Chapter Two

 Parents and conception

Maatrimaan Pitrimaan A’charyavaan Purusho Veda – Shatapatha
Brahmana.*

“Verily, that man alone can become a great scholar who has had the
advantage of three good teachers, viz., father, mother, and
preceptor.” Blessed is the family, most fortunate is the child whose
parents are godly and learned. The mother’s healthy influence on
her children surpasses that of everyone else. No other person can
equal a mother in her love for her children, or in her anxiety for
their welfare.

This explains the use of the word Matrimaan in the above quotation,
meaning thereby:- “He alone is said to have a mother whose mother
is devout and learned.” Blessed is the mother who never ceases to
impart religious tone to the mind of her child from the time of
conception till his knowledge is perfected.

It behoves both parents before, during, and after conception to

avoid the use of such foods and drinks as are intoxicating,
decomposed (Lit. – foul-smelling) non-nutritious, (Lit. dry), and
prejudicial to the growth of the intellect; and use those articles that
are productive of mental tranquility, health, strength, intellect,
energy and good temper – qualities that go to make a man refined.

Such foods are milk, butter, sugar, cereals etc., – foods and drinks
that help to make the reproductive element (both male and female)
of the highest quality, free from all faults and imperfections. They
should follow the rules of sexual intercourse, which are as follows:-
From the time of menstruation day following is the proper time for
sexual intercourse for pregnancy) barring the first four days and

*Maatrimaan Pitrimaan A’charyavaan Purusho Veda – Shatapatha

Brahmana. In the text the word mata, i.e., mother precedes the word
pita, i.e., father. In the Sanskrit language and all vernaculars derived
from it, it is a invariable practice to use the word mata before the
word pita whenever they happen to come together. -Tr.

Not only this but the word “wife” comes before the word “husband”
and the name of the wife before that of the wife before that of the
husband. We speak of Sitaram and not Ramsita. This shows in,
what veneration the female sex was held by the ancients. -Rama
Deva.

ekaadsi and tryodsi of the (lunar) month; so that there are altogether
left ten nights out of which it is best to choose one for sexual
intercourse.

After the sixteenth day after menstruation there should be no sexual

intercourse till the return of the aforesaid period, or, in case of
pregnancy for one year. At the time of sexual intercourse husband
and wife should be perfectly healthy, mutually happy, and free from
sorrow. In the matter of diet and dress they should follow the rules
laid down by Charak and Sushrut,* and in the matter of keeping
each other happy they ought to practice the system taught by Manu.

During conception pregnancy the mother ought to be very careful as

to her diet and dress. Till the birth of the child those articles only
should be used as are productive of intellect, strength, beauty,
health, energy and mental tranquility, and such other good qualities.

After the child is born and its cord has been cut, it ought to be
bathed with scented water and Homa** performed with scented
clarified butter. The mother should also be well looked after in the
matter of bath, diet, etc., so that both mother and child may
gradually gain in health and strength. The child’s mother or wet-
nurse should take such foods and drinks as are productive of good
qualities in the milk.
The mother should suckle the child only for the first six days,
thereafter the wet-nurse; but the parents should see that the wet-
nurse gets good food and drink.

The mother should suckle the child only for the first six days,
thereafter the wet-nurse; but the parents should see that the wet-
nurse gets good food and drink. If the parents be too poor to afford
a wet-nurse, cow’s or goat’s milk diluted with an equal quantity of
water should be used; and such drugs as are productive of intellect,
energy, and health should be added to the milk after being well
soaked in pure water boiled, and strained.

After confinement the mother and the child should be moved to

another room, where air is pure, and which is well furnished with
scented and beautiful things. They should move about in a pure
atmosphere. When neither the wet-nurses nor milk (cow’s or goat’s)
can be procured, the parents should do what they think best at the
time; but they must remember the child’s body is made up of the
elements derived from the body of the mother, which in fact
accounts for the mother getting weaker after each confinement. It is
best, therefore, for the mother not

*Two great authorities on Medical Science in Sanskrit.

**See chapter .
to suckle her child. Plasters should be applied to the breast that will
soon dry up the milk, by following this system the woman becomes
strong again in about two months. Till then the husband should
have thorough control over his passions, and thus preserve the
reproductive element. Those that will follow this plan will have
children of a superior order, enjoy long life, and continually gain in
strength and energy so that all their children will be of a high
mental calibre, strong, energetic, and devout. The woman should
have her reproductive organs properly seen to, and the husband
should practice continence.

The mother’s instructions to a child.

A mother should so instruct her children as to make them refined in
character and manners, and they should never be allowed to
misconduct themselves in any way. When the child begins to speak,
his mother should see that he uses his tongue properly so as to
pronounce letters distinctly in the right place and with the right
amount of effort. For pronouncing the letter ‘p’ for example, that
right place is the lips and amount of ‘effort’ required is what is
called Full.

In speaking, vowels should be exactly timed- short, long, or

prolonged as the case may be. She should try to cultivate a sweet,
subdued and pretty voice in her child. In his speech, letters,
syllables, words, conjoined words and stops should be distinctly
discernible. When he begins to talk and understand a little, he
should be taught how to address his superiors and inferiors, father,
mother, king and a learned man, and how to conduct himself in
their presence; so that he may never be slight in company, but be
always treated with respect. Parents should endeavor to inculcate in
the minds of their children intense desire for the love of knowledge,
elevating company, and control of the senses.

Children should avoid useless playing, crying, laughing and

wrangling.