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A Super-child
The wish to
give birth to a Super-child is as old as Time. The characteristics required
in a super-child, however, vary among individuals. Some desire a child with
good health, brave warriors in olden days, super intelligence, super genius,
versatile artistic qualities, spiritual qualities and so on. We desire or
may not desire but if we so desire do we get such a super child? Modern
scientists think that cloning a child by changing genetics may be the
answer. But we have already seen that children born of the same parents, or
same gene-pool, are different and we understand that this is the result of
the mother's mental state during pregnancy.
Ancient Indian thinkers have researched the influence of genetics and
environment on the qualities of a child. Thus the ancient Indian thinkers
fall into two categories. One class of thinkers say that a human being is a
consequence of heredity (vanshaanu-sankraman), the other class of thinkers
propound that heredity can be altered through desired environment (ichchhit
parayaavaran). The Vedic Sanskaar system is a synthesis of both these
theories.
What
does the term Samskaar mean?
Every thought
and every action leaves a subtle impression on the mind of a person as a
permanent record. These are called
Samskar. Ancient scientists always gave
importance to the thoughts in the mind. It is the way of thinking that
attributes to the personality.
The Vedic Samskaar system does not deny that a child is created through
parental union of sperm-ovum; it also does not deny that environment has a
great hand in the development of the off-spring. This is the reason that the
Vedic Sanskaars are classified in two categories. The first category
is formed while the child is in its mother's womb: these can be called the
prenatal Sanskaars (garbhasth sanskar); the second category is formed after
birth: these can be called postnatal Sanskaars (janmasth sanskar).
Every Cultural traditions around the world has it own sanskars. But it is
well defined in Indian system because of it heritage. As we mentioned it
earlier you can use this information to understand you own tradition.
Prenatal and
Postnatal Sanskaars.
Conception (Garbhadhan
), Pro-creation (Punsavan), and Mental Development (Seemantonayan) are the
prenatal Sanskaars.
Pursuit of
Knowledge (Upanayan), Enquiry of the learned knowledge (Brahmacharya),
Application of that knowledge (Grihastha) etc. are the postnatal Sanskaars.
Pregnancy - pre-steps
Instead of making pregnancy an accident and panic about the steps to be
undertaken, it is best to pre-plan what is needed. We will now discuss
that in detail.
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