ for touch, five types of motion, viz.
The physical body is a conglomeration of the five great elements
and as such it has inherited, as it were the qualities of those elements.
The sense organs are naturally related to their respective objects of
perception. The objects of perception are the five elements in different
forms and combinations Thus either we can speak of the five sense
objects or the five elements. This is the reason why sound, for example,
is separately mentioned from the faculty of hearing and touch is men-
tioned as distinct from the sense of touch (cf, Caraka Śa. Sthā. 1.30).
The objects such as sound etc. are known to be the sense objects,
i. e. the qualities or objects of senses; and they in the body are indica-
tive of the great elements such as ether etc. In this context it might be
useful to refer to the concept of Puruṣa, i. e., the individual being
as found in Caraka (Śa. Sthā. 1.15), viz. (the five elements). Ether etc.
with consciousness as the sixth make for the individual being. Cons-
ciousness is thus the spiritual element and the five material elements
compose the body. Again Śa. Sthā. 5.4-5 states—
"The macrocosm is said to be constituted of six elements, viz.,
earth, water, fire, air, ether and the unmanifest Brahman (transcenden-

1. The five great elements are earth, water, fire, air and ether.
2. Vaiviktyam is separativeness.
3. What is literally meant is the capacity of subtle discernment,
   the ability to grasp the abstract.

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Section 2 : The Genesis of the Human Embodiment 59
upwards, downwards, contraction, linear movement and
expansion from air. (56c-58d)
The ten modifications of air (breath in the body), viz.
apāna, vyāna, samāna, udāna, nāga, kūrma, kṛkara, devadatta and
dhanañjaya and roughness⁴ as well as lightness⁵ are also deriv-
ed from the air. (58d-60b)
Of these (ten), prāṇa, which is the most important one,
is stationed below the root of the navel, and it operates
through the mouth, the nostrils, the navel and the heart,
tal reality); and these very six elements it is said, constitute the micro-
cosm called Puruṣa. Of that Puruṣa, the earth forms the image, water
forms the liquid, fire constitutes the heat, air acts as the vital breath,
hollowness is caused by ether and Brahman is the inner soul etc." Com-
pare this with Suśruta (Śa Sthā. 1 20) : "The properties of ākāśa
(ether) are sound, the sense of hearing, porosity and differentiation,
evolution of the veins, ligaments, etc. into their characterised species
(viviktatā). The properties of vāyu (etherin) are touch, the skin, all
functional activities of the organism, throbbing of the whole body
(spandana) and lightness. The properties of teja (fire or heat) are form,
the eyes, the colours, heat, illumination, digestion, anger, generation
of instantaneous energy and valour. The properties of apa (water or
liquid) are taste, the tongue, fluidity, heaviness, coldness, oleaginous-
ness and semen. The properties or modifications of pṛthvī (the earth
matter or solid) are smell, the nose, embodiment and heaviness" (repro-
duced from Eng. tr. by K K. Vol. II, p. 120).
Our author has dealt with this subject rather elaborately (i.e.,
from verse No. 56cd-71ab) giving minute details of the various prāṇa-s
(vital breaths) from the science of Yoga (vide Verse Nos. 59-68ab). One
is tempted to reach for the original source and reflect on the subject in
proper detail; but obviously, that would be too great a divergence from
the main subject of this work. It will be seen that as far as the parti-
cular qualities of the great elements manifested in the human body are
concerned, the author's description is not at great variance with this
account, though in some respects both are more elaborate with reference
to each other.
4. Rūkṣatā, as defined by 'S' is caused by the scarcity of oily
matter. Roughness is not here the opposite of smoothness.
5. Weightlessness is defined by 'S' as absence of weightfulness.

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60 Treatment of Svara
and (thereby) causes the verbalisation of speech, the inhala-
tion and exhalation of the breath and also sneezing and
coughing. (60c-61)
Apāna⁶ is stationed in the anal region and the genitals,⁷
waist, legs, abdomen, the root of the navel, the groin, thighs
and the knees. Its function is to discharge urine and excre-
tion etc.⁸ (from the body). (62-62b).
Vyāna dwells in the eyes, ears, ankles, waist and the
nose, and its function is to draw in, hold and to push out
breath. (63c-64b)
Samāna pervades the whole body; and running through
the seventytwo thousand nerve-channels⁹ of the body accom-
panied by the (digestive) fire, helps to nourish it by carrying
essence of lymph-chyle (rasa) of the food and drink (to the
tissues) and distributing it proportionately. (64c-65)
Udāna abides in the hands, the feet and the joints of
the limbs: its function being the lifting of the body upwards
and breathing the last, i.e., dying, etc.¹⁰ (66)
Residing in elements such as skin, etc.¹¹ are the five
(other modifications of the vital breath) such as nāga etc.¹²,
Prāṇa, apāna, etc. are the ten modifications of the vital breath, as
it functions through the parts of the body. These functions as appro-
priate to each of the ten modifications are related in the following text.
6. Apāna generally denotes the outgoing breath i.e. expiration;
it also signifies one of the five life-winds (prāṇā-s) in the
body which goes downwards and finally goes out through
the anus.
7. Literally, anus and penis as per the text.
8. Etc. according to 'S' indicates that the discharge of semen
is implied.
9. Nāḍī is any tubular vessel including arteries, veins, etc. Here
the word has been used in its generic sense of a tubular
channel.
10. 'Etc.' is indicative of hiccup etc. The use of the word 'etc.'
is not strictly in keeping with the English idiom but because
of its Sanskrit counterpart.
11. The other four being blood, flesh, fat and bones.
12. The other four being kūrma, kṛkara, devadatta and dhanañjaya.

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Section 2 : The Genesis of the Human Embodiment 61
performing the function of eructation etc.¹³, winking etc.,¹⁴
sneezing etc.¹⁵, lassitude etc.¹⁶ and swelling respectively.
(67-68b)
From fire (the body acquires) sight¹⁷, form¹⁸, bile,
digestion¹⁹, lustre, wrath, sharpness, heat²⁰, vigour, splend-
our, valour²¹ and intellectuality.²² (68c-69c)
Likewise, from water (it derives) the sense of taste,
relish, coolness, viscidity²³, fluidity, perspiration, urine etc.
as well as softness: and from the earth (it acquires) the sense
of smell, odour, stability, fortitude and heaviness (weight),
beard, hair (on the head etc.), nails, bone and such other
hard (materials). (69d-71b)
According to the āyurvedic theory, sense perception takes place
because of the fact that the senses as well as the sense-objects are
basically made out of the same material, and so there is a correlation in
between them. The senses and their respective sense objects are related
through their respective tanmātrā-s. This is the reason why the object
of one sense cannot be perceived through the other senses (cf., Suśruta
Śā. Sthā. 1-15).
13. Such as spitting etc. is included.
14. Any other functions of the eyelids.
15. Blowing the nose etc. is indicated.
16. Yawning etc. is included.
17. The sense of seeing is meant.
18. The object of the sense of seeing is implied.
19. The pāka of the text indicates the result of the entire process
of digestion, right from the undigested food to the formation
of the lymph-chyle to be assimilated into the blood system.
20. Ūṣman of the text is indicative of that particular heat in the
body which causes perspiration.
21. Valour implies fearlessness.
22. 'S' interprets it as the power inherent in the non-forgetfulness
of the known.
23. The oiliness in the body. 'S' interprets it as 'sweetness of
speech'.

62 Treatment of Svara
(vi) त्रिविधदेहानां भेदकथनम्
वाताविधातुप्रकृतियोंमादिप्रकृतिस्तथा ॥७१॥
सप्तधा सात्त्विको यश्च ब्रह्मेन्द्रयमविग्रहः ।
वारुणश्चाथ कौबेर आर्षो गान्धर्वविग्रहः ॥७२॥
राजसः षड्विधो यश्च पैशाचो राक्षसस्तथा ।
आसुरः शाकुनः सार्पः प्रेतदेहस्तथा परः ॥७३॥
तामसस्त्रिविधो यश्च पशुमत्स्याङ्घ्रिपाकृतिः ।
तेषां लक्ष्माणि न ब्रूमो ग्रन्थविस्तरकातराः ॥७४॥
(vi) The constitution of bodies : Threefold classification :
71c-74
The constitution is according to dhātu-s such as vāta
(wind) etc.,¹ and elements such as space etc.² The sāttvika
(constitution) is of seven types such as the bodies of Brahmā³
Indra⁴, Yama⁵, Varuṇa⁶, Kubera⁷, ṛṣi⁸ and gandharva⁹; the
The constitution of the physical body of creatures is considered
from three different points of view, viz., the medical, the physical and
the metaphysical respectively known in Āyurveda as doṣa-prakṛti, bhau-
tikī-prakṛti and mahā-prakṛti. The first comprises of the three āyurvedic
principles of vata, pitta and kapha, i. e., grossly manifest as wind, bile and
phlegm; the second is purely physical, comprised of the five basic
elements space, air, fire, water and earth, and the third is conceived
to be threefold according to the predominance of three guṇas.

1. Wind etc. signifies the three humours of the body recognised
   as the three basic-elements of the body in the āyurvedic system
   of medicine. The other two are bile and phlegm.
2. Space or ether along with the other four elements air, fire,
   water and earth
3. The creative aspect of the Hindu trinity.
4. The chief of the gods of the Hindu pantheon, specially the
   deva-s.
5. God of death.
6. God of waters and morality.
7. God of wealth.
8. Sage.
9. Semi-divine beings associated with music.
   Section 2 : The Genesis of the Human Embodiment 63
   (vii) देहस्य षडङ्गानि
   पिण्डस्याहुः षडङ्गानि शिरः पादौ करौ तथा ।
   मध्यं चेति
   rājasika (constitution) is of seven types such as the bodies of
   piśāca¹⁰, rākṣasa¹¹, asura¹², śakuni¹³, sarpa¹⁴ and preta¹⁵; and
   tāmasika (constitution) of three types such as the bodies of
   animals, fishes and trees.¹⁶ Apprehending undue elaboration
   of the work, these are not being defined by us. (71c-74)
   (vii) Six organs of human body : 75abc
   The human organism¹ is said to be possessed of six organs
   The author has referred to the first two, i. e., doṣa-prakṛti and
   bhautikī-prakṛti clearly (vide Verse 71cd), but has not mentioned the
   general category of mahā-prakṛti and has straightaway described its three
   divisions. This illustrates the subtlety and the extreme brevity of the
   aphoristic style of the author's expression, which sometimes makes under-
   standing a laborious process
   The seven types of the sāttvika and rājasika and three types of
   tāmasika constitutions respectively are described metaphorically through
   the symbolic names of Brahmā, Indra, Yama, etc. All these are in fact
   the types of human bodies but they have been so named as to indicate
   their chief characteristics, which are well-known in Āyurveda. Obviously
   we need not go into these details. As the author is not anxious to deal
   with the subject in greater detail, it will be too great a digression to
   define and elucidate the various individual types of bodies referred to in
   the text.
10. A malevolent being, a goblin.
11. A demon, an evil spirited being.
12. Asura is a general name for the enemies of gods.
13. A bird.
14. A snake.
15. Soul of a dead body; the word preta literally means that which
    has been sent, i.e. sent to the other world, preta-loka is the plane
    of consciousness on which the soul experiences the fruits of
    of actions done in the world during a life-time before being
    born anew. In order to do so the soul is provided with a
    subtle body.
16. K. R. translates aṅghripa as 'elephant'.
17. Piṇḍa of the text refers to the body, excluding the soul, i. e.,
    the intelligent principle.

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64 Treatment of Svara
(viii) देहस्य प्रत्यङ्गानि

1. ग्रन्थकृत्प्रतिज्ञा
   अथ वक्ष्यन्ते प्रत्यङ्गान्यखिलान्यपि ॥७५॥
2. त्वचः कलाश्च (प्रत्येकं सप्तधा)
   त्वचः सप्त कलाः सप्त स्नायुश्लेष्मजरायुभिः ।
   छन्नाः कोशाग्निभिः पक्वास्ता धातूनन्तरा ऽन्तरा ॥७६॥
   (or limbs)—two feet, two hands³, the head⁴ and the trunk.
   (75a-c)
   (viii) Sub-organs of human body : 75c-119
3. Author's proposal to deal with the sub-organs : 75cd
   Now, the sub-organs will be dealt with in their entirety.
   (75cd)
4. Skins and membranes : 76-78
   There are seven skins and seven membranes, enclosed
   by fibrous tissues, mucous and membranous coverings, that
   ripen through the internal heat¹ of the tissues and act for
   the boundary lines to sustain in-between them the supportive
   The suborgans are described by the author at length, i. e., upto
   verse No. 119. For the enumeration of the suborgans Suśruta 5. 3-5
   may be consulted.
   The sevenfolds of skin from the innermost tender one to the outer-
   most rough skin, are mentioned by Suśruta (cf. 4. 3-5), though in the
5. Legs are implied in feet.
6. Arms are implied in hands.
7. Cf , Caraka, Śā. Sthā. 7.5, who includes neck also along with
   the head, giving a composite expression of śirogrīvam. In the
   text the head is mentioned first.
8. The expression internal heat of the tissues stands for koṣāgni of
   the text.

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Section 2 : The Genesis of the Human Embodiment 65
सोमभूताश्च धातूनां काष्ठसारोपमा मताः ।
आद्या मांसधरा मांसे सिरा धमनयस्तथा ॥७७॥
स्नायुस्रोतांसि रोहन्ति पङ्के पङ्कजकन्दवत् ।
असृङ्मेदः श्लेष्मशकृत्पित्तशुक्लधराः पराः ॥७८॥
tissues², conceived on the analogy of pith. The first is
māṁsa-dharā (i. e., the flesh-holding one).³ (76-77c)
The veins, arteries, muscles (or sinews) and the
channels⁴ arise from the flesh as the bulbous root of the lotus
(springs) from mire; while the other folds support the blood,
fat, mucous, excrement, bile and semen. (77c-78)
reverse order. Our author begins with the innermost fold while he
begins with the outermost one. The seven layers are as under :

1. Avabhāsinī... Horney layer
2. Lohitā... Stratum lucidum
3. Śvetā... Stratum granulosum
4. Tāmrā... Malpighian layer
5. Vedinī... Papillary layer
6. Rohiṇī... Recticular layer
7. Māṁsadharā... Subcutaneous tissue and Muscles
   However, Caraka speaks of only six layers, viz , udakadharā (that which
   holds water) and asṛgdharā (that which holds blood), etc. in the order
   of outer to the inner. Modern medicine distinguishes only two skins,
   outer and inner called epidermis and dermis, the former is perceived
   in five layers and the latter in two layers.
   For greater detail regarding the various skins and skin-diseases
   associated with them, Suśruta 4.3 may be referred to. The seven kalā-s
   are identified by Suśruta as under (cf., Sa. Sthā. 4. 4-19);
8. Māṁsadharā kalā ... Fascia
9. Raktadharā ,, ... Vascular tissue of the blood vessels, etc.
10. Medodharā ,, ... Adipose tissue
11. Supportive tissues are dhātu-s of the text that are detailed in
    the next verse.
12. The other skins are not mentioned by our author by name,
    these may be seen in the comments.
13. Srota-s are the channels or canals that open outwards in the
    body.
    5

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66          Treatment of Svara

३. धातवः

त्वगसृङ्मांसमेदो ऽस्थिमज्जशुक्राणि धातवः ।
सप्त स्युस्तत्र चोक्ता त्वग्रक्तं जाठरवह्निना ॥७९॥
पक्वाद्द्रवेऽन्नरसादेवं रक्तादिभिः परे ।
स्वस्वकोशाग्निना पक्वैर्जन्यन्ते धातवः क्रमात् ॥८०॥
3. Supportive tissues : 79-80
Serum¹, blood, flesh, fat, bone, marrow and semen are
the seven supportive tissues. Of these the serum and the
blood are produced from chyme² created by the aid of
4. Śleṣmadharā   ,,   ... Synovial tissues
5. Purīṣadharā   ,,   ... Separates the faecal refuse in the lower
            gut
6. Pittadharā    ,,   ... Holds the chyme derived from food
7. Śukradharā   ,,   ... Bears semen and extends throughout the
            body
The folds of skin and the membranes (kalā-s) spoken of above in
constitution are conceived on the analogy of pith, i. e., as the pith in
the wood is grown layer after layer varying in strength so are they
grown about each other. Another simile is also given, viz., as the layers
of cream are formed over milk heated on slow fire, so also the various
folds of skin along with membranes are formed out of seven supportive
tissues (dhātu-s) of the body which are detailed in the next verse.
The seven supportive tissues are spoken of as being sustained in-
between the various folds and layers of the seven skins and the seven
membranes (kalā-s). The first layer called māṁsadhārā, holds within
itself, flesh as it has already been told above. Now the author is
pointing out that veins, arteries, muscles and the channels (srota-s) are
all rooted in flesh as the lotus-stalk is rooted in the mire.
Srota-s are the canals in the body, nine in number such as the
ears, eyes, mouth, nostrils, anus and the urethra opening outwards.
Females have two more, viz., the two breasts and the canal or the
channel that carries the menstrual blood.
Thus the māṁsadhārā, i.e., the flesh-holding skin is the most impor-
tant of all and having described its function, the author merely hints at

1. Tvak is used in the technical sense of rasa (serum).
2. Chyme is the nutrient-solution made out of digested food and
   drink.

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Section 2 : The Genesis of the Human Embodiment          67

४. आशयाः (सप्त)

रक्तश्लेष्मामपित्तानां पक्वस्य मरुतस्तथा ।
मूत्रस्य चाशयाः सप्त क्रमादाशयसंज्ञकाः ॥८१॥
गर्भाशयो ऽष्टमः स्त्रीणां पित्तपक्वाशयान्तरे ।
gastric fire; while the other (elements) are produced from
blood, ripening by the internal heat of their respective
tissues³. (79-80)
4. The receptacles (āśaya-s) : 81-82b
There are seven¹ containers¹ called receptacles² for
blood, phlegm, undigested food, bile, digested food, bodily
wind and urine known by their respective names³. Women
the function of the other six folds that respectively hold or support the
rest of the six elements. In fact our author has synthesised the descrip-
tion of the skins and the membranes for the sake of brevity as it will
be clear from our exposition of the subject matter, vide comments on
verse Nos. 76-77 abc.
Then the author goes on to explain how the seven supportive
tissues are produced. He says, the skin and blood are produced directly
from the essence of food and drink digested through the gastric fire,
while the rest of them are produced from blood as they are ripened in
the heat of their respective tissues.
The seven receptacles (āśaya-s) are identified as under :

1. Raktāśaya    for blood     ... Spleen and liver
2. Śleṣmāśaya   ,, phlegm     ... Breast
3. Āmāśaya    ,, undigested food... Stomach
4. Pittāśaya    ,, bile      ... Gall bladder and pancreas
5. Pakvāśaya    ,, digested food   ... Intestines
6. Vātāśaya    ,, wind      ... Lungs and colon
7. Mūtrāśaya    ,, urine      ... Urinary bladder
8. Garbhāśaya   ,, embryo     .. Uterus
9. Internal heat of the tissues is the expression for kośāgni. Kośa
   is that which has a capacity to retain something other than
   itself
10. Cavities or viscera.
11. Āśaya-s.
12. Respective names of blood etc. to be attached to the word
    āśaya, e.g., raktāśaya, vātāśaya, etc.

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68 Treatment of Svara

5. हृदयस्थ चेतनस्थानत्वम्

प्रसन्नाभ्यां कफासृग्भ्यां हृदयं पङ्कजाकृति ॥८२॥
सुषिरं स्यादधोवक्त्रं यकृत्प्लीहान्तरस्थितम् ।
एतच्च चेतनस्थानं,
have the eighth, the womb in-between the receptacles for
bile and the digested food.⁴ (81-82b)
5. Heart as the seat of intelligence : 82c-83c
The heart is hollow and in the shape of an inverted
lotus situated in-between the liver and the spleen and is
developed from clear¹ blood and phlegm. This too is the
abode of consciousness. (82c-83b)
These receptacles function as the containers or the vessels. Seven
of these are common to males and females while women have one more,
viz., uterus placed in-between the gall bladder and the intestines.
That heart as an abode or the seat of consciousness in the body is
well recognised by some schools of thought of Indian philosophy. Even
the upaniṣads proclaim that the Puruṣa, i. e., the soul or the spirit resides
in the heart. But this can be a metaphorical expression.
The expression cetana-sthānam is difficult of being rendered into
English with its philosophical implications As it is, it means the abode
of sentience. 'K' has laboured hard to forbid the reader from interpre-
ting it as the abode of Jīvātman, i. e, the transmigratory soul, and he
therefore interprets the conjunctive ca (and) as indicative of other places
such as space etc. which also is considered to be the abode of Brahman,
the absolute Being. Perhaps he, being a vedāntin, identifies cetanā with
Brahman, and therefore feels that heart should not be considered as the
only abode of sentience. Therefore, he maintains that heart is the
abode of the manifestation of Brahman, the absolute Being. One can,
however, cut across the philosophical implications by taking into account
the next verse along with this one. If so read, it is obvious that the
word cetana of the text is not used here in the sense of caitanya, i. e., pure
intelligence, but has been used in the sense of consciousness. But this too
must be taken metaphorically for consciousness being intangible can hard-
ly be located anywhere in the body with justification. But nevertheless,
consciousness works through the brain, which is controlled by the heart.
4. Cf., Suśruta Śa. Sthā. 5. 7-8.

1. Prasanna means clear in the sense of clean and pure.

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Section 2 : The Genesis of the Human Embodiment 69

6. जीवस्य अवस्थात्रयम्

, तदस्मिंस्तमसा ऽऽवृते ॥८३॥
निमीलति स्वपत्यात्मा जागति विकसत्यपि ।
द्वेधा स्वप्नसुषुप्तिभ्यां स्वापो बाह्येन्द्रियाणि चेत् ॥८४॥
लीयन्ते हृदि जागति चित्तं स्वप्नस्तदोच्यते ।
मनश्चेल्लीयते प्राणे सुषुप्तिः स्यात्तदा ऽऽत्मनः ॥८५॥
स्वमपीतः परात्मानं स्वपत्यात्मेत्यतो मतः ।
6. The three states of consciousness: 83d-86b
That (intelligent principle) being enveloped by dark-
ness¹, it (the heart-lotus) closes (upon itself) and the ātman²
(the spirit) sleeps; it (ātman) awakens, while that (the
heart) opens up. (83d-84b)
It seems that the whole expression is metaphorical. Heart is the
centre of the physical body, and as such it is used as the symbol for the
centre of consciousness, which is the ego or the soul. Man, here, is
conceived to be the complex entity : spirit-soul-body. Spirit being the
divine element in man, the Ātman which is not different from Brahman,
the absolute; the soul is the jīvātman, the embodied self, subject to trans-
migration. The heart-lotus is the symbol of self-consciousness. There-
fore, when the spirit is clouded by inertia (tamas) the heart-lotus closes
its petals upon itself and the spirit, i.e., the intelligent principle ceases
to operate, and is thus said to be asleep. Conversely, when inertia is
dissipated, the spirit awakens into self-consciousness and the heart-lotus
is opened up.
'K' interprets this in terms of Vedānta (absolutistic). He explains
the phenomenon of sleep as explained in the text as follows: "The
intelligent principle being enshrouded by the darkness of beginningless
ignorance, when the heart-lotus closes, then the ātman, the soul (i e.,
the self-conscious being, the jīva) sleeps; and when that lotus opens up,
the jīva, the self-conscious being, awakens and feels 'I am'." It is
notable that in this verse 'K' interprets ātman as jīva.
After giving the above interpretation, he then gives the substance
in the following manner: "In the state of self-conscious existence due to

1. Inertia.
2. 'K' interprets it as jīva, here.

70 Treatment of Svara
Sleep is twofold, dreamful and dreamless : when the
external senses are withdrawn into the heart and the mind
remains awake, it is said to be dreamful; but, if the mind is
withdrawn unto prāṇa³ (the vital breath) then it (the sleep)
the beginningless ignorance with regard to the real nature of one's
being, the individual obtains in the conditions of the waking state, the
dreamful state and the dreamless sleep state under the respective names
of viśva, taijasa and prājña.
This elucidation, enlightening as it is, is technical as well. The
purport is that Life-essence or the absolute Being, in the state of
individuated being lives under the influence of beginningless ignorance
in the three conditions of consciousness technically called viśva, taijasa
and prājña, that correspond to the waking, the dreamful and the dream-
less sleeping states. Ignorance is nothing but the self-imposed limitation
of personality complex, and the three states roughly correspond to the
conscious, the subconscious and the unconscious mind of modern
psychology.
What is the distinction between the dreamful and the dreamless
sleep? Because, apart from the waking state of the consciousness, these
are the two other states. The author explains that in the dreamful
sleep, energy or attention is withdrawn only from the external sense, but
the mind keeps awake, a part of the brain is actively functioning, i.e.,
the thought process keeps on going resulting in dreams. Thus, in the
absence of the sense perception, the thoughts are the only objects of
consciousness, and the distinction between the ideal and the actual form
of objects is lost to it. That is why dreams are as real in the dreamful
state as the physical world is during the waking state, and therefore one
cannot be said to be more real than the other with reference to its
consciousness.
The dreamless sleep is caused by the mind being dissolved, i.e.,
withdrawn, unto prāṇa (vital breath). One can quite understand that
in the deep sleep the mind is withdrawn, but that it is withdrawn unto
prāṇa is a paradox. The Vedānta speaks of five vestures, viz., the physi-
cal (annamayakośa), vital (prāṇamayakośa), mental (manomayakośa), psychic
(vijñānamayakośa) and blissful (ānandamayakośa). In this scheme the
mind which pertains to the mental vesture is subtler than prāṇa (vital
breath). Therefore, it is not intelligible how a subtler entity can be
dissolved in a grosser one, for usually the case is contrary.
3. It is temporarily dissolved in prāṇa which is not the physical
breath only.

Section 2 : The Genesis of the Human Embodiment 71
7. नव स्रोतांसि
श्रवणे नयने नासे वदनं गुदशेफसी ॥८६॥
becomes dreamless or the deep sleep state of the individuated
being⁴. (84c-85)
That the ātman⁵ sleeps, is so believed for it dissolves
itself⁶ unto Parātman⁷. (86ab)
7. The nine canals (srota-s) : 86c-87
The embodied human beings are provided with nine
canals (srota-s) for the elimination of bodily impurities, viz.,
The statement of the author can possibly be understood in the
sense that even while the mind is not functioning in deep sleep, the
vital breath does function, and therefore the mind can be said to dissolve
in it. Or, alternatively, the dissolution of the mind may be understood
in the restricted sense of self-consciousness only, which is related to
sense perception and body consciousness, which may not be very
satisfactory.
The phenomenon of sleep is elucidated in a few words here on the
basis of semantics. The Sanskrit expression for, 'the principle of intelli-
gence sleeps', is 'svapiti'. The author raises the question as to why the
ātman is said to be sleeping, and he answers—"svamapītaḥ parātmānam",
i. e., because it dissolves itself, discards its self imposed limitations and
thereby merges into the supreme Being; and this he does by explaining
the meaning of the word 'svapiti', semantically.
Apart from the semantics, the idea expressed is very simple.
Ātman freed from the limitations of Jīvatva becomes one with the
Paramātman; in other words, the spirit freed from the limitations of self-
consciousness is united with the supreme Deity; and this process exhi-
bits itself, in the phenomenon of sleep. This however, signifies a
temporary release.
4. Self-conscious living organism, i.e., jīva.
5. The principle of intelligence involved in a self-conscious
being.
6. Actually what is dissolved is the limitation caused by self-
consciousness.
7. The supreme Deity, the absolute Being.

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72 Treatment of Svara
बहिर्मलवहानि स्युनंव स्रोतांसि देहिनाम् ।
स्त्रीणां त्रीण्यधिकानि स्युः स्तनयोर्द्वे भगे ऽसृजः ॥८७॥
8. जालानि, कूर्चाः, मांसरज्जवः, सीवन्यश्च
अस्थिस्नायुसिरामांसस्थानि जालानि षोडश ।
षट् कूर्चाः करयोरङ्घ्योः कन्धरायां च मेहने ॥८८॥
पार्श्वयोः पृष्ठवंशस्य चतस्रो मांसरज्जवः ।
सीवन्यः पञ्च शिरसि द्वे जिह्वालिङ्गयोर्मते ॥८९॥
ears, eyes, nostrils, mouth, anus and urethra; but the females
have three more; two breasts (milk channels) and the one
that carries off the menstrual discharge.
8. Plexuses, clusters, fleshy bands and sutures : 88-89
There are in all sixteen plexuses¹ situated around
bones, ligaments, veins² and flesh; six clusters³—two in the
hands, two in feet and one each in the neck and penis; four
fleshy bands⁴ on the two sides of the backbone; five sutures⁵
in the head, one in the tongue and one in the genitals.
(88-89)
Suśruta speaks of four kinds of plexuses, i. e. jāla-s, viz. muscular,
vascular, ligamentous and bony. One each of the four kinds is found
about each of the wrists and the ankles. All the four kinds of plexuses
intermingle and cross one another to form a network. The word jāla
literally means a network and the whole body is a network of plexuses
as it were (cf., Śā. Sthā. 5.11).

1. Jāla-s : cf. Suśruta Śā. Sthā. 5.11.
2. Sirā of the text here means any tubular vessel such as vein,
   artery, nerve, etc.
3. Kūrca (lit. a brush), the clusters or groups may be made up of
   muscles, bones, vessels and ligamentous structure (cf. K. K.
   Bhishagratna, p. 162).
4. Māṁsarajju are muscular cords originating from either side
   of the spinal column. These are identified by Ghanekar (cf.
   Vol. 2, p 145) with Longissimus, Spinalis and Ilio-costalis.
5. Bhishagratna defines sīvanī as the central tendinous band which
   looks like a structure from which the muscles on the either side
   arise. Ghanekar names the sutures as, metopic suture, coronal
   suture, lambdoid suture, sagittal suture, squamosal suture and
   anococcygeal raphe.

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Section 2 : The Genesis of the Human Embodiment 73
9. अस्थीनि, तेषां सङ्ख्या भेदाश्च
चतुर्दशाष्टादश वा संमता अस्थिराशयः ।
अस्थ्नां शरीरे संख्या स्यात्षष्टियुक्तं शतत्रयम् ॥९०॥
वलयानि कपालानि रुचकास्तरुणानि च ।
नलकानीति तान्याहुः पञ्चधा ऽस्थीनि सूरयः ॥९१॥
त्रीण्येवास्थिशतान्यत्र धन्वन्तरिरभाषत ।
9. Bones, their number and types : 90-92b
The group-units¹ of bones are believed to be fourteen
or eighteen. The total number of bones in the body is three
hundred and sixty. (90)
The sages have classified the bones into five types, viz.,
valaya,² kapāla³, rucaka⁴, taruṇa⁵ and nalaka⁶. (91)
According to āyurveda the total number of bones in the body is
three hundred and sixty; but according to the works of surgery, i. e.
Suśruta etc. there are only three hundred bones in the whole body (cf.
Suśruta Śā. Sthā. 5.17, where it is said that, "One hundred and twenty
bones are to be found in the four extremities, one hundred and seventeen
in pelvis, sides, back, chest and abdominal region; and sixty-three are
located in the neck and the regions above that.").
Suśruta mentions only fourteen group-units, i. e , the collections
of bones which are found in the two ankles, the two knees and the two
groins, the two wrists, two elbows, two axillas, one in cranium and the
other in the sacral region.

1. Saṅghāta is a collection with integrity, i. e., a group working
   as a unit.
2. Valaya type includes bones found in the palm, foot, sides, back,
   chest and the abdominal region.
3. Kapāla type includes the bones situated in the knee joints,
   shoulders, hips, cheeks, palate, temples and the cranium.
4. Teeth form the rucaka type.
5. Taruṇa type includes the bones in the nose, ears, throat and
   the socket of the eyes.
6. Nalaka type of bones, as their name implies, are all the remain-
   ing ones of the cylindrical shape.
   cf. Suśruta Śā. Sthā. 5.21 and Bhishagratna, pp. 165, 166
   for further details.