The Fetal Development

A concise summary of Srimad Bhagavatam Canto 3 Chapter 31

The Spirit Soul is forced to take another body after death through the force of Karma, which is under the direction and indirect control of the Supreme Lord. For the formation of the body, the Soul through the medium of the man’s semen enters the womb of a woman.

The following are the stages of the fetal development as described in the Vedas.

• Night 1: Mixture of man’s semen and women's blood

• Night 5: A circular bubble like mass is formed

• Night 10: A ball of flesh or an egg

• Month 1: Head is formed

• Month 2: The body develops arms, feet and organs

• Month 3: The body develops nails, hair, skin, the penis and the anus

• Month 4: The seven essential ingredients of the body are produced

  • Chyle

  • Blood

  • Flesh

  • Fat

  • Bone

  • Marrow

  • Semen

• Month 5: Hunger and thirst are experienced

• Month 6: The fetus is enveloped with an external skin called jarayu and begins to make movements on the right side of the mother's abdomen

• Month 7: The fetus becomes fully conscious

The fetus continues to stay in a hollow place like the womb close to urine, feces and worms. The fetus gets bitten by worms and the fetus experiences pain but unfortunately can’t do anything about it. The fetus suffers from the bitter, pungent, spicy, salty, acidic and astringent food eaten by the mother. The Soul remembers his last 100 previous lives at this moment and recollects his past actions both good and bad.

The fetus being conscious and having remembered his Karma prays to the Supreme Lord for protection and requests the Lord to free himself from the miseries of birth and death. The Soul actually gets the vision of the Supreme Lord at his moment. Having seen the Lord with conch, shell and club in his hands, the Soul promises that he will utilize his birth to liberate himself from all Karmas. However, as soon as the fetus is gushed out of the Womb in Month 9, the Spirit Soul loses his memory due to the influence of illusory energy of the Lord and comes out into this World.