CHAPTER – 11
THE SON said: – As soon as the male seed is mixed with female blood one, released from heaven or hell, enters into it. (1) O father, the two kinds of seed being influenced by him he attains stability. He then grows into protoplasm, next into a bubble and then into a lump of flesh. (2) The germ that grows up in the lumps of flesh called Ankura and then are gradually produced the five limbs. (3) Then the minor limbs, fingers, eyes, nose, face, and ears are developed from (principal) limbs and from them the nails, &c. (4) Then hairs grow on the skin and then those on the head. Thus does the embryo grow up along with the uterus. (5) As a cocoanut fruit grows along with its case so does this increase along with its case, with is face bent downwards. (6) It grows keeping its hands downwards to its thighs and sides; the thumbs are placed on the thighs and the other fingers before them. (7) The eyes are behind the thighs and the nose is within the thighs. The hips are between the two heels; the arms and legs remain outside. (8) Thus a Creature, lying in the womb of a female, grows up gradually; the embryos of other creatures lie in the womb according to their forms. (9) It gets hardened by fire and lives by what is eaten and drunk; the embryo exists in the womb depending upon virtue and vice. (10) The entrail called Apyayani fixed to its navel is attached to the entrail of the female and it grows there. (11) Having its body nourished while in the womb, by the food and drink a creature gradually grows up. (12) It then gets the recollection of its many births and then pushed hither and thither it comes to entertain a distaste (for such a state). (13) Having been released from the womb – “I shall never do it again – I shall so strive that I shall not have to enter into the womb any more” – thus does it think remembering a hundred miseries of births originating from destiny which he had experienced before. (14-15) Then in the course of time, the creature, with its face bent downwards, turns itself and is then born in the ninth or the tenth month. (16) And coming out it is assailed by the Prajapatya wind and tormented by the grief that is in its heart it bewails. (17) Coming out of the womb it falls into an unbearable trance; it regains its consciousness when it feels the (surrounding) air. (18) Then the enchanting illusion of Vishnu takes possession of it; having its soul possessed by it, it sustains a bewilderment of sense. (19) With the loss of sense the creature comes of infancy, boyhood, youth and old age. (20) A man repeatedly goes through a cycle of births and deaths. In this way, he rolls like a clock on the wheel of the world. (21) Sometimes a man attains heaven, sometimes he goes to hell and sometimes a dead man reap both heaven and hell.
(22) And sometimes born again in this earth he reaps the fruits of his own acts. And sometimes enjoying the fruits of his own acts within a short time he breathes his last. (23) Sometime, O best of Brahmanas, living in heaven or hell for a short time on account of his limited merit or demerit he is born in this earth. (24) O father, the dwellers of heaven are seen by them to enjoy happiness – and then those, brought down to perdition, think that there is a great misery in hell. (25) Even in heaven there is incomparable misery for from the time of ascension every one conceives in his mind: “I shall fall.” (36) Beholding the people of hell, they attain to mighty misery thinking day and night “I shall be brought to this condition.” (27) Mighty is the pain of living in the womb, of being born from a female, of the infancy of one when born, and that of decrepitude as well. (28) There is also great misery in youth Influenced by lust, malice and anger; old age is also full of miseries and the culmination of this is death.
(29) Mighty is the pain of those who are carried away by force by the emissaries of Yama and thrown into hell; then again is birth in the womb and death and hell. (30) In this wise bound by the fetters of nature the creatures revolve on the wheel of the world like a clock and suffer miseries. (31) O father, there is not the least happiness in this world abounding in a hundred miseries. Why then shall I, exerting for emancipation, follow the three Vedas? (32)