A History of Indian Medical Literature v1.c23.240.3

v1.c23.240.3

for this reason the foetus begins to long after the objects of the senses; the mother, now possessing two hearts, is called dauhṛdinī from this time onwards;⁴⁷ the defects of children, resulting from neglect of the pregnant woman's longings; the importance of their satisfaction (3.18– 21);48 the effects on the child of particular longings (3.22–28); the pregnancy longings are determined by fate (daiva), just like the actions in a former existence determine those during the present life (3.29); in the fifth month the mind (manas) of the foetus awakens more fully, in the sixth month the buddhi; in the seventh month the major and minor body parts go on to develop; in the eighth month the ojas becomes unstable; a child born in this month will not survive, because of the deficiency of its ojas (nirojastva), and also because it belongs to Nirṛti,49 to whom propitiatory offerings (bali) of māṃsaudana50 should be given in this period;51 delivery takes place in the ninth, tenth, eleventh or twelfth month; if otherwise, it should be regarded as an abnormality (3.30);52 the umbilical cord (garbhanābhināḍī) is attached to the rasa-transporting vessel (nāḍī) of the mother, which carries the vīrya of the āhārarasa53 of the mother to the foetus, which grows thanks to the upasneha (nutrients) this rasa contains;