Text 6] The Movements of the Living Entities 1317

garte—in a hollow; sah—that; jantuh—fetus; jantu—of worms; sambhave—
the breeding place.

TRANSLATION

Deriving its nutrition from the food and drink taken by the mother, the
fetus grows and remains in that abominable residence of stools and urine,
which is the breeding place of all kinds of worms.

PURPORT

In the Markandeya Purana it is said that in the intestine of the mother
the umbilical cord, which is known as apydyani, joins the mother to the
abdomen of the child, and through this passage the child within the womb
accepts the mother’s assimilated foodstuff. In this way the child is fed by
the mother’s intestine within the womb and grows from day to day. The
statement of the Markandeya Purdpa about the child’s situation within
the womb is exactly corroborated by modern medical science, and thus
the authority of the Purdnas cannot be disproved, as is sometimes at-
tempted by the Mayavadi philosophers.

Since the child depends completely on the assimilated foodstuff of the
mother, during pregnancy there are restrictions on the food taken by the
mother. Too much salt, chili, onion and similar food is forbidden for the
pregnant mother because the child’s body is too delicate and new for
him to tolerate such pungent food. Restrictions and precautions to be
taken by the pregnant mother, as enunciated in the smrti scriptures of
Vedic literature, are very useful. We can understand from the Vedic litera-
ture how much care is taken to beget a nice child in society. The
garbhadhana ceremony before sexual intercourse was compulsory for
persons in the higher grades of society, and it is very scientific. Other
processes recommended in the Vedic literature during pregnancy are also
very important. To take care of the child is the primary duty of the
parents because if such care is taken, society will be filled with good
population to maintain the peace and prosperity of the society, country
and human race.

TEXT 6

Stafa: ATA: aigaratetfaerory
TSMNSIAT: | gadag: aT

krmibhih ksata-sarvangah
saukumaryat pratiksanam
