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Jainism : Through Science
53
it becomes more solid, in the third week tissues multiply in number. At the end of the first month, the weight of the embryo rises to three karsas i.e. 48 masas or 240 gunjas. During the second month, the embryo looks like a cubic piece of tissues and develops into a more solid form. In the third month the mother desires a particular thing because of the embryo. During the fourth month of pregnancy, different parts of the mother's body such as breast or mammary glands get nourished. In the fifth month, formation of two hands, two feet and a head takes place. In the sixth month, blood and bile are formed and during the seventh month 700 veins, 500 functional cavities, 9 main pipes (dhamanis) take their shapes. At the end of the seventh month construction of 99 lakhs of hair-holes and 3.5 crores of hair take place. During the last month the embryo becomes completely ready for independent life.
Tandulaveyaliya and Vicara-ratnakara show that if the embryo is on the right side in the womb of the mother, its modification takes place as a boy or male and if the embryo is on the left side in the womb, it becomes a girl or female."
We find the reproductive period of men and women during life time in Pravacana-saroddhara and Tandulaveyaliya-payanna. If the longevity is of a hundred years, mostly men and women can reproduce a child from 16 years to 75 years and from 12 years to 55 years respectively. 12 The developing time for human embryo is 277 days approximately and Kalpa-sutra also approves of this fact by giving the developing period of Tirthankaras' embryo in their mother's womb.13
Fertilization of an egg with a sperm i.e. descending of soul to a woman's womb takes place within 12 muhurtas i.e. 9 hours and 36 minutes after the copulation of man and woman within: 12 days after the menstruation period. 14
Eventhough the menstruation cycle in woman's body and the reproduction of sperms in man's body start at the age of 12 years and 16 years respectively, they become capable to reproduce a healthy and well-developed child at the age of 16 years and 20 years respectively.15
