A History of Indian Medical Literature v1.c11.80

v1.c11.80

The topics disussed first are: rules for sexual intercourse (8.3–8); 247 rules and rituals ensuring desired characteristics 248 in the son to be conceived (8.9–14). 249 Apart from these behavioural rules and rituals, the complexion of a son will be determined by the relative preponderance of the mahābhūtas; tejas (fire), when associated with udaka (water) and antarikṣa (= ākāśa), furthers a fair (avadhūta) complexion, when associated with pṛthivī (earth) and vāyu (air) a dark (kṛṣṇa) complexion, while balance of the five gives rise to a śyāma250 colour of the skin (8.15). 251 Factors influencing the sattva of the child are added (8.16).