A History of Indian Medical Literature v1.c11.21

v1.c11.21

A foetus is composed of four mahābhūtas,60 each of which derives from father, mother, the mother’s food and the ātman;61 the appearance and other characteristics62 of the child are determined by its own karman and that of its parents (2.26–27).63 The causes of abnormalities in the newborn child are discussed (2.29–30).