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.
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