Category: Science in Ancient texts (Hindu Sanskar)
Hi Beautiful and Peaceful Souls,
I have discussed about science behind performing pre-natal (Garbhadhana to Simantonayan) and post-natal (Jaatkarma to Mundan) sanskar in my previous blogs. Today, I am going to talk about Garbh sanskar. This covers pre-pregnancy, pregnancy, as well as breast-feeding phase; guiding parents until the child is about two years old.
Garbh Sanskar is performed to introduce good values (sanskars) in the fetus. This leads to beautiful, healthy, smart and socially active progeny with longevity. It also helps in making a stronger bond between mother and child. Basically, it is done to gently stimulate baby's senses to maximize the cortical development (62). Cortex is involved in higher processes in the human brain, including memory, thinking, learning, reasoning, problem-solving, emotions, consciousness and function related to senses (65).
Garbh sanskar is known to be significantly effective for reducing stress scores, coping and well being of antenatal mothers (61).
Garbh Sanskara is a process for getting desired designer baby. Designer baby means well cultured, well civilized, beautiful, brilliant and healthy offspring having physical strength. Other qualities include sincerity, humanity, compassion, spirituality, courage, loyalty etc. much needed for present era (62).
The need of a healthy progeny is important to build better nation -
1. To compete in the present scenario of overgrowing population and competitions. So, future generation needs to be very intelligent, creative, smart-working and resourceful. It is believed that “the hand that rocks the cradle, rules the world”.
2. Bad progeny dangerously damages the families as well as the society at large. It pollutes the core values of humanity and destroys its social fabric. That’s why we need to cultivate good values and virtues. Hence it is duty of every parent to make every effort to inculcate good values and virtues in their children.
The knowledge of this sanskar dates back to ancient scriptures. The word "Garbh" means "fetus in womb" and "sanskar" means "education of the mind". Thus, Garbh sanskar is educating the mind of unborn baby. Traditionally, it is believed that a child's mental and behavioral development starts in the womb from the day of conception as it can be influenced by mother's physical, mental and emotional state.
Doctors and experts also believe that a child resembles his parents because of heredity (transfer of genes from parents to child), but it is also well known that environment, behavior and lifestyle also plays a very important role in the physical and mental characteristics of child. For instance, there is a significant effect of the hormonal secretions that are activated by the thoughts of a mother on the unborn baby (10). This concept makes the basis of Garbh Sanskar. Let us see this in detail:
There are six types of Bhavas (features) that contribute to the formation of the embryo. With the participation of these six Bhavas, a body of child is formed. These are Matruja, Pitruja, Rasaja, Satvaja, Satmajya and Atmaja (5):
1. Matruja Bhav (Maternal Features): All soft tissues, such as skin, blood, muscles, fat, heart, bone marrow and all abdominal organs, such as stomach, small and large intestine, liver, pancreas, spleen, kidney, urinary bladder, rectum are influenced by maternal features. It makes physical sphere (Annamaya Kosha) of child's body.
2. Pitruja Bhav (Paternal Features): All hard components in the body, such as bones, nails, hair, teeth, hair on body, hair on chin and cheeks, arteries, veins and male reproductive organs are influenced by the paternal features. It makes physical sphere (Annamaya Kosha) of child's body.
3. Rasaja Bhav (Nutritional level at the time of conception and during pregnancy): Body stature, manifestation of different body parts, growth of body, physical health, complexion and energy levels are influenced by level of nutrition obtained in nine months. It makes life force sphere (Pranamaya Kosha) of child's body.
4. Satvaja Bhav (Dominance of Satva/Raja/Tamo Guna at the time of conception and during nine months): Status and qualities of mind such as bravery, fear, anger, lethargy, enthusiasm, seriousness, sensitivity, hyperactivity of mind, devotion, character, purity, cleanliness, hatred, procrastination, memory, renunciation, envy are influenced by Satvaja Bhav. It makes child's mental or emotional sphere (Manomaya Kosha).
5. Satmajya Bhav (Influence of intentional activities during nine months): Health, activeness, satisfaction, voice, complexion, fertility, happiness, intelligence, brilliance, longevity, high quality of Ojas are influenced by the specific activities undertaken and medicines consumed before and during pregnancy. It makes Intellectual sphere (Vigyanmaya Kosha) of child's body.
6. Atmaja Bhav (Qualities related to soul and its destiny based on Karma siddhanta): Self-awareness, status of mind (friend or enemy), pride, consciousness, wisdom, endeavor, destiny in the form of happiness or distress are influenced by Atmaja Bhav. It makes spiritual sphere (Anandmaya Kosha) of child's body.
Three (Satvaja, Satmaja and Rasaja) of these six features can be positively influenced by taking care of the diet, lifestyle and surroundings of the expectant mother (Garbh sanskar). While focused efforts need to start before conception to influence other three features i.e., Matruja, Pitruja and Atmaja. It is therefore obvious that parents who desire to have an excellent child should themselves be physically, mentally, intellectually and spiritually qualified and invoke a good soul by following certain practices.
Examples of Ancient References of Garbh Sanskar are:
1. In Ramayana, there is reference of agnidevata giving King Dashratha “Payas” before the birth of Lord Ram during “Putra kameshtiyagya” which can be considered as a form of Garbh sanskara.
2. The story of Abhimanyu (Mahabharata)- When Arjuna’s wife Subhadra was pregnant he told her about the art to penetrate the chakravyuh, a particular war trap formation. Abhimanyu in the womb could only learn to decode and enter the trap because Subhadra felt asleep in between. This was one of the reasons why he was killed as he did not know about coming out of the trap.
3. Narada muni story: Narada muni taught Prahlad in the womb of his mother Kayadhu.
4. The positivity among Lord Buddha, Swami Vivekananda, Shivaji Maharaja can be attributed to the positive thoughts of their respective mothers at the time of pregnancy (62).
Now the question is what should be done by pregnant woman so that she can imbibe good values in the unborn child and can shape her child as she wishes. This can be done by following healthy diet, positive lifestyle and environment by mother. Let's start.....
I. Preconception-Program: Ancient Indian medicine has recognized the need for the mental, spiritual and physical preparation of the mother-to-be for the momentous event of child birth. Ayurveda describes this theory as “Suprajajanan” or au-maternity. This “Suprajajanan”, as conceptualized in Ayurveda, involves preparation of the couple planning pregnancy, three months prior to conception. This begins by pinda shuddhi or the purification of the gametes (sperm and ovum). If the couple is not in a state of mental stability and calmness, even if they are physically fit, they cannot give birth to a healthy child. This mental calmness and stability (“SathwaGuna”) of mind is closely related to one’s food habits and many other factors (10). This can be done by various processes which has been explained in my previous blog on Preconception program (https://thepureknowledge.blogspot.com/2020/10/scientific-explanation-of-garbhadharan.html).
II. Effect of Diet: Healthy eating habits are very important in pregnancy as growth of fetus depends on health and nutrition of the mother. A balanced diet along with all the tastes is highly recommended. Moreover, specific diet for every month under Garbhiniparicharya has been mentioned in Ayurveda (62). Fresh sattvik food (vegetarian food) should be prepared with love and care. The food should be highly Pranic example organic food. The canned/processed food and food grown with pesticides, herbicides and chemical fertilizers along with hormones or anything unnatural should be avoided. Soft drinks, alcohol and other drugs should not be consumed. However, herbal concoctions given by medical professionals for good health of baby and mother to eradicate the diseases during pregnancy and for post delivery care are all allowed (5) . Before conception also, good health and nutrition are central to a mother's ability to meet the nutrient requirements of pregnancy and breastfeeding, and are vital to the healthy development of embryo (19, 20, 21, 26).
Scientific study showed that improved diet quality during pregnancy favors fetal growth, increases birth size, reduces risk of fetal growth restriction and prevents undesired birth outcomes (18). In addition to this, maternal diet during pregnancy and breastfeeding may benefit infant metabolic health and fetal neurodevelopment (25, 28).
There is a good news for mothers who take stress when their babies do not eat healthy food regularly. Modern science has demonstrated that if mother adopts healthy eating habits during pregnancy, then she does not have to struggle to feed her child with healthy food throughtout the life. "Sense of taste and smell is developed in utero,” says Julie Mennella, of the Monell Chemical Senses Center, in Philadelphia. “What a mother eats, a lot of the flavors—the garlic, vanilla, carrot, anise, a whole host of different flavors—are transmitted through the bloodstream and flavor amniotic fluid. If a baby has experienced a flavor in utero or in breastmilk, they prefer it more" (22, 23). It has been observed that a mother's diet during pregnancy can change the odor of the amniotic fluid in which a fetus grows. When the fetus swallows this fluid, the olfactory (smell) receptors in the nose are exposed to these odorous molecules. The fetus then becomes familiar with these smells and will have a preference for foods with similar flavors once they are born (24). It is also found that the breastfed infant experiences the flavors of the maternal diet in the breast milk. This early experience provides "flavor bridge" which can promote infant's acceptance for the foods from the maternal diet (27).
Moreover, scientific studies showed that diet of expecting mother is not only for the healthy growth and development of fetus but has a long term effect also. The maternal diet quality during pregnancy has been found to be associated with diet quality of the offspring at the age of 14 years. Women with healthy diet during pregnancy are likely to continue such habits postnatally, which, to some extent, reflects in offspring dietary habits at a young age (17). Fetal exposure to an unbalanced maternal diet on the other hand, is associated with response to stress in young adulthood.
III. Effect of Lifestyle: Family disputes, financial and other stress, anxiety has negative effect on fetus. Studies showed that enhancing social capital would contribute to improving women's mental health during pregnancy (31, 32, 39). Scientific reports showed that environmental factors such as smoking, video display terminal, anesthetic gases, exposure to lead and selenium leads to adverse pregnancy outcomes. Mothers who smoke during pregnancy are twice likely to give birth to low weight infants. Similarly, air pollution, pesticide exposure and stress have also been associated with low birth weight and preterm delivery (29).
Lead (for women in paint industry or artist and painters) readily crosses the placenta, and has been found to have teratogenic effects as well as is known to affect the hormonal environment needed to maintain the pregnancy. Lead has also been found to be associated with still births in humans.
Mercury exposure (dental assistants preparing amalgams) has been linked to spontaneous abortion as well as reduced fertility. Women working in clothing, textile, paint and plastic industries and health care professionals has a 13-fold risk of major malformations as well increased risk for miscarriages in previous pregnancies due to exposure to organic solvents.
Pregnant women in the agricultural fields, landscape artists and green house workers are at risk of Pesticide exposure have increased risk of spontaneous miscarriages, low birth weight and preterm delivery. Other potential effects of such exposure includes infertility, reduced fecundity in women of reproductive age group.
Exposure to ionizing radiations during early gestation has been associated with congenital defects and risks of childhood cancer. Other common cause of concern is non-ionizing radiation, in particular electromagnetic field waves, as in video display terminals, daily exposure to mobile phones, heated beds, electric blankets and diagnostic and therapeutic devices. Video display terminals do not emit ionizing radiations, but they do emit electromagnetic radiations. Study did not find any increased risk for spontaneous abortion, low birth weight and prematurity, associated with electro magnetic radiations. But, long term use has been found to be linked with carpel tunnel syndrome, due to the angling effect on the wrist. Maternal stress has been found to be associated with birth defects, low birth weight, preterm delivery and early onset preeclampsia (29, 30, 32, 37, 51).
In a case-control study, job stress and chronic exposure to work has been found to be linked with preterm deliveries. Offering exposed to high levels of prenatal maternal stress are at higher risk of developing depression and emotional and behavioral problems along with cardiovascular diseases (28, 34, 46). High stress during pregnancy could impede the formation of a strong bond between the expecting woman and her fetus, reporting lower levels of self giving behavior, fewer thoughts of role taking and lesser interactive behavior with the fetus (60). Stressed mothers are more susceptible to infection and illness during pregnancy (62). Physical stress includes long hours of standing, bending, lifting heavy weights, long week hours of work (29, 30, 32). Thus, prenatal stress causes complications like-Preterm labor, preterm delivery, low infant birth weight, shortened gestational length, preeclampsia, gestational diabetes (62).
Exposure to high levels of stress can raise the level of stress hormones like cortisol in the uterus, which in turn can affect the fetus. Stress hormone “Cortisol” can cross the placental barrier when a pregnant woman is under a high degree of stress and dietary protein is low. High cortisol levels can affect fetal brain development, specifically memory (62).
But, the question is how stress hormone "cortisol" causes emotional and behavioral problems in child?
A scientific study showed when mother breathes rhythmically, her heartbeat synchronizes with the heartbeat of fetus. If this synchronization does not happen, it could signal some developmental problem during pregnancy. This heart synchronization may be responsible for unique bond between mother and child and strong intuitive power for child (11).
Scientific study also showed that the fetal heart rate changes with physiological and psychological development of mother (12, 13). For example, fetal heart rate and body movement decreases with increased maternal stress and anxiety level.
Thus, fetus of women who are more anxious have an increased heart rate in response to the stressful task. A reactive heart rate in fetus of mothers with prenatal depression has been associated with less connectivity between two regions in the brain known as amygdala and prefrontal cortex. The amygdala is a part of brain circuits involved in regulating emotion, in detecting and experiencing stress responses. The prefrontal cortex is involved in the control of behavior, speech and reasoning, and can dampen the amygdala's reactivity to stimuli. Studies in animals showed exposure to high level of cortisol in uterus is associated with more activity in the offspring's amygdala after birth. These animals showed comparatively more anxiety-like behavior.
It is also suggested that maternal anxiety is associated with functioning of placenta, which can affect the quantity of cortisol reaching the amniotic fluid irrespective of how much cortisol is in the women's circulation. It has been found that there is an enzyme in the placenta which plays a role in deactivating cortisol as it crosses the placenta. The activity of this enzyme varies based on women's anxiety levels. In humans, maternal anxiety seems to be associated with the turning off the gene that controls this protective enzyme so that more cortisol reaches the developing fetus. This exposure to high cortisol levels is associated with decreased nerve cell formation and differences in how neurons migrate and form connections, all of which can contribute to increased risk of anxiety (36).
Another scientific study suggested that pregnant woman experiencing physical and psychological stress are less likely to have a boy. Stress can also affect mother's immune system, leading to changes that affect neurological and behavioral development in the fetus. Maternal mental health matters, not only for the mother but also for her future child (33, 35, 36).
In addition to this, a scientific study showed if mother smiles and speaks to her baby not only in womb, but after birth as well, their heartbeats synchronize in less than a second without touching each other (14).
In addition to this, when tested at brain level it has been found that the level of connectivity of brain waves vary according to mother's emotional state (15, 16). When mother or parents express more positive emotions during their interaction such as eye contact, their brain becomes much more strongly connected with baby's brain. This may help in easy learning from mothers or parents and babies of depressed mothers may show less evidence of learning because of week neural connection between mother and infant. Premature babies tend to have less interaction with their mothers because, they miss out early opportunity to interact with their mothers. Babies who do not tune in with their mothers are less empathetic as teenagers.
If maternal stress has such an adverse effect on fetal mental development, just think why our ancestors suggested to prohibit conception during a situation like today's COVID pandemic. As, it will create havoc in pregnant women and family which in turn will give negative outcomes (40). Thus, what should be done by pregnant women and what is the responsibility of family to reduce stress?
1. Pay respect to and take Darshan of the Sun, the deity, etc.
2. Visit holy places, temples, cowsheds, birthplaces of great personalities, places of historic significance from the Dharmic viewpoint (5).
3. See pictures with positive and affectionate emotions. Couple desiring specific qualities in their offspring should surround themselves by pictures of personalities having similar qualities.
4. Water plants, make garlands, decorate room with flowers.
5. Feed birds, serve cows, grinds grain with manual grinder, churn buttermilk manually while remembering little Krishna
6. Donate for right cause.
7. Keep house clean and tidy.
8. Get involved in arts and crafts like stitching, weaving etc., play musical instrument, perform Agnihotra.
9. Maintain positive and healthy state of mind.
10. Hear stories of great personalities and think about such personalities (62).
11. Reading and activities are two important routines expectant mother should follow during pregnancy without fail. They should read Vedic literature, biographies of great personalities. Read informative books on spirituality. This will positively influence the intellectual development of the fetus (5).
12. Woman should not travel for the first and last three months of pregnancy. Thus, she should read and imagine travelogues, where people note down their experiences of journeys to enjoy nature's beauty. Read about Himalayas or oceanic travels and about forts (5).
13. Mother should follow a healthy routine which keeps her away from any health issues. Maternal obesity is associated with increase adiposity and cardiometabolic risk factors in adult offspring. Diabetes during pregnancy is associated with a range of fetal effects across various organ systems, including an increased incidence of neural tube defects. There are many scientific reports which showed adverse effect on offspring due to maternal infection (28).
IV. Positive Impact of Music Therapy: Information on music is included in Gandharva Ved. Music not only entertains but is also used as medicinal therapy. Music helps in the elimination of certain diseases and ailments from our body. When combined with Ayurvedic medicines and processes, it certainly works wonders. Music acts on the cellular and tissue levels of our body, thereby reducing the defects and problems.
During pregnancy, though the fetus's body is inactive, its mind is extremely active. Therefore, music can be used as a wonderful medium to imbibe the culture and values you desire in the mind of the fetus. It affects the consciousness of the fetus in the uterus. Study shows that the fetus can hear and recognize unknown sounds. It can even begin to learn languages in the womb-including mother tongue. There are also scientific evidences that prove that a baby inside the mother's womb responds to the outside stimulus and has the ability to listen (10).
Fetus's understanding of language can be enriched by singing rather than talking to it. After birth, the fetus shows more interest in the stories or songs that it listens to before birth; it also starts responding to those tunes after six months of pregnancy. The sound of veena, flute and Samaveda mantras makes pregnant woman and the child within healthier. Various music cassettes and CDs of “Garbh Sangeet” are easily available in the market (10).
The pitches of sound work on the tridosha in our body, which means Indian raga were designed to regulate the working of these Doshas as per there sthana, kala and samanta for the betterment of health. It has been observed that the children who receive music therapy (classical, soft and melodious music) during pregnancy have a healthier life with less disease exposure, high level of IQ & EQ. They can cope with stress in a better way, learn facts faster, and are smiling, joyful and empathetic towards other people's feeling (62). Music helps in the development of ears, mind, brain and increases memory and capacity to understand. Positive vibrations of classical music help the fetus to stay calm and joyful, enhancing its weight and physical progress.
Evidence based research showed that music controls pre and perinatal stress (41, 47, 48, 50). A clinical study showed that the symptoms of anxiety and depression decrease significantly in the music group of pregnant women compared to control group (41). Music develops positive attitude in child (42). Study showed that the use of music relieves psychosocial stress, particularly stress related to baby care, changing family relationships and to maternal role identification (43). This helps to get rid of post natal depression (44). Listening to music during pregnancy minimizes the distress of labor and make it easier for the baby to adjust in the first months of life. Listening to music relieves pain during contractions, reduces tension and fear, enhances adaptation of women to hospital and stimulates prayer and spirituality. The newborns if exposed early to music during pregnancy showed positive reactions whether calming down or sleeping and paid attention to when exposed to the same songs. Some women even reported a reduction in their infant's cramps or consequent crying, which are very common phenomenon in the first months (45).
Now we can understand the purpose of melodious song sung by mother called "lory" in India during pregnancy and after infant birth to make child sleep.
It has been suggested that Infant-directed singing is for making strong mother-infant bond which is required for infant's survival and also has a protective psychological, biological, and behavioral bond between mothers and infants across the life span. Mother-infant singing is also associated with increase in positive effect and decrease in negative affect as well as psychological and biological markers of anxiety (49).
Pregnant women should listen to auspicious music. Harsh voices, pop, rock music and sounds that induce passion and ignorance should be avoided (10).
I feel it is important to tell why crying child sleeps when holded in the mother's lap near her heart?
It is believed that a fetus can respond to external stimuli, especially from the seventh month onward-the nearest sound for the baby is mothers heartbeat. This is why it is believed that a crying baby can be soothed by holding close to mother's chest (9). Moreover, mother's heartbeats and breathing are the first sounds heard by fetus. That is the reason we feel energized and excited with the natural sound of flowing water and moving air (5).
5. Positive Impact of Prayer/Mantra Chanting: Language is an effective medium to express thoughts. If the language is beautiful, the thoughts expressed can be carved on the mind of the listener, giving positive results. If a pregnant woman chants Sanskrit Shlokas and Mantra, songs glorifying the lord in clear and loud voice during pregnancy, the baby will never stammer and will gain mastery over languages. Further, it purifies and increases the strength of fetus's brain.
Garbh Sanskar can be more effective by means of sound in the form of mantra and shloka because the rhythmic sounds are captured by child’s subconscious mind very effectively. “Man” means mind and “tra” means release. Mantra is a combination of transcendental sounds meant to release the mind from all anxieties. If some part of the body begins to vibrate at a wrong frequency, the energy sticks and disease set in. Therefore, through “mantra” chanting, one can cause the stuck energy to get released and we can return to our natural state of resonance, thus affecting a cure.
Sound of specific mantra chanting causes the left and right hemisphere of the brain to synchronize. Such chanting also helps in oxygenation of brain, reduce heart rate, blood pressure and assist in creating calm brainwave activity. Thus, mantra chanting in expectant mother can prevent pregnancy-induced hypertension, gestational diabetes and intra uterine growth retardation. By mantra chanting, new neural synaptic connection forms in brain with vocal harmony. Nasal sound, MMMM humming boosts the production of nitric oxide in the body. Nitric oxide is a molecule that our body produces to help its 50 trillion cells communicate with each other by transmitting signals throughout the entire body. Nitric oxide is an important regulator and mediator of numerous processes in the nervous, immune and cardio-vascular system. It significantly releases vascular smooth muscle, inhibits platelets aggregation and prevents intervillous thrombosis. Deficiency of nitric oxide contributes to the development of pregnancy induced hypertension in mother. Mother with gestational diabetes usually has lower levels of nitric oxide (62).
It was observed that women who prays has nearly twice as high a pregnancy rate as those who do not pray. Furthermore, the women who pray showed a higher implantation rate than those who did not (52). A clinical study showed the positive effects of spirituality and psychoeducation on maternal, fetal and child health such as better temperament (53). Scientific study shows that baby hears the voice and feels the calming energy created by this vocalization if mother chanted "OM" in a yoga class (63).
Pregnant woman should speak less, speak the truth, speak lovingly and speak what is beneficial for others. Speak about the glory of God. Speak proudly about ancestors, good cultural heritage of the house and about other great personalities. Should not speak on a high tone or shout angrily. Should not use bad, abusive and obscene language. Criticism of good people, gossip amongst the household and neighborhood should also be avoided (5). Hearing is the first sense activated in the fetus. Hence, speak gently, positively and lovingly in isolation to the baby with one hand on the abdomen is beneficial.
6. Positive Impact of Yoga and Pranayam: Pregnant women should wake up early and perform yoga asanas prescribed by medical professional. Exercise increases flexibility, improves blood circulation and reduces backache during pregnancy. It also increase chance of normal delivery with minimum labor pain. Pregnant woman should perform paranayam. During pregnancy, an expectant mother needs to take in abundant praan shakti through her lungs for herself and baby (5).
Even modern science supports motivating pregnant women to be active and to adopt physical activities to improve maternal health which may reduce the onset of long-term diseases such as obesity, Type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular disorders (a matter of future research (38, 39). According to a review, yoga leads to improvements on a variety of pregnancy, labor and birth outcomes. A prenatal yoga program results in benefits during pregnancy as well as throughout labor and on birth outcomes. It is to tone physical body, especially the pelvic floor, hip and abdominal core muscles, in preparation for the birthing process (59).
Improvements were observed on psychological domains during pregnancy and labor (quality of life and self-efficacy), on physical and pain measures during labor (discomfort and pain), and on birth variables (birth weight and number of preterm births) (54). A study showed that yoga intervention presented with lower incidences of prenatal disorders, small gestational age, lower levels of pain and stress and higher score of relationship. In addition, yoga can be safely used for pregnant women who are depressed, at high-risk, or experience lumbopelvic pain (55). Due to stress and anxiety during initial stages of labor, the body releases adrenaline which delays the release of oxytocin (hormone helps in delivery). But practicing Pranayam during labor minimizes release of adrenaline and induces proper release of oxytocin which makes labor easier and smooth (59). Yoga improves birth weight, decrease preterm labor, and decreases intrauterine growth retardation in isolation or in association with pregnancy induced hypertension (56, 57). However, it should always be done under the guidance of yoga professionals with proper medical prescription (58).
Above all, the sensory and motor organs should be indulged in more sattva domain such as good activities, people and surroundings. This will help baby with better sleeping habits, more alertness, confidence and content, more activeness, better at breast feeding and strong bond with parents (10).
Now, the question is that can we pay back our ancestral debt by producing child?
Definitely not, the aim of sanskar is to get high quality progeny. High quality progeny does not mean to produce child only with good health. It means to produce child who has more sattva qualities.
Why there is a need to have high sattva qualities in child?
The main aim of human birth is to get salvation which can be achieved through high sattva. Thus, producing child with more sattva quality and command one's child to live life according to God's rules is our primary responsibility. The child should become highly conscious and a responsible citizen of society. By doing so, we are eradicating the effects of bad karma of our child and are enhancing sattva in him. This is the only way we can pay back our ancestral debt. Just imagine the society with highly conscious people. Will Earth be less than heaven then!
For this, there is need to live a disciplined life from the day we decide to become parents. Therefore, procreation is not an easy process, we should raise our consciousness for this and should know the real reason for procreation.
I must say, this would be a big reason for less population and having people with more sattvic qualities. They will copulate in harmony not in lust and to have good child by controlling their senses. As somebody rightly said, procreation should be by choice of high consciousness, not by chance!
The fetus gets an enormous amount of “hormonal bathing” through the mother. So its chronological rhythms are influenced by the mother’s sleep/wake cycles, eating patterns and her movements. More than 60% intellect develops during intrauterine phase. In today’s fast paced life, it is the need of every expectant mother to have a trouble free and disease free pregnancy with an experience of joy for nine months journey. That’s why, Garbh Sanskar is important for every expectant to keep herself as well as her baby healthy (62).
So, friends I have tried explaining Garbh Sanskar in context to scientific findings, but now question is what is the process, through which all factors of Garbh Sanskar affects both mother and child?
What and when an expectant mother eats, when she sleeps, where she lives, to whom she interacts, how she exercises, her environment, exposure to toxins, social factors, even ageing- all of these can eventually cause chemical modification in the genes leading to turning on or off those genes over time. This is called "Epigenetics" i.e., the impact of behavior and environment on the way our genes work (2, 3). Unlike genetic changes, epigenetic changes are reversible and do not change our DNA sequence, but they can change how our body reads DNA sequence. Gene expression refers to how often or when proteins are created from the instructions within our genes. The genetic changes can alter the end product i.e., protein while epigenetic changes affect the expression of genes and can turn them “on” and “off” (1). Early-life epigenetic modifications, which determine the expression of genetic information stored in the genome, are viewed as one of the general mechanisms linking prenatal exposure and phenotypic changes later in life (4). This chemical modification in genes which are more for disease can be cured by following Garbh Sanskar process. Healthy genes transferred from both parents during Garbh Sanskar creates the healthy progeny. And this healthy DNA sequence is maintained for generations. It is also helpful in preventing hereditary and congenital diseases.
Therefore, in next blog, I will share the relation between epigenetics and Garbh Sanskar i.e., "Epigenetics and Garbh Sanskar".
Take Care
Your's Sincerely
Purnima Ghai
References:
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