The Compendium of Caraka 4.3: tṛtīyo 'adhyāyaḥ/

Now we shall expound the concise anatomical chapter on the descent of the embryo.

Thus spoke the venerable Ātreya:

When intercourse takes place at the fertile period between a man whose semen is unimpaired and a woman whose vagina, ovum, and womb are not vitiated, and when in their intercourse thus conditioned the living self, through conjunction with the mind, descends into the union of semen and ovum situated inside the womb, then an embryo is formed; through the use of wholesome tastes, being treated with proper measures, it grows free from disease; then, when the time has come, endowed with all sense organs, with body fully formed, possessed of the excellence of strength, complexion, mental vitality, and compactness, it is born with ease due to the combination of these factors:—this embryo is born of the mother, born of the father, born of the self, born of wholesomeness, and born of chyle; and indeed there is a transmigrating mind; thus spoke the venerable Ātreya.

"Not so," said Bharadvāja. "What is the reason?—Neither mother, nor father, nor self, nor wholesomeness, nor the consumption of drinks, solid foods, eatables, and linctuses generates the embryo; nor does a mind descend into the embryo having come from the other world.

For if mother and father were to generate the embryo, numerous women and numerous men desire sons; all of them, having recourse to sexual intercourse with the intention of the birth of a son, would generate only sons, or daughters if desiring daughters; and no women and no men would be childless, or lament when desiring offspring.

Nor does the self generate itself.

For if the self were to generate itself, it would generate [itself] while born or while unborn; and both are illogical.

For being born, it does not generate because it already exists; nor being unborn does it generate because it does not exist; therefore, both ways are untenable.

Let that be for now.

If this self were capable of generating itself, why would it not generate itself only in desired wombs, self-controlled, of unhindered movement, able to assume any form at will, endowed with fiery energy, strength, speed, complexion, mind, and compactness, free from old age, free from disease, and immortal? For the self desires itself to be of such a nature or even greater.

And this embryo is not born of wholesomeness.

For if it were born of wholesomeness, then offspring would belong exclusively to those who indulge in wholesome things, and those who indulge in unwholesome things would be entirely childless; but both [conditions] are observed in both cases.

And this embryo is not born of chyle.

For if it were born of chyle, none among women and men would be childless, since there is none among them who does not consume chyle; and if it is held that embryos are born to those who consume superior chyle, in that case offspring would belong exclusively to those nourished on goat, sheep, deer, peacock, cow’s milk, curd, ghee, honey, oil, rock-salt, sugarcane juice, green gram, and śāli-rice, while those eating śyāmāka, varaka, uddālaka, koradūṣaka, bulbs, and roots would be entirely childless; but both [conditions] are observed in both cases.

Nor indeed does the mind descend into the embryo having come from the other world; for if it were to descend into it, nothing belonging to its previous body would be unknown, unheard, or unseen by it, and it does not remember that at all.

"Therefore we say this: this embryo is not born of a mother, not born of a father, not born of a self, not born of wholesomeness, and not born of chyle; nor is there a transmigrating mind," said Bharadvāja.

"Not so," said the venerable Ātreya. "The embryo comes into being from all these factors combined.

And this embryo is born of the mother.

For without a mother there would be no generation of an embryo, nor birth for the viviparous.

We shall explain in detail those factors of this embryo that are born of the mother, and those that arise for it as it arises from the mother: namely, the skin, blood, flesh, fat, navel, heart, kloman, liver, spleen, kidneys, urinary bladder, receptacle of feces, stomach, colon, upper rectum, lower rectum, small intestine, large intestine, omentum, and the carrier of the omentum—these are [born of the mother].

And this embryo is born of the father.

For without a father there would be no generation of an embryo, nor birth for the viviparous.

We shall explain in detail those factors of this embryo that are born of the father, and those that arise for it as it arises from the father: namely, the hair of the head, beard, nails, body hair, teeth, bones, veins, ligaments, arteries, and semen—these are [born of the father].

And this embryo is born of the self.

For the self of the embryo, which is the inner self, is designated the 'living entity'—eternal, free from disease, free from old age, immortal, imperishable, indivisible, uncuttable, unshakeable, multiform, omniactive, unmanifest, without beginning, without end, and indestructible.

Having entered the uterus and attained conjunction with semen and menstrual blood, it generates itself by itself in the form of an embryo; for the designation 'self' belongs to the embryo.

Moreover, birth of that self is not possible because of its beginninglessness; therefore it is not the case that, being born, it generates an unborn embryo, for being unborn it generates the unborn embryo. And that very embryo in course of time attains the states of childhood, youth, and old age; in whatever state it is present, it is born in that state, but in that which is yet before it, it is about to be born; therefore, it is simultaneously born and unborn. And in that in which both these—the state of being born and the state of being about to be born—are possible, it is born as already born; and unborn with respect to the yet unreached subsequent states, it generates itself by itself.

For birth is said to be merely the transition to another state of an existing entity at this or that age, in this or that state: just as, though semen, menstrual blood, and the living entity are already existent, there is no embryonic state before their conjunction, and that [state] arises from conjunction; just as, though that very man is already existent, fatherhood does not exist before [having] offspring, and that arises from offspring; likewise, the state of being born and the state of being unborn are predicated of that very existing embryo in this or that state.

Indeed, neither the embryo, nor the mother, nor the father, nor the self has the power to act completely as desired with regard to all factors; they do some things through their own control, some things through the power of karma, and somewhere their instrumental capacity exists, somewhere it does not exist.

Where there is perfection of instruments such as the mind, there acting as desired occurs only in proportion to strength; otherwise, the contrary.

Nor does the self become a non-agent in generating the embryo because of a defect in its instruments; and a desired womb, lordliness, and liberation are seen by knowers of the self to be dependent on the self.

For no one else is the maker of pleasure and pain.

Nor is the embryo produced from anything else as it is being born, just as a sprout does not arise without a seed.

Now we shall explain in detail those factors of this embryo that are born of the self, and those that arise for it as it arises from the self: namely, birth in this or that womb, lifespan, self-knowledge, mind, senses, inhalation and exhalation, impulsion, retention, specific differences of shape, voice, and complexion, pleasure and pain, desire and aversion, consciousness, resolution, intellect, memory, ego-sense, and effort—these are [born of the self].

And this embryo is born of wholesomeness.

For without the consumption of unwholesome things there is no sterility in a woman or a man, nor any undesirable condition in embryos.

So long as the three humors, aggravated in women and men who consume unwholesome things, pervading the body, do not lead to the destruction of semen, menstrual blood, or the uterus, so long are they capable of generating an embryo.

On the other hand, in women and men who consume wholesome things, whose semen, menstrual blood, and uterus are undamaged, who have united at the proper season, embryos do not manifest because the living entity does not descend.

Therefore, this embryo is not born of wholesomeness alone; combination is stated to be the cause here.

We shall explain those factors of this embryo which are born of wholesomeness, and which arise in it as it develops from wholesomeness. They are as follows: freedom from disease, absence of lethargy, absence of greed, clarity of the senses, excellence of voice, complexion, and semen, and abundance of virility—[these are] born of wholesomeness.

And this embryo is born of chyle.

For without chyle, even the mother's maintenance of life would not be possible, let alone the birth of an embryo.

Nor do chyles that are improperly used bring about an embryo, nor does the production of an embryo occur from the proper use of chyles alone; here too combination is stated to be the cause.

We shall explain those factors of this embryo which are born of chyle, and which arise in it as it develops from chyle. They are as follows: production of the body, growth, continuation of life, contentment, nourishment, and enthusiasm—[these are] born of chyle.

Indeed, there is a transmigrating mind; it connects the living entity to the body through touch, upon whose impending departure one's character changes, attachment is inverted, all the sense faculties suffer, strength diminishes, diseases increase, deprived of which one abandons the vital breaths, and which, being the grasper of the senses, is called the 'mind.' It is declared to be threefold: pure, passionate, and dark.

Whatever mind predominates in him, with that he forms a connection in the next birth; but when he is united with that very pure [mind], he remembers even a past birth.

For the self's knowledge born of memory persists through the continuation of that very mind; with reference to the continuation of which a person is called 'one who remembers past lives.'

We shall explain those factors of this embryo which are born of the mind, and which arise in it as it develops from the mind. They are as follows: devotion, character, purity, aversion, memory, delusion, renunciation, envy, bravery, fear, anger, drowsiness, enthusiasm, sharpness, gentleness, profundity, instability, and other such [qualities]—these are modifications of the mind which we shall teach later when dealing with the divisions of the mind.

Minds are manifold; all of them exist in a single person, but they do not exist at the same time; one [type] is described [as characterizing him] by virtue of its predominant occurrence.

Thus this embryo is produced from the combination of these manifold embryo-forming factors, just as a mansion [is built] from a combination of manifold materials, or just as a chariot [is built] from a combination of manifold chariot-parts. Therefore we said this: this embryo is born of the mother, born of the father, born of the self, born of wholesomeness, born of chyle, and there is a transmigrating mind—thus spoke the venerable Ātreya.

Bharadvāja said: If this embryo is produced from the combination of these manifold embryo-forming factors, how is it assembled? And even if it is assembled, why is that embryo, originating from a combination, born with a human form, and why is a human said to originate from a human? If it is accepted there that because a human originates from a human, therefore he is born with a human form—just as a cow originates from a cow, and just as a horse originates from a horse—this being so, what was said earlier, that it is comprised of a combination, is incorrect.

And if a human originates from a human, why are those born from the dull, blind, hunchbacked, mute, dwarfish, nasal-voiced, deformed, insane, leprous, and leukodermic not similar in form to their parents?

Now if it be thought here: this self perceives forms with its own eye, sounds with its ear, smells with its nose, tastes with its tongue, touches with its skin, and the knowable with its intellect—for this reason, those born from the dull and the like are not similar to their parents;

here too there would be the defect of abandonment of proposition. For if this were said, the self would be a knower when the senses exist, and an ignoramus when they do not; and where both these occur, being a knower and being an ignoramus, the self would be subject to modification.

And if the self perceives objects through sight and the like, being devoid of senses through the absence of sight and the like it would be an ignoramus; being an ignoramus it would not be a cause, and because it is not a cause it would not be the self—thus this statement would be a mere destruction of speech, meaning nothing—so said Bharadvāja.

Ātreya said: This was stated as the proposition earlier: the mind connects the living entity to the body through touch.

As to why that embryo, though originating from a combination, is born with a human form, and a human is said to originate from a human, we shall explain that: the womb of living beings is of four kinds—viviparous, oviparous, sweat-born, and plant-born.

Each single womb among those four wombs is of innumerable varieties, because the particular shapes of living beings are innumerable.

There, among viviparous and oviparous creatures, into whichever womb these embryo-forming factors enter, they take on shapes corresponding to that womb; just as gold, silver, copper, tin, and lead, when poured into various wax molds, take on the form of a human when they enter a human mold, so the embryo, though originating from a combination, is born with a human form; and a human is said to originate from a human because of having that womb.

And as to what was said: 'If a human originates from a human, why are those born from the dull and the like not similar in form to their parents?' It is said in reply: whichever part of the seed representing an organ or limb is afflicted in the seed, a deformity arises in that organ or limb; and it does not arise when there is no affliction; therefore both possibilities are accounted for here.

And the senses of every [individual] are born of the self; the cause of their presence or absence is fate; therefore those born from the dull and the like are not invariably similar in form to their parents.

Nor does the self become a knower when the senses are present, or an ignoramus when they are absent; for the self is never without a mind, and from the particular quality of the mind, a particular quality of knowledge is perceived.

And here there are [verses]: Knowledge of an effect does not proceed from the agent in the absence of sense faculties;

whatever action proceeds by means of instruments does not proceed without them.

Even though he knows [how], a potter does not proceed without clay.

And listen to this regarding the inner self, the great power of self-knowledge:

Having restrained the senses and having restrained the fickle mind,

Entering into the inner self, the knower of the self, firmly established in his own knowledge,

With knowledge focused everywhere, examines all entities.

And accept this other conclusive determination, O Bharadvāja:

When one is asleep, absorbed in a dream, with sense faculties, speech, and movement ceased,

He knows objects and pleasure and pain; therefore he is remembered as not ignorant.

And no single knowledge whatever proceeds without the knowledge of the self;

For no entity exists alone, nor does it exist without a cause.

Therefore the self is the knower, the source, the seer, and the cause itself.

All this, O Bharadvāja, is determined; cast away your doubt!

Here are two verses:

The cause of the formation, growth, and birth of the embryo; / the view of Punarvasu and the view of Bharadvāja;

The refutation of propositions, and the lucid determination of the self— / all that has been expounded with reference to the Concise [Descent of the Embryo].

Thus, in the treatise composed by Agniveśa and redacted by Caraka, in the anatomical section, the third chapter entitled 'The Concise Descent of the Embryo' is completed. // 3