उपदेशसाहस्री (आदि शङ्कराचार्य - गद्य व पद्य भाग)

A METHOD OF ENLIGHTENING THE DISCIPLE 13
न्नानि । ततः पञ्चमहाभूतगुणविशिष्टा पृथिवी । पृथ्व्याश्च पञ्चा-
त्मिक्यो व्रीहियवाद्या ओषधयो जायन्ते । ताभ्यो भक्षिताभ्यो
लोहितं च शुक्लं च स्त्रीपुंसशरीरसंबन्धि जायते । तदुभयमृतुकाले
अविद्याप्रयुक्तकामखजनिर्मथनोद्धृतं मन्त्रसंस्कृतं गर्भाशये निषि-
च्यते । तत्स्वयोनिरसानुप्रवेशेन विवर्धमानं गर्भीभूतं नवमे दशमे
वा मासि सञ्जायते ॥ २० ॥
20. "Name and form, as they became still grosser
in the course of manifestation assumed the form of air.
From that again they became fire, from that water, and
thence earth. In this order the preceding elements
penetrated the succeeding ones, and the five gross
elements ending with earth came into existence. Earth,
therefore, possesses the qualities of all the five gross
elements. From earth compounded of all the five great
elements, herbs such as paddy and barley are produced.
From these, after they are eaten, are formed blood and
the seed of women and men respectively. These two
ingredients drawn out, as by a churning rod, by lust
springing from Ignorance, and sanctified by mantras,¹
are placed in the womb at the proper time. Through
the infiltration of the sustaining fluids ² of the mother's
body, it ³ develops into an embryo and is delivered at
the ninth or tenth month.
तज्जातं लब्धनामाकृतिकं जातकर्मादिभिः मन्त्रसंस्कृतं पुनः
उपनयनसंस्कारयोगेन ब्रह्मचारिसंज्ञं भवति । तदेव शरीरं पत्नी-
¹ sacred mystical formulae. ² derived from food.
³ blood and seed mixed together.