The Voice of the Rain: Walt Whitman-- Hornbill-- English Core CBSE class XI

The Voice of the Rain: Walt Whitman-- Hornbill-- English Core CBSE class XI

The Voice of the Rain: Walt Whitman-- Hornbill-- English Core CBSE class XI

The Voice of the Rain: Walt Whitman-- Hornbill-- English Core CBSE class XI

Foetal Transplant: Balrama, brother of Krishna

In 2013, a team of researchers and doctors performed the last of nine planned uterus transplants. Live-donor uterus transplantation has a low risk despite extended surgery duration. In the next phase researchers will help seven of the women become pregnant through IVF treatment. The project is the world's first systematic and research-based attempt to find a treatment for women with uterine infertility. Several medical, psychological and quality of life-related parameters are monitored among the women, which will be of great help for further progress in the field.

March 4, 2014
University of Gothenburg 



Foetus and uterus transplants are a fearsome topic even in the modern age. They are still in the research stage and are full of risks and anxieties. Isn't it really commendable that there are references of a foetal implant in our ancient religious scriptures? The one example that I know of is none other than Balarama, the elder brother of Srikrishna. He too like Krishna was the son of Vasudeva of Yadava clan. He had two mothers Devaki and Rohini and interestingly, both bore him partly.

The story begins with the marriage of Vasudeva and Devaki, the sister of Maharaja Kansa, the king of Mathura. She was a half sister, but Kansa doted on her. He marries her off with grandeur and splendour, and when the time for her departure fro m the palace came, there was a prophecy from the skies....'Akashvani..' It was the voice of the Lord that warned Kansa that the 8th born son of Devaki, the sister he had so much affection for, would kill him. Kamsa imprisoned Devaki and Vasudeva, and Kamsa became fixated upon killing each and every child.

Hence, in order to save his own skin, the cruel Kansa started killing the innocent infants. He had already killed six of Devaki's children brutally. By the time Devaki conceived her seventh child, she was crestfallen and very very worried. She knew with certitude that the blood thirsty brother would not spare her offspring. Devaki was very upset and began praying to Vishnu for help. Her prayers were answered One night, Vishnu appeared in her dream and said that the divine king of snakes, Seshnaga, would be born as her seventh child. He told her that the child would not be killed by Kansa. This gave some sense of hope to the disconsolate parents. It is at this cathartic point that Yogamaya stepped into the story. As it is with grandiose stories, there is a touch of the supernatural and sublime that tickles the reader's imagination. Similarly, Yogmaya is introduced who creates some miracle for the seventh issue of Devaki. She is nothing but the 'Maya' created by the Supreme Lord Vishnu.


Yogamaya, it is said, extracted the foetus from the uterus of Devaki while she was eight months pregnant and placed it inside the uterus of Rohini.

The Vishnu Purana narrates the story like this---

Lord Vishnu being satisfied with the prayer of Devatas gave two of his of hair --- black and white separately for the benefit of humanity. Before the conception, of Devaki's seventh and eight children, the Lord implanted them in her womb. These two hair converted to Balaram and Srikrishna. Just before his birth, the white hair turned-offspring was miraculously transferred by way of Vishnu's maya to the womb of Rohini, another wife of Vasudev who had desired to have a child of her own. So, to save him from Kamsa's tyranny. Yogamaya transferred Ananta Sesa (Balarama) from the womb of Devaki to the womb of Rohini.


Rohini at that time hid herself in Nanda's house at Gokul for the fear of the demon Kamsa. It is said in Bhagavat that - 'Devakya Jathare Garbham Shesakhyam Dham Mamakam, Tata Sanni Krushya Rohinya Udare Sanniveshaya' Bhagavat [10-3-(8-10)]


The supreme power called Shesha which is the abode of Lord Krishna (Vishnu), took birth as a human in the form of foetus in the uterus of Devaki. Goddess Yogamaya extracted the foetus of Balarama and placed it safely inside the uterus of Rohini, the second wife of Vasudeva. So after birth his name was Sankarsana.

I pause at this point to point out that this is the huge allusion to a transplant of foetus from one womb to another. This is an example to prove that such kind of an activity was not alien to the ancient Indians.... I guess that one day Modern Science will also make this possible. The rest of the story is as follows--

Some time later, during the most auspicious moment in Sravana month, Rohini, just like a lioness gave birth to Lord Balarama.

His complexion was white like a lotus flower and he looked like the full moon. His eyes were brilliant like lightning flashes. His hair was the color of a cloud yet brilliant like the sun. Such extraordinary beauty prevailed because He was none other than the Lord Sankarsana.

He was called Sankarshan meaning a spirit transferred between two wombs. He was fair complexioned and was formally named Rama, but because of his great strength he was renamed Balarama which means 'strong Rama'. Balarama was born in the village of Gokul in the full moon month of Sridhara in July. This is where, his younger brother Krishna, the eight born, also joined him later.

The child born out of the black hair was dark complexioned and was named Krishna. The family priest who performed the naming ceremonies for Krishna and Balarama provided the following reasons for their names--

These two Lords, Krishna and Balarama, are the seed and womb of the universe, the Creator and His Creative potency. They enter the hearts of living beings and control their conditioned awareness. They are the primeval supreme.

Along with Balarama, Rohini is also the mother of Subhadra. She played a prominent role in the nurture of Krishna. She was a partial incarnation of Surabhi, the mother of the cows.

The child thus born was named Balarama, and grew to be a great warrior and support of his younger brother Krishana.

Krishna, who was the much-anticipated eighth child of Devaki, was moved immediately after birth to Gokula in secrecy. Rohini also moved to the same region, to be able to keep an eye on her beloved stepson Krishna, who was raised in another family due to the impending threat of him being killed by Kansa. It is due to this proximity that the two brothers, Balarama and Krishna, grew up together.

Test Tube Babies: Kauravas

I'm going to talk about the test tube baby birth technique adopted in India thousands of years ago during the Mahabharata period.



Most likely, scientific advancement then was greater than what it is today. It was an age which gives references of test tube babies (birth of Kauravas), surrogate motherhood (Kunti and Madri's children) Foetus transplant (Krishna's brother Balram was transferred from Devaki's to Rohini's womb). Modern scientists have time and again accepted this fact and this was mentioned in a conference on stem cell research that the Kauravas were products of a technology that modern science has not even developed as yet.


The Mahabharata describes Gandhari as a mother of 100 sons the Kauravas. Her story begins when Bhishma Pitamah, the Kuru elder took upon himself the task of finding a suitable match for his blind nephew Dhritrashtra. He visits the Kingdom of Kandhar with a marriage proposal for the beautiful princess Gandhari. The King hesitated in accepting the proposal considering the dark future of his daughter by marrying her to a visually impaired beau but later relented.


After her marriage to Dhritrashtra, she wrapped a bandage over her eyes and vowed to share the darkness that her husband lived in. Gandhari's brother Shakuni, who probably never forgave this injustice to his sister, came along to look after the interests of Gandhari.


Once Sage Vyasa came to visit Hastinapur. He came to her abode, exhausted with hunger and fatigue and was very warmly looked after by the queen. She took great care of the comforts of the great saint and ensured that he had a pleasant stay. And as the story progresses in great Indian epics, the saint was immensely pleased and gratified with the hospitality and granted her a boon. Predictably, Gandhari wished to bear children. But unprecedently, she asked for one hundred sons who would be as powerful as her husband in strength and accomplishments. Vyasa granted her the boon and eventually, the regal queen became an expectant mother.


Like any other mother to be, she was filled with an exuberant hopefulness. But her wait was an excruciating and relentless one. Two years passed and still the baby was not delivered and she was greatly vexed by this. Meanwhile, the younger Kunti gave birth to a son from god Yama whom she named Yudhishtra. When Gandhari heard about the eldest Pandava whose glory and splendour was like the morning sun, she was highly envious and enraged.


Impatient of the abnormally long gestation period, and blinded by grief and frustration at not being able to fulfil her husband's expectations of a rightful heir, she struck her womb with great strength. As a result of that assault, a hard mass of flesh like an iron ball fell out.


This hard piece of lifeless flesh that was not a baby at all devastated Gandhari. She had expected a hundred sons as per the blessing of the divine sage Vyas. She challenged Vyasa to fulfil his blessing of one hundred sons. Ved Vyas informed her that his blessings could not be vain and assured her that she would be the mother of a hundred sons. He asked for one hundred jars filled with Ghee to be arranged. He cut the piece of flesh into hundred pieces and placed them into the jars. They would then develop into children. At that time,Gandhari expressed her desire of also wanting a daughter. Vyas agreed and cut the piece of flesh into one hundred and one pieces and placed them each in pots. After two more years of patient waiting the jars were ready to be opened. . (Mahabharata, Aadhiparvam, chapter 114, sloka 17).

When the first baby was ready for birth, the pot cracked and from it emerged Duryodhana, 'the unconquerable one' who is difficult to defeat. Unfortunately, assoon as the infant cried, all the beasts of the jungle started wailing. This expressed an impending ill omen.


My narration about the test tube birth gets over here, but the rest of the tale is as follows--

As he was born at a very inauspicious hour, Vidhura and Bheeshma advised Dhritarashtra and Gandhari that the child be abandoned as the omens at his birth spelt doom for the Kuru clan. He would certainly bring about the death and destruction of the complete clan. But Dhritarashtra and Gandhari’s love was truly blind and they refused to part with Duryodhana. They were adamant that a baby could not cause any harm and kept him much against everyone's wishes. At the same time the second Pandava Bhima was born to Kunti in the forest.


As the other children of Gandhari were ready for birth, they were taken out of the jars and she now had one hundred sons and a daughter Dushila. All her children grew up to be strong and powerful as per the boon.

Born of a Dead Father: King Janak of Mithila

Posthumous sperm retrieval 
(PSR) is a procedure which is still under speculation even in this advanced age. People argue over the ethical, religious and judicial considerations of invasive retrieval of sperms for purpose of fathering children from fresh cadavers.  

The issue is  especially sensitive and debatable because the procedure is carried out without explicit consent from the donor. But isn’t it quite shocking to observe that there are ancient stories in our texts and scriptures that allude references of the same. If there are references of the same from thousands of years back, there must be some element of truth that inspired this idea.

I am going to parallel the story of the birth of the first King Janak of Mithilapuri, the ancestor of the more well known Raja Siradhwaja Janak, the father of princess Sita. I will narrate the story of  King Nimi who  is considered to be the first king of Mithila in the lineage of Janaks born in Janakpur, Nepal  according to Vishnupurana

One day Brahma distracted the mind of Nimi who  instituted a sacrifice that was to endure for a thousand years. He  requested Vashishtha to conduct a Yajna, to offer the oblations so that he could reach Swarag along with his body.   Vashistha acquiesced but said, that he had been pre engaged by Indra for five hundred years, but if the Rájá, would wait for some time, he would come and officiate as the priest.  Nimi left without saying anything and started arrangements for Yajna. Many seers were invited and all except for Vashishtha were present on due time.

Vashishtha did not come because he had committed to Indra before Nimi’s request  for the Yajna and hence would be performing Indra’s task first.

When the sage completed  the ceremonies he had conducted for Indra, he returned hastily to Nimi to accomplish his yagna. When he arrived, he discovered that Nimi had retained Gautama and other priests to perform rituals instead of him, he was much displeased and pronounced upon the king, who was then asleep, a curse. He was much angered   he had not been informed about the king’s intention, but the duty that had first been  entrusted to him, had been  transferred to Gautama .   The hot headed Vashishtha then lost his temper and   cursed Nimi, “Sadeh Videho Bhava”.   

Nimi would  cease to exist in a corporeal form. When he awoke, and knew what had happened, he also cursed his unjust preceptor that he also should lose his bodily existence, as the punishment of uttering a curse upon him without previously communicating with him.  Nimi then abandoned his bodily condition and due to the curse, he died. 

In the meantime, the yagna was concluded and the priests requested the gods who had come to receive their portions, that they should bless  the author of the sacrifice. The gods were willing to restore the king  to bodily life, but Nimi refused, saying, "O deities, who are the alleviators of all worldly suffering, there is not in the world a deeper cause of distress than the separation of soul and body,  it is therefore my wish to dwell in the eyes of all beings, but never more to resume a corporeal shape!" 

 After the death of Nimi, he was asked  to remain as hair above  eyes (Eye-brows- the NIMI)   The gods agreed to this request and Nimi was placed  on the eyes of all living creatures due to  which their eyelids frequently open and shut.

As Nimi left no successor, the Munis, apprehensive of the consequences of the place being without a ruler, agitated the body of the King.   The corpse of Nimi was preserved from decay by being embalmed with fragrant oils and resins, and it remained as entire as if it were immortal.*   The dead body was placed in a churn in hope that the dead body of Nimi would re-assume human form. Sages succeeded in their effort and MITHI (means soil) emerged from churn. They churned out  a son out of his dead body(Mathi Kaya)  and produced from it a prince who was called Janaka.  He was born without a progenitor because his father was without a body (videha), he was called Vaideha, 'the son of the bodiless;' and  further received the name of Mithi,  produced by agitation (mathana)

Mithi established an empire which was named after him as MITHILAPURI.

Born of the dead body of his  father  he took the  title of JANAK. Since that day whoever be the king was called JANAK. The father of Sita was 21st  JANAK. He was  named  Kushadhwaj.

This tale, according to me is an example of a child being born out of the cadaver of his father thus being an example of  Posthumous sperm retrieval.

 *This illustrates that the Hindus were not unacquainted with the Egyptian art of embalming dead bodies. The Vishnu Purana, narrates the story of a  Brahman who carries his mother's  corpse, from Setuhandha or Rámeśwara to Káśhí. For this purpose he first washes it with cowdung five times, and the five pure fluids, or milk, curds, ghee, honey, and sugar. He then embalms it with Yakshakarddama, a composition of Agallochum, camphor, musk, saffron, sandal, and a resin called Kakkola; and envelopes it severally with Netra vastra, flowered muslin; Pat́t́amvara, silk; Surasa vastra, coarse cotton; Mánjisht́ha, cloth dyed with madder; and  blanket. He then covers it with pure clay, and puts the whole into a coffin of copper, Támra samput́a. These practices are not only unknown, but would be thought impure in the present day.