Charak Samhita

siva.sh/caraka-samhita/sharira-sthana/3/8

आत्मजश्चायं गर्भः| गर्भात्मा ह्यन्तरात्मा यः, तं ‘जीव’ इत्याचक्षते शाश्वतमरुजमजरममरमक्षयमभेद्यमच्छेद्यमलोड्यं विश्वरूपंविश्वकर्माणमव्यक्तमनादिमनिधनमक्षरमपि| स गर्भाशयमनुप्रविश्य शुक्रशोणिताभ्यां संयोगमेत्य गर्भत्वेन जनयत्यात्मनाऽऽत्मानम्, आत्मसञ्ज्ञा हि गर्भे| तस्य पुनरात्मनो जन्मानादित्वान्नोपपद्यते, तस्मान्न जात एवायमजातं गर्भं जनयति, अजातो ह्ययमजातं गर्भंजनयति; स चैव गर्भः कालान्तरेण बालयुवस्थविरभावान् प्राप्नोति, स यस्यां यस्यामवस्थायां वर्तते तस्यां तस्यां जातोभवति, या त्वस्य पुरस्कृतातस्यां जनिष्यमाणश्च, तस्मात् स एव जातश्चाजातश्च युगपद्भवति; यस्मिंश्चैतदुभयं सम्भवतिजातत्वं जनिष्यमाणत्वं च स जातो जन्यते, स चैवानागतेष्ववस्थान्तरेष्वजातो जन्ययत्यात्मनाऽऽत्मानम्| सतो ह्यवस्थान्तरगमनमात्रमेव हि जन्म चोच्यते तत्र तत्र वयसि तस्यां तस्यामवस्थायां; यथा- सतामेव शुक्रशोणितजीवानांप्राक् संयोगाद्गर्भत्वं न भवति, तच्च संयोगाद्भवति; यथा- सतस्तस्यैव पुरुषस्य प्रागपत्यात् पितृत्वं न भवति,तच्चापत्याद्भवति; तथा सतस्तस्यैव गर्भस्य तस्यां तस्यामवस्थायां जातत्वमजातत्वं चोच्यते ||८||

sanskrit

The soul contributes in the process of embryogenesis. The antaratma (soul inside the body) is the same as garbhatma(soul in the fetus) and is known as jeeva (life-form). According to scriptures, this soul is sashvata (eternal). It is aruja (disease-free), does not age (ajara), is immortal (amara), does not undergo decay (akshaya), is impenetrable (abhedya), is unbreakable (achhedya), is unperturbable (alodya), is omnipresent (vishvarupa) and omnipotent (vishvakarma). It is invisible (avyakta), neither has a beginning nor an end (anadinidhana), and is imperishable (akshara). By entering into the uterus, it combines with the shukra (sperm) and the shonita (ovum) and takes birth in the form of a fetus. Thus, the fetus derives its identification from the soul. Because the soul is without a beginning, the birth of the soul is not possible. Neither does the soul, being itself unborn, give rise to an unborn embryo, nor does the soul, being itself unborn, give rise to a born embryo. With the passage of time, the same embryo goes through the stages of childhood, youth, adulthood, and old age. And at each of these states or stages of life, the soul is said to be “born” in that stage. But, with reference to the future stages, it is considered to be unborn or yet to be born. Therefore, the soul is concurrently both born and unborn. In such situations, the soul creates those stages of life after taking birth. In other situations, where the stage of life is yet to come, the soul without being born manifests itself. In those specific stages of life, the change of the state is considered to be the birth of the atman. For instance, mere existence of shukra- shonita (semen and ovum) before the union with the soul is not an embryo. Shukra-shonita are transformed into embryo only when the soul unites with them. A man cannot be called a father before the birth of his child. He is considered to be the father only after the birth of his child. Similarly, the embryo is said to be born or unborn depending upon the state attained or yet to be attained.

english translation

AtmajazcAyaM garbhaH| garbhAtmA hyantarAtmA yaH, taM ‘jIva’ ityAcakSate zAzvatamarujamajaramamaramakSayamabhedyamacchedyamaloDyaM vizvarUpaMvizvakarmANamavyaktamanAdimanidhanamakSaramapi| sa garbhAzayamanupravizya zukrazoNitAbhyAM saMyogametya garbhatvena janayatyAtmanA''tmAnam, AtmasaJjJA hi garbhe| tasya punarAtmano janmAnAditvAnnopapadyate, tasmAnna jAta evAyamajAtaM garbhaM janayati, ajAto hyayamajAtaM garbhaMjanayati; sa caiva garbhaH kAlAntareNa bAlayuvasthavirabhAvAn prApnoti, sa yasyAM yasyAmavasthAyAM vartate tasyAM tasyAM jAtobhavati, yA tvasya puraskRtAtasyAM janiSyamANazca, tasmAt sa eva jAtazcAjAtazca yugapadbhavati; yasmiMzcaitadubhayaM sambhavatijAtatvaM janiSyamANatvaM ca sa jAto janyate, sa caivAnAgateSvavasthAntareSvajAto janyayatyAtmanA''tmAnam| sato hyavasthAntaragamanamAtrameva hi janma cocyate tatra tatra vayasi tasyAM tasyAmavasthAyAM; yathA- satAmeva zukrazoNitajIvAnAMprAk saMyogAdgarbhatvaM na bhavati, tacca saMyogAdbhavati; yathA- satastasyaiva puruSasya prAgapatyAt pitRtvaM na bhavati,taccApatyAdbhavati; tathA satastasyaiva garbhasya tasyAM tasyAmavasthAyAM jAtatvamajAtatvaM cocyate ||8||

hk transliteration

siva.sh/caraka-samhita/sharira-sthana/3/8

आत्मजश्चायं गर्भः| गर्भात्मा ह्यन्तरात्मा यः, तं ‘जीव’ इत्याचक्षते शाश्वतमरुजमजरममरमक्षयमभेद्यमच्छेद्यमलोड्यं विश्वरूपंविश्वकर्माणमव्यक्तमनादिमनिधनमक्षरमपि| स गर्भाशयमनुप्रविश्य शुक्रशोणिताभ्यां संयोगमेत्य गर्भत्वेन जनयत्यात्मनाऽऽत्मानम्, आत्मसञ्ज्ञा हि गर्भे| तस्य पुनरात्मनो जन्मानादित्वान्नोपपद्यते, तस्मान्न जात एवायमजातं गर्भं जनयति, अजातो ह्ययमजातं गर्भंजनयति; स चैव गर्भः कालान्तरेण बालयुवस्थविरभावान् प्राप्नोति, स यस्यां यस्यामवस्थायां वर्तते तस्यां तस्यां जातोभवति, या त्वस्य पुरस्कृतातस्यां जनिष्यमाणश्च, तस्मात् स एव जातश्चाजातश्च युगपद्भवति; यस्मिंश्चैतदुभयं सम्भवतिजातत्वं जनिष्यमाणत्वं च स जातो जन्यते, स चैवानागतेष्ववस्थान्तरेष्वजातो जन्ययत्यात्मनाऽऽत्मानम्| सतो ह्यवस्थान्तरगमनमात्रमेव हि जन्म चोच्यते तत्र तत्र वयसि तस्यां तस्यामवस्थायां; यथा- सतामेव शुक्रशोणितजीवानांप्राक् संयोगाद्गर्भत्वं न भवति, तच्च संयोगाद्भवति; यथा- सतस्तस्यैव पुरुषस्य प्रागपत्यात् पितृत्वं न भवति,तच्चापत्याद्भवति; तथा सतस्तस्यैव गर्भस्य तस्यां तस्यामवस्थायां जातत्वमजातत्वं चोच्यते ||८||

sanskrit

The soul contributes in the process of embryogenesis. The antaratma (soul inside the body) is the same as garbhatma(soul in the fetus) and is known as jeeva (life-form). According to scriptures, this soul is sashvata (eternal). It is aruja (disease-free), does not age (ajara), is immortal (amara), does not undergo decay (akshaya), is impenetrable (abhedya), is unbreakable (achhedya), is unperturbable (alodya), is omnipresent (vishvarupa) and omnipotent (vishvakarma). It is invisible (avyakta), neither has a beginning nor an end (anadinidhana), and is imperishable (akshara). By entering into the uterus, it combines with the shukra (sperm) and the shonita (ovum) and takes birth in the form of a fetus. Thus, the fetus derives its identification from the soul. Because the soul is without a beginning, the birth of the soul is not possible. Neither does the soul, being itself unborn, give rise to an unborn embryo, nor does the soul, being itself unborn, give rise to a born embryo. With the passage of time, the same embryo goes through the stages of childhood, youth, adulthood, and old age. And at each of these states or stages of life, the soul is said to be “born” in that stage. But, with reference to the future stages, it is considered to be unborn or yet to be born. Therefore, the soul is concurrently both born and unborn. In such situations, the soul creates those stages of life after taking birth. In other situations, where the stage of life is yet to come, the soul without being born manifests itself. In those specific stages of life, the change of the state is considered to be the birth of the atman. For instance, mere existence of shukra- shonita (semen and ovum) before the union with the soul is not an embryo. Shukra-shonita are transformed into embryo only when the soul unites with them. A man cannot be called a father before the birth of his child. He is considered to be the father only after the birth of his child. Similarly, the embryo is said to be born or unborn depending upon the state attained or yet to be attained.

english translation

AtmajazcAyaM garbhaH| garbhAtmA hyantarAtmA yaH, taM ‘jIva’ ityAcakSate zAzvatamarujamajaramamaramakSayamabhedyamacchedyamaloDyaM vizvarUpaMvizvakarmANamavyaktamanAdimanidhanamakSaramapi| sa garbhAzayamanupravizya zukrazoNitAbhyAM saMyogametya garbhatvena janayatyAtmanA''tmAnam, AtmasaJjJA hi garbhe| tasya punarAtmano janmAnAditvAnnopapadyate, tasmAnna jAta evAyamajAtaM garbhaM janayati, ajAto hyayamajAtaM garbhaMjanayati; sa caiva garbhaH kAlAntareNa bAlayuvasthavirabhAvAn prApnoti, sa yasyAM yasyAmavasthAyAM vartate tasyAM tasyAM jAtobhavati, yA tvasya puraskRtAtasyAM janiSyamANazca, tasmAt sa eva jAtazcAjAtazca yugapadbhavati; yasmiMzcaitadubhayaM sambhavatijAtatvaM janiSyamANatvaM ca sa jAto janyate, sa caivAnAgateSvavasthAntareSvajAto janyayatyAtmanA''tmAnam| sato hyavasthAntaragamanamAtrameva hi janma cocyate tatra tatra vayasi tasyAM tasyAmavasthAyAM; yathA- satAmeva zukrazoNitajIvAnAMprAk saMyogAdgarbhatvaM na bhavati, tacca saMyogAdbhavati; yathA- satastasyaiva puruSasya prAgapatyAt pitRtvaM na bhavati,taccApatyAdbhavati; tathA satastasyaiva garbhasya tasyAM tasyAmavasthAyAM jAtatvamajAtatvaM cocyate ||8||

hk transliteration