Issues of interest in the Puranas

Introduction

• There are certain interesting aspects within Puranas that are relevant to various disciplines.
• Therefore, barring the stories, these topics need to studied properly.

Fetal Development (as per Bhagavata Purana)

• Stages of fetal development described in Bhagavata Purana, demonstrating a scientific approach.

• Initial Stages:

  • First night: Mixing of sperm and ovum.
  • Fifth night: Mixture ferments into a bubble.
  • Tenth night: Takes the shape of a plum.
  • Subsequent days: Forms a lump of flesh.

• Monthly Development:

  • First month: Head formation begins.
  • Second month: Limbs (hands and legs) are formed.

• Later Stages:

  • Third and fourth months: Sensory and other organs develop, bones form, skin develops.
  • Seven dhatus (tissues) like plasma, blood, and bone are formed.
  • Fifth and sixth months: Feeling of hunger and thirst develops. The child asks for food (manifested in the mother's cravings).
  • Movement begins in the sixth month. Right side of the abdomen.

Fetal Composition (as per Padma Purana)

• Explanation of fetal composition at birth in Padma Purana.

• Conversation between Yayati and Matali. Matali is the charioteer of Indra. A question that Yayati asked about the birth and the death of the human beings.

• Composition Details:

  • Number of bones: 400 (300 + 100).
  • Number of muscles: 500.
  • Hair: Covered with 3 crores and a half.
  • Number of teeth: 32
  • Number of Nails: 20
  • Bile (Pitta): One kudava (approx. 160 grams).
  • Phlegm (Kapha): Half an adhaka (adhaka = 1.28 kg).
  • Marrow: Five palas (200 grams).
  • Buttocks: Half of the marrow.
  • Flesh: Five palas
  • Fat: Ten palas
  • Thick Blood: Three palas
  • Semen: Half of kudava (80 grams)

Importance of Semen

• Semen creates a human.
• Preservation of semen leads to longevity (through the concept of unchas).

Discussions on Food

• Importance of food in human life (both for survival and brain function).

• Brahmavaivarta Purana:

  • Mentions a balanced diet of staple foods, vegetables, and fruits.
  • Rice, wheat, barley, pulses, and sesame are common edible plants.

• Agni Purana:

  • Paddy cultivation was large scale.
  • Religious functions are conducted to enhance rice production (connection between social and religious aspects).

• Matsya Purana:

  • Mentions 18 varieties of rice.

• Agni Purana:

  • Details taxation on profits from pulse production.
  • One-eighth of produced pulses are paid as tax to the King.

Medicine

• Agni Purana:
  • 36 plants used in combination to treat diseases (Haritaki, Nimba, Aksha, Balda, etc.).
• Matsya Purana:
  • Identifies 75 plants with medicinal value (mahaushadha).
  • These 75 plants are also explained in Charaka Samhita.
  • Laboratory System: Ancient Indians may have possessed a laboratory system to determine medicinal values of herbs.
  • Treatment of mental patients with herbs like Hingu, Sauvarcala, Vyosa.

Veterinary Science

• Agni Purana:
  • Food and medicine for elephants.
  • Plants recommended for elephant diets: Yava, Vrihi, Sastika, Sali, Godhuma, Iksu.

Astronomy (from Brahmanda Purana)

• Basic astronomical details specified in Brahmanda Purana (Chapter 21).

• Concepts Covered:

  • Solar month and solar year.
  • Rutus (seasons).
  • Dakshinayana and Uttarayana (solstices).
  • Names of 12 solar months and their mapping to seasons.
  • Equinoxes and need for intercalary months in a lunisolar calendar.
  • Sunrise and sunset (how they are remembered).
  • Longer days and shorter nights during uttarayana, and rivers during dakshinayana.
    • Rapidness of the sun during Dakshinayana.

Constellations and Time

• During dakshinayana the sun covers 13 and a half constellations in a day (shorter day of 12 Muhurtas).
• 27 Constellations: Divided into two 13 1/2.
• After advent of Northern transit the day consists of eighteen Muhurtas, Sun of slow speed transverse thirteen and a half constellations during the day.
• Brahmanda Purana chapters from number 22 (verse 23-26)
• Description of other thoughts too like: Seasons, cloud formation and rain is phenomena mainly orchestrated by Sun.