Prof. Dr. Sohan Raj Tater
The incredible sequence of events that occur before birth resulting in the formation of a perfect human being, is one of the most amazing parts of the human story. Fertilization is union of the ovum with the sperm which takes place in mother's womb. In humans, a mature visible ovum is surrounded by a barrier (tough membrane). An estimated 35 million sperms are needed to break a large enough hole in the barrier for a single sperm to enter the ovum. As soon as this is accomplished the ovum fuses with the sperm and prevents the entry of additional sperms. Now the made pronuncleus with 23 chromosomes units with its counter part - the female pronucleus - and the full complement of 46 chromosomes align themselves in 23 pairs in fertilized ovum. The single cell is now ready to receive soul. Precisely at the instant, a transmigrating soul, which is conscious substance enveloped in micro body Kārmaṇa Śarīra - arise in the womb (from its previous life) and animates the fertilized ovum, which becomes its physical body through a stage by stage biological processes.
A new human being has been conceived. The new human is thus, endowed with:
- The genetic code contained in 23 chromosomes from the mother.
- The genetic code contained in 23 chromosomes from the mother.
- The code conceived in Kārmaṇa Śarīra appended to his soul from his previous life/lives. All these continue to interact and integrate into various programs which would control the life of the new human. It's existence and development is totally dependent on karmic and hereditary instructions. Those for remaining alive come from DNA and Āyuṣya karma.[35] A body's existence and growth are partly dependent on hereditary programmed instructions contained in his DNA and partly on the instructions from the fruition of the body making (nāma karma). Organ building, joints building; structure building and such other functions of remaining alive and growth would be the outcome of the joint action of the DNA and various sub-species of the body making (nāma) karma.[36]
According to vedic religion the act of placing semen into the womb of woman by man in a righteous manner is called conception.[37] Similarly when the menstrual secretion of woman enters her cocoon like womb getting fertilized by man's semen, there occur conception.[38] Conception has been acknowledged as the very first ceremony among 53 activities in digambara scriptures.[39] Regarding the condition of the soul when it enters the womb Gautam asked the Lord: Is the soul endowed with sense organs at the time of its entry into the womb or it is devoid of sense organs? The Lord answered - it is endowed with sense organs as well as devoid of them. The Lord explained the reason at the time of conception the soul is devoid of physical sense organs but it is endowed with subtle object sense organs.[40]
Physical organs cannot take shape without food intake. Similarly answering a question about body the Lord said that body is not audārika (gross), vaikriya (defective) and āhārak (food consuming) but it is taijasa (brilliant) and kārmaṇa (based on karmas).[41] Nowhere else such a subtle and theoretical analysis of the soul located in womb is available. In this connection, the discoveries and experiments of the modern anatomists are very significant. Male sperm and female egg fused together form a single cell that possesses all the hereditary characteristics. The personality of the foetus depends upon this cell. The hair colour, eyes, skin, height or shortness, obesity or slimness, foolishness or sharp intellect, age, constitution of body parts etc., of the foetus, all are inherent in this cell. Thus, according to scientists that first moment is highly significant. [42]
According to the spiritual people Tirthaṁkaras the soul enters into this cell at that very first moment along with its taijas-kārmaṇa bodies following its karmas of the previous birth, and then it is called a living embryo. Birth starts at this very instant. The life of the soul too starts at this instant. Soul is eternal and immortal, therefore, it does not take birth.
This type of conception be compared with paryāptis and karma prakṛtis (nature of karmas). The same is the motto of my research work. Embryo is endowed with soul that possesses karma śarīra (karma body). Kārmaṇa body is made up of karmas which include the basic and posterior nature's of karmas, which are controlled by the principles of karma theory. The nucleus of embryonic cell contains 46 chromosomes on which genes are situated there. Genes constitute the personality. Karma constitute the personality. Genes are subtle atomic particles which are parts of gross body. Karmas are extremely subtler matter particles which are part of subtler body. Both are atomic homogeneous endowed with colour, smell, taste and touch qualities. It is a natural law, a universal truth that extremely subtle control the subtle. Thus, genes control personality while karma control genes. This shall stand proved in the forth coming chapters and that exactly is the objective of my research work.
Doctoral Thesis, JVBU