Life in Ancient India as Depicted in the Jain Canons, with Commentaries: An Administrative, Economic, Social and Geographical Survey c12.s7.t3: Miscarriage
Life in Ancient India as Depicted in the Jain Canons, with Commentaries: An Administrative, Economic, Social and Geographical Survey c12.s7.t3
- Language
- English
Miscarriage
c12.s7.t3.1
Cases of miscarriage were not uncommon The Vivāgasūya tells us of the queen Miyādevī who, since the onset of her conception, felt intense pain in her body and became disagreeable to her husband Miyādevī imagined that her fall from her husband's favours was due to her pregnancy, so she made up her mind for abortion. She took various kinds of alkalis (khāra), bitters (kaḍuya) and astringents which cause abortion, but failed to carry out her purpose and carried the pregnancy in sorrow In course of time, Miyādevī gave birth to a totally blind boy. She called her nurse (ammadhāī) and asked her to leave the child on the dunghill (ukkuṇudiyā). When the king came to know of this he immediately visited the queen and stopped her from doing so, since it was her first child.³⁸
c12.s7.t3.2
³⁸ 1, p. 9; also Āva. cū. II, p. 166.