अंडजाः पक्षिणः सर्वे सर्पा नक्राश्च भूपते । जरायुजाश्च विज्ञेया मानुषाश्च चतुष्पदाः
All birds, snakes, and crocodiles, O king, are born from eggs; those born from wombs are to be known as humans and four-footed animals.
तत्र सिक्ता जलैर्भूमिर्रक्ते उष्मविपाचिता । वायुना धम्यमाना च क्षेत्रे बीजं प्रपद्यते
There, the earth, moistened by water, cooked by the heat of blood, and fanned by wind, receives the seed in the field.
यथा उप्तानि बीजानि संसिक्तान्यंभसा पुनः । उपगम्य मृदुत्वं च मूलभावं व्रजंति च
Just as seeds that are sown and again moistened with water, upon becoming soft, attain the state of roots.
तन्मूलादंकुरोत्पत्तिरंकुरात्पर्णसंभवः । पर्णान्नालं ततः कांडं कांडाच्च प्रभवः पुनः
From those roots, a sprout arises; from the sprout, leaves are produced; from the leaves, the stalk, and from the stalk, again, the shoot.
प्रभवाच्च भवेत्क्षीरं क्षीरात्तंदुलसंभवः । तंदुलाच्च ततः पक्वा भवंत्योषधयस्तथा
From the shoot comes milk; from the milk, rice is produced; from the rice, when cooked, medicinal herbs are likewise formed.
यवाद्याः शालिपर्यंताः श्रेष्ठाः सप्तदश स्मृताः । ओषध्यः फलसाराढ्याः शेषा क्षुद्रा प्रःकीर्तिताः
Barley and others up to rice are considered the best seventeen; the remaining herbs, rich in fruit-essence, are called minor.
एता लूना मर्दिताश्च मुनिभिः पूर्वसंस्कृताः । शूर्पोलूखलपात्राद्यैः स्थालिकोदकवह्निभिः
These, having been cut and crushed, are first prepared by sages with pestles, mortars, vessels, pots, water, and fire.
षड्विधा हि स्वभेदेन परिणामं व्रजंति ताः । अन्योन्यरससंयोगादनेकस्वादतां गताः
By their own sixfold distinctions, they undergo transformation; by the combination of their flavors with each other, they attain many kinds of taste.
भक्ष्यं भोज्यं पेयलेह्यं चोष्यं खाद्यं च भूपते । तासां भेदाः षडंगाश्च मधुराद्याश्च षड्गुणाः
O King, food is classified as chewable, eatable, drinkable, lickable, suckable, and masticable; these have six divisions and, beginning with sweetness, six qualities.
तदन्नं पिंडकवलैर्ग्रासैर्भुक्तं च देहिभिः । अन्नमूलाशये सर्वप्राणान्स्थापयति क्रमात्
That food, consumed in morsels, lumps, and mouthfuls by embodied beings, gradually sustains all living beings, being rooted in food.
अपक्वं भुक्तमाहारं स वायुः कुरुते द्विधा । संप्रविश्यान्नमध्ये च पक्वं कृत्वा पृथग्गुणम्
Food that is eaten but not yet digested is divided by the wind; entering into the food, it makes it properly cooked and distinct in quality.
अग्नेरूर्ध्वं जलं स्थाप्य तदन्नं च जलोपरि । जलस्याधः स्वयं प्राणः स्थित्वाग्निं धमते शनैः
Above the digestive fire is water, and that food rests upon the water; below the water, the vital air itself remains and gently fans the fire.
वायुना धम्यमानोग्निरत्युष्णं कुरुते जलम् । तदन्नमुष्णयोगेन समंतात्पच्यते पुनः
The fire, fanned by the wind, makes the water exceedingly hot; by the union of heat, that food is again cooked thoroughly on all sides.
द्विधा भवति तत्पक्वं पृथक्किट्टं पृथग्रसः । मलैर्द्वादशभिः किट्टं भिन्नं देहाद्बहिर्व्रजेत्
That cooked food becomes twofold: the waste is separated, and the essence is distinct; the twelve wastes are expelled from the body separately.
कर्णाक्षि नासिका जिह्वा दंतोष्ठ प्रजनं गुदा । मलान्स्रवेदथ स्वेदो विण्मूत्रं द्वादश स्मृताः
The ears, eyes, nose, tongue, teeth, lips, generative organ, and anus—these exude wastes; sweat, feces, and urine are remembered as the twelve.
हृत्पद्मे प्रतिबद्धाश्च सर्वनाड्यः समंततः । तासां मुखेषु तं सूक्ष्मं प्राणः स्थापयते रसम्
All the channels are bound together in the heart-lotus; at their openings, the vital air places the subtle essence.
रसेन तेन ता नाडीः प्राणः पूरयते पुनः । संतर्पयंति ता नाड्यः पूर्णा देहं समंततः
With that essence, the vital air again fills those channels; filled, those channels nourish the body throughout.
ततः स नाडीमध्यस्थः शारीरेणोष्मणा रसः । पच्यते पच्यमानश्च भवेत्पाकद्वयं पुनः
Then, the essence situated within the middle of the channels is cooked by the bodily heat, and as it is being cooked, there arises a twofold transformation.
त्वङ्मांसास्थि मज्जा मेदो रुधिरं च प्रजायते । रक्ताल्लोमानि मांसं च केशाः स्नायुश्च मांसतः
From it arise skin, flesh, bone, marrow, fat, and blood; from blood come hairs and flesh, and from flesh, hair and sinew.
स्नायोर्मज्जा तथास्थीनि वसा मज्जास्थिसंभवा । मज्जाकारेण वैकल्यं शुक्रं च प्रसवात्मकम्
From sinews come marrow and bones, from marrow and bones comes fat; from the form of marrow arises deficiency, and semen, which is the cause of procreation.
इति द्वादश शान्तस्य परिणामाः प्रकीर्तिताः । शुक्रं तस्य परीणामः शुक्राद्देहस्य संभवः
Thus, the twelve transformations of the digested food are described; semen is its final transformation, and from semen, the body is produced.
ऋतुकाले यदा शुक्रं निर्दोषं योनिसंस्थितम् । तदा तद्वायुसंसृष्टं स्त्रीरक्तेनैकतां व्रजेत्
When, at the proper time, semen, free from defect, is established in the womb, then, united with the wind, it merges with the woman’s blood.
विसर्गकाले शुक्रस्य जीवः कारणसंयुतः । नित्यं प्रविशते योनिं कर्मभिः स्वैर्नियंत्रितः
At the time of emission of semen, the soul, endowed with its causes, always enters the womb, governed by its own deeds.
शुक्रस्य सह रक्तस्य एकाहात्कललं भवेत् । पंचरात्रेण कलले बुद्बुदत्वं ततो भवेत्
From the union of semen and blood, on the first day, a lump is formed; in five nights, that lump becomes a bubble.
मांसत्वं मासमात्रेण पंचधा जायते पुनः । ग्रीवा शिरश्च स्कंधश्च पृष्ठवंशस्तथोदरम्
In one month, it becomes flesh, and then, in five ways, it is further formed: the neck, head, shoulders, spinal column, and abdomen.
पाणीपादौ तथा पार्श्वौ कटिर्गात्रं तथैव च । मासद्वयेन पर्वाणि क्रमशः संभवंति च
Likewise, the hands and feet, the sides, the waist, and the body; in two months, the joints arise gradually.
त्रिभिर्मासैः प्रजायंते शतशोंकुरसंधयः । मासैश्चतुर्भिर्जायंते अंगुल्यादि यथाक्रमम्
Within three months, hundreds of joints begin to form; in four months, the fingers and other parts develop in order.
मुखं नासा च कर्णौ च मासैर्जायंति पंचभिः । दंतपंक्तिस्तथा जिह्वा जायते तु नखाः पुनः
The mouth, nose, and ears appear in five months; the rows of teeth, the tongue, and then the nails are formed.
कर्णयोश्च भवेच्छिद्रं षण्मासाभ्यंतरे पुनः । पायुर्मेढ्रमुपस्थं च शिश्नश्चाप्युपजायते
The openings of the ears arise again within six months; the anus, genitals, and the penis are also produced.
संधयो ये च गात्रेषु मासैर्जायंति सप्तभिः । अंगप्रत्यंगसंपूर्णं शिरः केशसमन्वितम्
The joints in the limbs are formed in seven months; the body becomes complete with all parts, and the head is adorned with hair.