The Compendium of Kāśyapa 3.7.10.p36

3.7.10.p36

tasyā asyāmavasthāyāmupayāceta devatāḥ

Whatever articles are sacred, auspicious, pure, / new, unbroken and whole, bearing masculine names, and pleasant, / one should present those—both garments and ornaments—to the pregnant woman; / she should not wear or receive items with feminine or neuter names. / A chamber that is fumigated, worshipped, cleaned, free from mosquitoes and the like, / and resounding with the sounds of Vedic recitations accompanied by musical instruments, is recommended. / Rising in the morning after performing bodily purification, devoted to the worship of the guru and the gods, / she should worship the rising sun with perfumes, incense, offerings of water, and prayers. / The pregnant woman should never look upon the waning moon, or upon the setting sun, / nor upon either during an eclipse caused by Rāhu. / Having heard that the moon and sun are gripped by an eclipse, the pregnant woman, staying in the inner chamber, / should remain intent on pacifying homa rituals and pray for their release. / She should not despise a guest; she should give alms and not turn [anyone] away. / And in a fire blazing by itself, she should offer clarified butter for peace. / A full jar, clarified butter, a garland, a full vessel, clarified butter, and curd— / the pregnant woman should not obstruct anything, nor should she tie or bind [anything]. / Stoppage and bindings, [even] with a thin thread or rope, / the pregnant woman must constantly avoid; she may freely untie knots. / Now indeed, one should observe these signs in a pregnant woman, / seeing which one may know [the time] and begin the procedures for the birth of the child: / dullness of the face, fatigue of the limbs, slackness in the fixation of the eyes, / drooping of the belly, heaviness of the lower part [of the body], / severe piercing pain in the back, flanks, hips, bladder, and groins, / discharge from the vagina, generous appetite, aversion to food, restlessness, and exhaustion. / Having observed these signs, after having the Brahmins recite auspicious blessings, / elderly women, skilled and properly trained, should enter. / Speaking pleasantly, they should soothe the pregnant woman and cheer her up; / they should console her regarding virtue and wealth, urging forward Prajāpati. / They should recount the worlds and diverse pleasures of women with sons, / and the torments of sonless women in hell and other places. / They should recite [the names of] Aditi, the divine Kaśyapa, Indrāṇī, Indra, the Aśvins, / those who are long-lived, those with sons, and auspicious beings. / A thread-like, scanty, slimy discharge indicates the birth of a son; / a discharge resembling kiṃśuka water indicates the birth of a daughter. / But as for discharges occurring after delivery, one should condemn and pacify them. / In this condition of hers, she should pray to the deities. / When the woman's foetus is inverted and the mouth of the afterbirth is open, / while the gripping contractions are present, the pregnant woman should turn over. / When the gripping pains are not intense, the woman gives birth quickly; / with delayed labour pains, the foetus causes suffering to the woman. / In this condition, some physicians prescribe exercise such as [pounding with] a pestle, / yawning, walking, and the like as beneficial. / But the venerable Kaśyapa says that all of that is to be avoided. / For at the time of delivery, a woman's body is crushed; / the three humours become provoked, and the bodily tissues are displaced. / The pregnant woman in that state must indeed be supported with great care. / For the delicate sensitivity of a pregnant woman is excessive, and she is easily worn out; / especially at the time of discharges, she is prone to depression and fear. / 'One foot is in the realm of Yama, one foot is resting here'— / seeing her agony, the women thus whisper among themselves. / Therefore, in this condition of hers, exercise is not recommended; / for indulgence in exercise would quickly destroy the pregnant woman. / Even by excessive walking, she might destroy the presenting foetus, / and meet with a terrible calamity that causes the end of the body. / Therefore, repeatedly seated, unwearied and modest, / accompanied by elderly women and the required articles, the woman desirous of offspring should give birth. / Sweet flag, lāṅgalikī, kuṣṭha, cirabilva, cardamom, and leadwort / powdered and sniffed at the mouth—thus she gives birth quickly. / Or she may inhale the smoke of birch-bark, of nameru, or of guggulu; / then the foetus descends, and thus she is quickly delivered. / The flanks, joints, hips, and back, smeared with warm oil, / wise and gentle women should slowly massage and stroke downward. / Some say one should make a weak woman drink liquor; Kaśyapa says: 'No.' / If afflicted beforehand in the same manner, she, being thirsty, should drink gruel. / When the amniotic fluid flows into the vagina with pain, / prompted by time, the foetus releases the heart and abdomen, / and seizes the neck of the bladder and the lower passage at birth; / and extreme exhaustion arises, with pressing down and splitting of the vagina— / through these signs one should recognise the inversion of the foetus. / And now she must deliver; then she should mount the couch. / A coverlet or a pillow [...]—only this much of the section on the body is available.