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Srimad Bhagvata Mahapurana: Book 3: Chapter 31: Verses 22-36
The stages of growth of a human embryo
Lord Kapila went on : When the ten-month-old Jiva, who has thus resolved even while in the womb, extols the Lord as aforesaid, the wind that helps parturition propels him forthwith, with his face turned downward, in order that the child may be born. Pushed downwards all of a sudden by the wind, the child issues out (of the womb) with great trouble, head downward, breathless and deprived of memory out of agony. Fallen on earth in a pool of blood and urine (discharged by the mother), the new-born babe tosses like a worm sprung from ordure, and having lost its wisdom (acquired in the womb) and reduced to a state (of self-identification with the body) which is just the reverse of wisdom, cries loudly.Being nourished by people who do not know the mind of another, it is given something which was not intended; and (the pity of it is that) the child is unable to refuse it. Laid on a foul bed infested by sweat-born creatures the (poor) creature is incapable even of scratching its limbs (to relieve itching), much less of sitting up, standing or moving itself. Just as smaller worms bite a big worm, even so gnats, mosquitoes, bugs and other creatures sting or bite the babe, who is most tender of skin and deprived of its wisdom (acquired in the womb), cries (bitterly). Having similarly gone through the painful experiences of infancy and boyhood too, the man (on attaining his youth) flares up due to ignorance when he fails to attain his desired object and is overcome by grief. His pride and anger growing with age, that seeker of sensuous enjoyment enters into hostility with (other) pleasure-seeking men for his own destruction. Clinging to the unreal, the foolish Jiva of misguided intellect constantly regards the body, made up of the five elements, as his own self or something belonging to him. For the sake of this body-which is a source of constant trouble to him and ever follows him, bound by ties of ignorance and destiny-he performs actions (of various kinds), tied to which he goes through repeated births and deaths. lf under the influence' of sensually-minded people engaged in the pursuit of sexual enjoyment and the gratification of the palate he delights in their ways again, he goes to hell as before. One should never cultivate the fellowship of those wicked fools, the toys of women, who are ever fidgety, have identified themselves with the body and therefore deserve to be pitied, nay, by whose company truthfulness, purity, compassion, control over the tongue, wisdom, prosperity, modesty, fair name, forbearance, control of mind and the senses and good fortune are blotted out of existence. The infatuation and bondage which accrue to a man form attachment to any other object are not so complete as those resulting from attachment to women and from the fellowship of men fond of women. At the sight of his own daughter (Saraswati) Brahma (the lord of created beings) was bewitched by her charms and shamelessly ran after her in the form of a stag when she took the form of a hind.
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