GARBH SAMSKAR




• GARBH SAMSKAR •

The Sanskrit word Garbh means foetus in the womb and Sanskar means educating the mind. So, Garbh sanskar essentially means educating the mind of the foetus. It is traditionally believed that a child's mental and behavioural development starts as soon as he is conceived. His personality begins to take shape in the womb, and this can be influenced by the mother's state of mind during pregnancy. This knowledge can be traced back to ancient scriptures and is included in the Ayurveda.

Garbha sanskar can be traced back to ancient Hindu texts like the Vedas which date to 1500-500 BC. It also finds reference in the Mahabharata which was written roughly around 400 BC. It finds a place in traditional ayurvedic medicine as a guide for pregnant women in prenatal education.

Indian mythology is littered with stories that illustrate the power of Garbha sanskar. Here are some of the best known…

One of the most famous and well-known tales is that of Abhimanyu from the Mahabharata. When Arjuna's wife was pregnant with their son Abhimanyu, he told her about how to penetrate the Chakravyuh, a particular war formation. When Abhimanyu became a young man and a warrior in the Kurukshetra war, he remembered his father's story. He was able to employ the strategy that he had heard his father tell his mother while he was in her womb.

That's how Garbh sanskar is an opportunity to impart spiritual thoughts in the baby right from the time of conception. In this view, the garbh sanskar should be directed towards raising the sattva guna (or good qualities and positive thinking in the material sense). Here are the common shlokas and mantras a lady should listen to during her pregnancy…


• LITERATURE •









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