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548 1. Scientific Contents in Prākṛta Canons
per chance a third method of pregnancy48. Moreover, this is a case of transfer of foetus rather than conception. The mention of non-sexual method of human conception seems to be the influence of Hindu mythology where many such cases are described. However, there are no such cases through human skill in canons.
There is only one canon which mentions that there may not be any conception even when there is sexual copulation. Fifteen conditions have been described which are self-explanatory in this regard49. A woman may not conceive when
(i) she may not be properly young.
(ii) she may have gone aged.
(iii) she may be barren.
(iv) she may be having disease.
(v) she may be bereaved.
(vi) she may be always in menses.
(vii) she may always be without menses.
(viii) she may not conceive due to weakness in uterus. (ix) she may have approached menopause.
(x) she may have un-natural sex or oversex.
(xi) she may have undercopulation.
(xii) she may have destruction of semen sperms. (xiii) she may have weakness in bilous blood. (xiv) she may have demigodal effect.
( xv) she may have absence of Karmic accumulation useful for reproduction.
Most of these causes are still assumed as possible reasons for non-conception. However, the structural deficiency and quantitative compositional issues are also, now, involved in the process.
It seems strange that while on the one hand, pregnancy is described as a fortunate blessedness of a female life, there have always been some physical, mental or circumstantial compulsions when this was taken to be undesirable. A a result, methods of abortion or mis-carriage have also been in vogue.
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