Charak Samhita

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आत्रेय उवाच- पुरस्तादेतत् प्रतिज्ञातं- सत्त्वं जीवं स्पृक्शरीरेणाभिसम्बध्नातीति| यस्मात्तु समुदायप्रभवः सन् स गर्भो मनुष्यविग्रहेण जायते, मनुष्यो मनुष्यप्रभव इत्युच्यते, तद्वक्ष्यामः- भूतानां चतुर्विधायोनिर्भवति- जराय्वण्डस्वेदोद्भिदः| तासां खलु चतसृणामपि योनीनामेकैका योनिरपरिसङ्ख्येयभेदा भवति, भूतानामाकृतिविशेषापरिसङ्ख्येयत्वात्| तत्र जरायुजानामण्डजानां च प्राणिनामेते गर्भकरा भावा यां यां योनिमापद्यन्ते, तस्यां तस्यां योनौ तथातथारूपा भवन्ति;यथा- कनकरजतताम्रत्रपुसीसकान्यासिच्यमानानि तेषु तेषु मधूच्छिष्टविग्रहेषु, तानि यदा मनुष्यबिम्बमापद्यन्ते तदामनुष्यविग्रहेण जायन्ते, तस्मात् समुदायप्रभावः सन् गर्भो मनुष्यविग्रहेण जायते; मनुष्यश्च मनुष्यप्रभव उच्यते,तद्योनित्वात् ||१६||

sanskrit

Lord Ātreya said, “It has already been concluded that the mind connects the soul with the body. A human being is considered to be a cause for the creation of another human being simply because an embryo is a combination of various factors that produce a human form. Thus there are four classes of living beings, viz. jarayuja (viviparous), andaja (oviparous), svedaja (living-beings born of damp heat) and udbhida (living-beings born by sprouting from the earth). Each of these four classes is of innumerable types. This is due to the countless distinct characters they possess. Just as molten gold, silver, copper, tin and lead , poured into various molds of beeswax, take the form of the mold, viviparous and oviparous beings take their specific forms based on the womb the reproductive factors enter into. So when they come in contact with the human womb, they get into the human form.”

english translation

Atreya uvAca- purastAdetat pratijJAtaM- sattvaM jIvaM spRkzarIreNAbhisambadhnAtIti| yasmAttu samudAyaprabhavaH san sa garbho manuSyavigraheNa jAyate, manuSyo manuSyaprabhava ityucyate, tadvakSyAmaH- bhUtAnAM caturvidhAyonirbhavati- jarAyvaNDasvedodbhidaH| tAsAM khalu catasRNAmapi yonInAmekaikA yoniraparisaGkhyeyabhedA bhavati, bhUtAnAmAkRtivizeSAparisaGkhyeyatvAt| tatra jarAyujAnAmaNDajAnAM ca prANinAmete garbhakarA bhAvA yAM yAM yonimApadyante, tasyAM tasyAM yonau tathAtathArUpA bhavanti;yathA- kanakarajatatAmratrapusIsakAnyAsicyamAnAni teSu teSu madhUcchiSTavigraheSu, tAni yadA manuSyabimbamApadyante tadAmanuSyavigraheNa jAyante, tasmAt samudAyaprabhAvaH san garbho manuSyavigraheNa jAyate; manuSyazca manuSyaprabhava ucyate,tadyonitvAt ||16||

hk transliteration

यच्चोक्तं- यदि च मनुष्यो मनुष्यप्रभवः, कस्मान्न जडादिभ्यो जाताः पितृसदृशरूपा भवन्तीति; तत्रोच्यते-यस्य यस्यह्यङ्गावयवस्य बीजे बीज भाग उपतप्तो भवति, तस्य तस्याङ्गावयवस्य विकृतिरुपजायते, नोपजायते चानुपतापात्;तस्मादुभयोपपत्तिरप्यत्र| सर्वस्य चात्मजानीन्द्रियाणि, तेषां भावाभावहेतुर्दैवं; तस्मान्नैकान्ततो जडादिभ्यो जाताः पितृसदृशरूपा भवन्ति ||१७||

sanskrit

So, the answer to the previous question “if the human being is a product of another human being, why is a progeny of a dull human being not always dull?” is that, if the part of the beeja (seed - sperm or ovum) responsible for the development of a specific organ is afflicted, the respective organ will be afflicted too. However, if the beeja is not afflicted, there would be no affliction of the respective organ. So both the possibilities are there. In fact, the sense organs of all the living beings are derived from the soul and their presence or absence is determined by karma i.e. the result of the past action. So the offspring of dull parents do not necessarily resemble their parents in those qualities.

english translation

yaccoktaM- yadi ca manuSyo manuSyaprabhavaH, kasmAnna jaDAdibhyo jAtAH pitRsadRzarUpA bhavantIti; tatrocyate-yasya yasyahyaGgAvayavasya bIje bIja bhAga upatapto bhavati, tasya tasyAGgAvayavasya vikRtirupajAyate, nopajAyate cAnupatApAt;tasmAdubhayopapattirapyatra| sarvasya cAtmajAnIndriyANi, teSAM bhAvAbhAvaheturdaivaM; tasmAnnaikAntato jaDAdibhyo jAtAH pitRsadRzarUpA bhavanti ||17||

hk transliteration

न चात्मा सत्स्विन्द्रियेषु ज्ञः, असत्सु वा भवत्यज्ञः; न ह्यसत्त्वः कदाचिदात्मा, सत्त्वविशेषाच्चोपलभ्यते ज्ञानविशेष इति ||१८||

sanskrit

It is not that the soul is conscious only when it possesses sense organs and is devoid of consciousness otherwise. The soul and mind are inseparable, hence always conscious.

english translation

na cAtmA satsvindriyeSu jJaH, asatsu vA bhavatyajJaH; na hyasattvaH kadAcidAtmA, sattvavizeSAccopalabhyate jJAnavizeSa iti ||18||

hk transliteration

भवन्ति चात्र- न कर्तुरिन्द्रियाभावात् कार्यज्ञानं प्रवर्तते| या क्रिया वर्तते भावैः सा विना तैर्न वर्तते ||१९||

sanskrit

भवन्ति चात्र- न कर्तुरिन्द्रियाभावात् कार्यज्ञानं प्रवर्तते| या क्रिया वर्तते भावैः सा विना तैर्न वर्तते||१९|| It(the soul) cannot perform various actions in the absence of the sense organs though awareness exists. So it is not possible to perform any action in the absence of sense organs.

english translation

bhavanti cAtra- na karturindriyAbhAvAt kAryajJAnaM pravartate| yA kriyA vartate bhAvaiH sA vinA tairna vartate ||19||

hk transliteration

जानन्नपि मृदोऽभावात् कुम्भकृन्न प्रवर्तते| श्रूयतां चेदमध्यात्ममात्मज्ञानबलं महत् ||२०||

sanskrit

A potter cannot function in the absence of clay even when he is knowledgeable and skilled. Listen to this spiritual wisdom- a greatly powerful knowledge of the soul.

english translation

jAnannapi mRdo'bhAvAt kumbhakRnna pravartate| zrUyatAM cedamadhyAtmamAtmajJAnabalaM mahat ||20||

hk transliteration