Development of the Embryo

Development of the Embryo
A MORE momentous and interesting question can hardly be conceived in human history. In fact, the very existence of human beings is the result of the proper development of the human embryo. Of late remarkable progress has been made in the science of Embryology. The Ancient Maharishis have linked the development of embryo with the motions of the celestial bodies. The colossal number of deaths among infants, birth of deformed children, criminals and men of vicious character are all due to the fact that, before delivery, proper care of the embryo is not taken. In Charaka Samhita, a treatise on Ayurveda, the subject is elaborately dealt with. According to Ayurveda, the embryo, during its development, can be invested with certain characteristics or tendencies by the parents adopting certain procedure of life, which would manifest themselves in the person that is to be born.
How does conception occur? It is by the union of the semen with the ovum. The spermatozoa are received in the uterine cavity by the act of copulation and they make their way to the ovum. Only one spermatozoon fertilizes the ovum and the rest perish. The semen or the secretion of the man is called surka. Copulation does not always result in conception. Otherwise, there should have been sterility. Causes for sterility are various but according to Hindu Sastras, the mere union of the semen and the ovum is not sufficient to give rise to conception. Conception can only occur when the Soul or self, wandering in the vast space, penetrates into the fertilized ovum.
When coitus between morally and physically healthy couple occurs the semen and ovum combined will find their way into the uterus and jiva enters into it. Then conception takes place. The foetus thus formed in the womb by juices agreeable to it and nourished to proper food and freed from diseases, begins to grow. When mature, it is equipped with all the organs of sense and its body becomes fully formed. Then endued with strength, complexion, vigor of the particular element and compactness, it easily issues out of the uterus generally in the tenth month after the conception. A factor called satwa brings about a union among the principal matters of the mother, the father, Self and the juices. In the conception, sexual intercourse alone is not enough as already said above. If it is so, then there is no room for people to become childless. There are different views about the begetting of Self. If it is the Self that begets itself, then it would do it in an auspicious time and Self desires itself to rule uncontrolled motion, capable of assuming any form full of energy and strength and superior mind and body without any bodily defects, without diseases, without death and endued with other attributes superior in kind.
It is difficult to say that the mind descends from the other world into the foetus. If it did so, there is nothing relative to the former body which would remain unknown, unseen or unheard. At the time of birth the mind remembers nothing. There can be no conception without a mother or without a father. What portion or energies or powers are taken by the foetus at the time of conception and during the time of its feotal development? The foetus after conception seems to be a mysterious compound of visible and invisible forces.
Some medical works lay down the following organs taking the essence of the mother. They are heart, lungs, liver, spleen, breasts, pelvis, intestines, skin, blood, lower stomach, lower rectum. Those which are taken from the essence of the father are hair of the head, nails, bristles of the body, teeth, bones, nerves, sinews, arteries and semen. Jiva is the cause of conception. Athma is eternally free from diseases and decrepitudes, immortal cannot be pierced or cut into pieces by weapons, incapable of being burnt, having universe for its form. The conceived foetus in the womb gets the name of Self.
There are three periods in the development of the unborn child, viz., the ovum- the product of conception during the first two weeks, the embryo, from the third to the fifth week, and the foetus, after the fifth week.
Venus rules the first month. In this month, the embryo is formed. For the first time, the matters comes to the perception of our gross senses. The eyes, nasal pits, maxillary processes, ears and nose are visible. In the second month, presided over by Mars, the plasm is enveloped by the amnion. The membranes expand. The nose, mouth, ear, etc., are less prominent. Jupiter rules the third month. Fingers and toes are formed. The genitals are developed and differentiation of sex is also noticed. The fourth month is governed by the Sun. The foetus becomes consistent and begins to move giving rise to the “quickening”. The embryo takes the human shape. The Moon rules the fifth month. Growth of hair and nails and further development of the genitals are noticed. The sixth month of the pregnancy is ruled by Saturn. The breathing apparatus, the brain, the anus and legs are further developed. Mercury rules the seventh month, in which intelligence is infused into the child. The foetus assumes a lateral position. The lord of the rising sign at the time of conception rules the eighth month, during which period Ojas is exchanged between the mother and the child. The hardening of bones, etc., is noticed. The ninth month of pregnancy comes under the influence of the Moon. The child is filled with cares. The tenth is governed by Mars, when child-birth occurs.
There will be miscarriage of pregnancy in that month whose lord happens to be afflicted at the time of conception or the normal development of the organs during foetal life is much injured and the particular organ indicated by the sign of the Zodiac, in which evil combinations occur, becomes defective. Ascertaining this beforehand, one should perform such remedies as would counteract the results of afflicted combinations, so that the foetus at the time of birth, may be fully and properly developed. I shall recur to this subject on a subsequent occasion.

In the following example coitus took place on 10th February 1925, midnight, at Bangalore. The birth occurred at 5-20 a.m., on 2nd November 1925 in the ninth month. Varahamihira, Kalyanavarma and other ancient astrological writers have given methods by which it is possible to predict the period of birth from the conception Lagna and vice versa. These enable us to rectify the time of birth as there is always a correspondence between conception Moon and birth Lagna and vice versa. I shall get into this aspect of Prenatal Astrology on a future occasion.
According to Bhavakundali, Jupiter is in the Ascendant. Saturn is in an odd sign aspected by Jupiter. Therefore, the birth of a male child is indicated. Out of the Sun and the Ascendant the Sun is in a movable sign. Consequently the delivery occurred in the ninth month. The position of Jupiter in the Ascendant and his being aspected by the exalted Moon tend to the proper development of the foetus and safe and easy delivery. The second month of pregnancy is ruled by Mars. He is the lord of Lagna and the 6th. In the Navamsa he is vitiated being conjunct with the Sun and Kethu and aspected by Venus and Rahu. Therefore, at the close of the second month of pregnancy, the mother was confined to bed with signs of abortion, but proper care and medical aid enabled her to pass through the period safely.