Should I have an Abortion? It is a heavy question with a weight that lasts a lifetime. It is not a quick nor simple answer. I have been in the seat where a client sits before me and says, “I have an appointment to have an abortion this Friday, but I am having doubt, what does the chart say?” It is my job to help bring clarity from a place free of prejudice and bias and with full unconditional positive regard.
This article starts discussing the ethical nature of giving advice about abortion, then discusses the beginning of life, followed by an Āyurvedic understanding of the sacred development of the soul entering a womb to take incarnation. It looks at the traditional presence of abortifacients followed by nullifying the anti-abortion arguments from a Hindu perspective. This establishes the respect for life, an understanding of its cycles, which allows the gravity of this choice to be realized with compassion. Then we explore the techniques that an astrologer uses to analyze the pregnancy and its possible termination.
Ethics
Is it ethical for an astrologer to discuss abortion with a client? When making important decisions that have an unretractable impact, it is wise to consult confidential people who have been trained to give good counsel. I believe it is not only ethical but critical for there to be as many educated discussions as possible when there is doubt about a pregnancy. This article is geared to help astrologers be more competent with answering such an impactful decision.
There are those who think astrologers are not valid sources of important advice because they themselves don’t believe in astrology. I recommend they start with the various priests and pastors who give advice based on the faith that salvation is attained by believing a Jewish man died for their sins when he was crucified for sedition. Astrology is not a faith based system and does not require anyone’s faith to make it valid.
Is it ethical for an astrologer to tell a person not get an abortion because they believe life begins at conception? No, this is unethical. A person comes to an astrologer for astrological advice, not opinion. Promoting a Christian ideal is putting personal opinion formed by religious belief over the ‘astrological indications’ which no longer qualifies as giving astrological advice. Some believe that a percent of the negative karma and suffering the pregnancy and birth causes will be carried by the individual who put their opinion before the guidance of the stars. If the astrologer cannot answer without their bias or holds a strong view where there will only be one answer, then it is ethical to refuse the consultation. Being aware of bias, one’s belief can be clearly stated that it is not ethical to answer such a question and the client is better to consult another astrologer. This level of integrity will be more supportive for the astrologer in the long term.
It is important for the astrologer to read what they see in the birth chart and the horary chart (praśna) with clarity. The astrologer does not tell the person to not get an abortion or to get an abortion but shares the astrological indications to help give the broader understanding of the potential situation and outcomes. Pressure on the person to follow the advice given is bullying and not ethical. An indication of the possible potentials in the realm that the client has doubt is all they need to make a qualified decision based on their understanding of the present situation.
Āyurveda
and Life
The life-soul (jīva-ātman) exists even before conception, it is not created after a couple has sex and it will be around long after the physical container it resides in dies. The life-soul has had many physical embodiments before being ready to enter a human birth and will have many more lives after death.
The word jīva means living, alive, and relates to the Latin root vivat meaning ‘to live’ and in use within French, Spanish, Italian and Portuguese as viva or vive. The life-essence (jīva-ātman), often translated into English as ‘soul,’ was created lifetimes ago, and its presence is required for the sperm and egg to become viable. In Āyurveda and related Indian thought, life (jīva) is not created at conception, but life-essence is required for conception. The abortion argument about when ‘life’ begins is primarily a Christian argument which is often held within the context of Christian concepts of a soul with only one life. This is less of a Hindu concern where the creation of the life-soul is discussed in larger terms.
The larger concern is that in a pregnancy there is a life-soul that has begun to grow inside of a woman’s body creating physical, emotional, social, financial and large time obligations that will be primarily her responsibility with often little support. It is not the life-soul’s first birth, and this incarnating life comes with its own desires and personality, as well as kārmic baggage with the mother and the community. Jyotiṣa teaches that the relationship between mother and incarnating life-soul is constantly negotiated from before conception through each possible month of pregnancy and many potential years after birth.
After an abortion, the life-soul will incarnate again. Āyurveda does not believe the Christian view that the soul will not attain a ‘salvation’ because it was not baptized by the church and so died polluted with original sin. An abortion stops an already existent life-soul from incarnating from a particular pregnancy. Sometimes, the life-soul is not deeply connected to the mother/family and is impatient, so it will find another family to incarnate into. Other times, the life-soul has a strong desire to be with a particular mother/family and will wait till the mother is ready to reincarnate with her. Sometimes, the soul has a strong desire and is impatient and will incarnate through another member of the family. Abortion does not damn either mother or incarnating soul to hell. Atonement for the mother/father and ritual support for the incarnating soul is available for all to be in well-being.
In most cases, abortion is a traumatic experience
for both the mother and the aborted life-soul. The earlier the abortion, the
less hormonal disturbance for the mother, and the greater ease for the life-soul
to find another embodiment.
In later term abortions, there is more hormonal shifts that when stopped
abruptly lead to various imbalances that Āyurveda can support to return to
balance. There are also many emotions that are brought up by present
circumstances that can be addressed by Yoga or a trained counselor. The soul
that was stopped from incarnating can be offered various rituals to help it
move on in a good way, and to help it find another more beneficial womb.
Āyurveda
and Pregnancy
The karmas of the incarnating soul are attracted to the mental state of the man and woman at the time of copulation. Sperm is released into the female partner, called the niṣeka. The released sperm travel into the womb to fertilize the female ovum which can take anywhere from ten hours to five days. The moment of ‘conception’ is called the ādhāna.[1] Ādhāna literally means depositing as well as kindling or lighting a fire.
When fertilization happens it is the beginning of a process, yet this actual process was started at the niṣeka, and the process is still taking place and not viable on its own. When the sperm and egg combine into a zygote all the genetic material that will be used to create that individual is then in place, yet the seed has no field to grow in. This cell mass continues to divide as it travels into the uterus. This mass of cells can be frozen for years and later be planted and made into a child (while an infant cannot be frozen for years). If there is no implantation then there is no pregnancy. In this regard, the Āyurveda texts define the embryo (garbha) as: the combination of sperm (śukra), ovum (śoṇita) and life-soul (jīva) when it has become stationed in the uterus (garbhāśaya-stha).[2]
Caraka Saṁhitā says the combined sperm and ovum go to the uterus and then the jīva, conjoined the mind, descends into the womb (avakrama) to create the embryo.[3] The mind forms the bridge between the physical matter which will become body and the jīva which is transmigrating. Caraka Saṁhitā states that the physical body is a result of the subtle body (sūkṣmaśarīra) and can only manifest when associated with the subtle body guiding the formation of the physical body and mind according to the results of past actions.[4] This may seem clear but if the jīva does not enter until in the womb then how was the genetic material which will make the body according to its karma already processed before descending to the uterus? [5] The jīva had to be present even before the niṣeka if it was attracted by the parent’s mental state during intercourse. Therefore, the question can be at what point does the jīva enter the physical or is the jīva guiding the entire process in a transcendental state. These are issues of debate. Life (jīva) is present at fertilization and implantation, but if there is no pregnancy (garbha/ embryo formation) can it be said that a human incarnation has begun? In the case of In-Vitro fertilization, the space between fertilization and implantation can be drastically different, hence Āyurveda and Jyotiṣa requires implantation to count the pregnancy.
Charaka Saṁhitā states that the embryo is a modification (vikāra) of space, air, fire, water and earth and that this [modification of elements] is the seat of consciousness (cetana-adhiṣṭhāna).[6] Charaka mentions that this consciousness is considered a sixth element (dhātu), as the Buddhists describe the embryo as an aggregate (samavāya) of the five elements with consciousness (viññāṇa-dhātu).[7] Life (jīva) and Consciousness (cetana) can be used interchangeably in Vedic philosophy (not Buddhist). Charaka is clear that the life-consciousness has a residence within in the changing mass of the five physical elements, hence this life-consciousness will continue elsewhere if the physical residence is removed.
Āyurveda has a deep understanding of each month of pregnancy.[8] The first month of pregnancy the embryo is called Kalala, which is when the sperm and ovum mix and begin multiplying exponentially. Caraka Saṁhitā says that there is no distinct form in this month, yet all organs exist in their latent form.[9] The embyro becomes the size of a kidney bean in the second month.
The third month is called Aṅkura which means to sprout.[10] Caraka Saṁhitā says all sense organs, limbs of the body and internal organs manifest themselves simultaneously in this month according to the modification of the five elements. This month marks the end of the embryonic period and the beginning of the fetal period. Suśruta Saṁhitā says when the embryo (garbha) develops hands, feet, sense organs, etc. and it is called a body (śarīra); though in western medical terms it is now called a fetus. All material and spiritual phenomena of the universe are said to be present in the fetus and everything in the fetus is present in the universe.[11] All deities can be identified in the body- Wind (Vāyu) as the life force (prāṇa), Space (Ākāśa) as the porous parts, the King of Heaven (Indra) as the I-sense (ahaṁkāra), the Sacred Twins (Aśvins) as the complexion, etc.[12] The body grows according to the same components that compose and guide the universe.
As the senses manifest, there is pulsation in the fetal heart tissue and the physical mind which integrates the senses begins to feel. There is a body-soul-mind integration developing where the fetus experiences desires related to its past life. The mother enters dauhṛdāvasthā-the state of two hearts. The fetal blood is oxygenated in the mother’s lungs and she begins to share the desires of the child because of this state of two hearts. The mother will get desires for unfamiliar foods and dreams that are different than normal. 91% of early abortions (garbhavicyuti) happen before the end of this time period of the pregnancy.[13]
The fourth month is called Asthi which means ‘bone’ and is when the fetus develops structure. The bone begins to harden, teeth buds develop, the arms and legs develop to the proportion of the body, and reflexive movement stimulates kicking and stretching. 7.7% of abortions will happen between this 12 to 18 week period. These later term abortions (garbhapāta) are more common in those who cannot afford an abortion and need to save money for the procedure, or those who need to travel a longer distance to receive the abortion. Easier access and financial assistance can help reduce late term abortions. Access to medication abortion has also supported more abortions being done before the sixth week from conception.
The fifth month is Carma which means ‘skin’. The skin grows in excess to be filled with fatty tissue later, the pigmentary and sweat glands become more clear, the vernix caseosa forms on the skin as a protective layer, the nervous sytem develops myelin and sensory development increases. The physical aspect of mind (manas) which processes sensory stimuli is developing. The fetus is aware of sounds outside the womb, sensitive to light, as well as smell and tastes which show up in the amniotic fluid of the mother quickly after ingestion. Abortion this late is rare (about 1% of abortions). It is often done by mothers desiring the pregnancy but discovered genetic or other abnormalities seen in developing organs that would indicate the baby may be unviable after birth. This late stage abortion (garbhavadha) is also done when the mother’s life is in danger and the fetus is not viable to live outside of the womb.
The sixth month is called Aṅgaja which means produced from the body and represents the growth of hair and nails. The fetus is also practicing the use of its digestive system by taking the amniotic fluid into its digestive track and creating meconium. The lungs also take the amniotic fluid in and out while the muscles of the lungs function to prepare the muscles for breathing. Locomotor control in the brain begins to develop at this time (though just reflexive movements), as the nervous sytem and muscles integrate.
The seventh month is called Cetana-tā which means the state of sentience or consciousness- this is when the fetus is said to become fully aware of inside and outside the womb. The brain (mastiṣka) grows very quickly at this time. Modern research shows the thalamocortical connections are formed at this time which allows the true sensations of pleasure and pain. Some traditions say that this is when the soul enters the body as this is when it becomes conscious. Suśruta Saṁhitā’s opinion is that the fetus gets cetanā dhātu in the fourth month when its heart begins to operate fully as the heart is the seat of consciousness. The Āyurveda texts agree that the soul is needed to enter for the formation of an embryo to be established,[14] therefore it is the working of the conscious intelligence that starts during the seventh month. It is the mundane awareness of the buddhi which is ignited not the higher awareness of the jīvātman. This month is when the fetus can survive outside the womb with the support of modern medical intervention.
Previously, the focus was on functional development while now the focus is growing bigger and the fetus begins putting on body fat at this point to prepare for emerging from the womb. The ninth month is called Udvega which means agitated. The fetus is fully functional and is moving excessively in the womb. Visible feet are seen on the mother’s belly as the fetus kicks and stretches. This was interpreted as the fetus showing readiness to leave the womb. Though by the end of this month and beginning of the next the movement slows down as the fetus grows so big it has no room to move. The tenth month is called Prasava which means ‘to bring forth’ or delivery, it is also called the delivery month (sūti-māsa). Suśruta Saṁhitā says delivery is normal in the ninth or tenth month. This is a profound understanding of the development in the womb from texts written over 2,000 years ago, and with this knowledge follows a profound sense of how to care for the mother during pregnancy.
Life (jīva) is present as the parents make love. Life interacts with the impregnation chosing its DNA and implantation to take residence. Life also develops the senses and feeling at 3 months and brings awareness into matter in the seventh month.This life (jīva) co-habits with another conscious human and does not become a separate entity till its first breath. The first breath changes the fetal heart circulation from two chamber to four chamber, which allows sovereignty separate from the umbilical cord oxygenation. Life breaths and breath is life. And at the time of death, life leaves with the final exhale and the life processes in the physical body end.
Āyurveda and Abortion
The Āyurvedic texts were also aware of fetal abnormalities and unplanned pregnancies. The mother’s life is given priority when there is danger to giving birth and removal of the fetus is explicitly explained.[16] Āyurvedic texts are filled with many local and oral contraceptives and abortifacients, as well as herbs for uterine contractions to induce pregnancy or to remove a retained placenta.[17] Local herbs are known to be used, such as the stronger and safer abortifacient Kemuka (Costus specious Sm.) from the locality of Varanasi which is used instead of Kalihāri (Gloriosa superba Linn.) as mentioned in the Āyurvedic texts.[18] In this way, there are both textual references and Indian folk use herbs for inducing abortion, as well as addressing hemorrhaging and other issues that can occur during an abortion procedure.[19] In India, abortion was made legal by the Shah committee on compassionate and medical grounds to prevent wastage of women’s health and lives, and India continues to make compassionate decisions supporting women’s ‘right to life and liberty’.[20] While scripture may support that the fetus is its own life-being, it still requires the body of the mother during pregnancy and afterwards. The embryo is seen as a part of the woman’s body. Indian government policy works to ensure access to safe and legal abortion up to 20 weeks of gestation, and no limit if there is substantial fetal abnormality as diagnosed by a medical board containing a gynecologist, sonologist and pediatrician (which allows the decisions to be in the hands of those medically trained to make such a decision).[21]
Hinduism has many guiding principles, but these are not forced upon people. Hinduism teaches that one is supposed to step back from work and focus on more social concerns at the age of fifty, but there are no laws forcing people to retire at age fifty. Autonomy is respected within the guidelines of right-living and an understanding that all situations have their own distinct characteristics which alter the determining conditions are recognized. Hinduism and Indian law are realistic and understanding of human nature. The real danger of illegal abortions and the horrible detriment to parents and child of an unwanted pregnancy create an unwholesome state of society. Access to safe and legal abortions leads to the long-term better condition of family, community and country. Individual purification rites by the mother and father of an aborted child are understood to take care of the spiritual condition of the individual.
Anti-abortion Arguments Discussed
In Āyurveda, abortion is advised when the mother’s life is in danger.[22] But otherwise is considered a ‘minor’ sin (upapataka) based upon its inclusion within various lists of negative actions which require rectification to cleanse.[23] Anti-abortionists use the inclusion in these lists to support the illegality of abortion.[24] Instead of completely reading these lists to see the purifications listed to nullify and heal any negative karma created.
Anti-abortionists twist the doctrine of re-incarnation to say an aborted fetus is delayed liberation, as if there is a race to get liberated.[25] The fact of reincarnation lessens the sin as compared to a religion which believes the soul only has one chance to be saved. There is a repeated statement by anti-abortionists that abortion interferes in the spiritual evolution of the soul.[26] The theory of reincarnation assumes you will have many lives and many deaths, and “death is not an end, a sin, or a suffering.” [27] The goal is not to have as many children as possible to liberate as many souls as possible, but to have a balanced life of purpose (dharma), financial security (artha), healthy relationship (kāma), and spiritual growth (mokṣa). Mokṣa is not the only goal of Hinduism, it is one part of right living. Kārmic theory includes the fact that some embryos will not be born, that some infants will die early, and that not all children will grow to adulthood. The Mahābhārata story of Śantanu and Ganga indicates that sometimes a short life, or death just after birth, is the karma that is indicated to be experienced and has its own liberating qualities that human short-sightedness can’t see in the moment but will eventually be clear when we are granted a broader vision.[28]
Hinduism is a sex-positive culture. While monks were celibate, common people are encouraged to have a healthy sex life, and Indian priests are married and have families. Āyurvedic texts have an entire department for prescribing sexual tonics. Āyurveda discusses the frequency of sex during times of life and frequency during times of the year. An entire separate science (rati śastra) exists to discuss sexuality and its healthy, pleasurable expression. It is a Christian argument that a woman should suffer the consequence of the “sin” of sex (either chosen by her or forced upon her). In the Hindu texts, there are other ways to balance karma which allow for the highest well-being of all involved.
In general, Hinduism is not rooted in Western cultural and Christian concepts of coverture (that women are the property of men and have no rights on their own). Hindu scripture references the respect given to a woman to make decisions about her body and the nature of her family.[29] Therefore, a woman’s body and her choice is respected. While abortion may be a negative karma, it may be necessary for the well-being of others and if performed, it can be purified in a way that makes less suffering in this world.
Anti-abortionists refer to the Hindu commitment to non-violence (ahiṁsa) as a reason to make abortion illegal. While the Hindu scriptures do not declare abortion to be free of karma, there is no law forbidding a woman to have an abortion, it is the woman’s right to choose, and her safety and well-being is considered primary. Non-violence is relative. To kill a mosquito and save someone from malaria is non-violence. To fight an invading army and protect one’s family is non-violence for your family. The Hindu culture and the Indian government works to make legal decisions about abortion with pragmatism, without rigidity, and upholding compassion (daya) for all involved in a pregnancy.[30]
Vedic Astrology
Bioethicists have tried to find a single Hindu ethics, yet been unable to do so as there are so many variations within Sanskrit texts and living Indian traditions.[31] While the Christian and Scientific Materialism prejudice against astrology does not support bio-ethicists to accept Jyotiṣa as a valid source of ethical determination, it is an inherent part of Hindu life. Ignoring the utilization of astrology in India is a modern discrimination against approximately 2,000 years of integrated religious practice in Hinduism. Indian Astrology’s principles infer the kārmic implication of actions and its techniques give individualized advice to guide people to their greatest well-being.
Freedom Cole summarizes the general pregnancy and children techniques to look at in the natal chart, as each can be explored much more deeply, and then focus on the question of pregnancy (garba praśna). The first indication to look at in the natal chart is the condition of the Moon in the rāśi and the navāṁśa. This will show how life will either grow easier or more difficult after becoming a mother. Whether anxiety or depression is likely after the pregnancy will be indicated by the condition of the Moon. The fourth from the Moon in the rāśi and the navāṁśa will indicate potential complications during labor.[32]
Then to look at the potential of having other children and what those children will be like, we start with the fifth house and its lord to see the nature of having children, as well as the ninth house and its lord for a woman carrying a child. The A3 and As3 in the 2, 6, 8, 12 from Sun will show complications getting pregnant. The A9 and As9 similarly placed will show complications holding the pregnancy. The A3 and A9 show physical medical intervention is required, while the As3 and As9 indicate the issues is on the spiritual level of the relationship with the incarnating life-souls. If there are multiple issues relative to these combinations, then the pregnancy may be rare occurrence that might not happen again. This detail is important for decision making.
The saptāmśa will indicate the physical fertility potential and the specific nature of the children. Reading the kāraka bhāva for each conception indicates the nature of that pregnancy and reading the houses from the lord of the kāraka bhāva for each pregnancy indicates the gender, character, and career of each potential pregnancy/child.[33]
The daśā at the time of the pregnancy will indicate financial prospects, the mother’s health and whether pregnancy aligns with the present capacities. The antardaśā is an important factor for the character and wellbeing of the child. These details need to be explored with the expectant mother. There are often questions about the father/partnership (or its lack). The condition of the relationship (and its support) is analyzed from seventh house and its bhāveśa, Venus, and the upapāda lagna (UL). It is valid to look at the father’s chart in this situation and discuss his financial situation, mental health, addictions and wellbeing.
The above techniques have various resources to go more deeply. An astrologer answering this type of question should have competency with these techniques, and should research and practice more if they do not have these skills. The consultation can share what is possible based on these techniques so that the mother can make the best choice possible.
All these placements are analyzed with unconditional positive regard. One’s bias can shame a woman for anything you want to project on her. A circulating meme indicated the standard reasons to shame a mother are for keeping a pregnancy, shame her for terminating a pregnancy, shame her for losing a pregnancy, shame her for not conceiving, shame her for not enough children or shame her for too many children, shame her for putting the child in day care to work, or shame her for staying home to care for the child. The shame is not in the activity, the shame is in either her own weakness of self-perception or the weakness in the astrologer’s projection. Shame is a negative avasthā, which is an affliction anywhere in a consultation. The client asking about an abortion is already suffering mild-to-severe regret, guilt, shame, anger, anxiety, and depression for their condition which can become stronger after an abortion. Removing shame is an important part of creating a beneficial and healing consultation and cultivating mental and physical health in the client.
Praśna
A lot of weight is placed on the horary chart (praśna) for the moment the question has been stated or sent to the astrologer. The natal chart shows the karma a life-soul comes into this incarnation with, called prārabdha karma. The above techniques are used to analyze the karma around children and pregnancy. The praśna will show how karma is being altered by daily choices and activities, called kriyamāṇa karma. The praśna will give more specific details for the conditions at that moment in time, such as the condition of the mother, father and child.
Praśna Mārga states that the lagna represents the husband and the Ārūḍha Lagna (AL) represents the wife [4].[34] I use the lagna to represent the person asking the question and the AL to represent the spouse. In this way, the kāraka house from the praśna will indicate the emotions, finances and other details of each person. This can be confirmed through inquiry based on the significations presented.
For determining whether there will be an abortion or not, we analyze Jupiter (Jīva) as the kāraka of children, the fifth house and its lord for a man asking or the ninth house and the ninth lord for a woman asking. The location and condition of the lagneśa is also important for understanding the present condition of the individual. Afflictions in the praśna will often be seen in some way in the natal chart and will lead the direction of what is most concerning. For example, if in the praśna, there is a gaṇḍānta Moon in the ninth, and in the natal chart the ninth lord is in its own sign at zero degrees, it indicates the weakness of this planet is causing an issue to be addressed.
The
following are a few verses from Praśna Mārga that will indicate if a woman will
become pregnant if that is the question, and will indicate whether to keep the
child if that is what is asked.
If Jupiter, the lagneśa, fifth
lord and seventh lord are all weak,
there will not be children [28.8].
If malefics are in the fifth
house and the fifth lord is pāpakartari [or other strong affliction] and is
devoid of benefic aspect, then there will be no children [28.9].
If malefics occupy the fifth
from the Ascendant, the Moon and Jupiter, and are not aspected by a benefics
then there is no children [28.10].
If Jupiter is in Capricorn (goat-fish)
in the fifth house, there will be sorrow from loss of child [28.13].
If the lord of the fifth house
is debilitated in the eighth house devoid of beneficial aspect or the eighth
lord is [negatively] placed in the fifth house [pregnancy is lost] [28.14].
If Jupiter is pāpakartari and
the fifth lord is week and without beneficial aspect, there will be loss of
child [28.15].[35]
Loss of child/pregnancy can occur if the fifth lord is nīca and occupies an inimical house or is combust, or is associated with the sixth, eighth, or twelfth lords… [28.16].
Summarizing the above Praśna Marga combinations (but using the ninth lord for women), if the kāraka Jupiter is afflicted by debilitation in a negative house or combustion or pāpakartari, and/or the ninth house and its lord is afflicted similarly then this indicates loss of the pregnancy. If malefics aspect these significations (especially more than two) then this causes lack of good conditions for the child and indicates loss of pregnancy. Benefic planets aspecting these significations will indicate support or adoption or other services that support the birth of the child. Malefics aspects indicate lack of money, no desire for the child or wrong reason for pregnancy. Benefics indicate desire for the child and that resources will come. If Jupiter and the ninth lord are in the ascendant, it is an indication to keep the child, and if Jupiter and the ninth lord are in duḥsthānas it is an indication not to keep the child. Mixed indications can exist and predominance of natural indications of planets in kāraka bhāva, placement of kāraka bhāveśa, strength of kāraka bhaveśa, condition of kāraka, and then aspects can be weighed and integrated with the natal chart.
A well-placed Jupiter, benefics (or malefics in own sign or exaltation) in the kāraka bhāva (or subhakartari) and a well-placed kāraka bhāveśa with beneficial aspects indicates happiness from birthing the child. Mars aspecting the navāṁśa lagna indicates that there will be an abortion (or miscarriage if one intends to keep the child) [75].
In the praśna, the kāraka for children, Jupiter, was pāpakartari in a māraka house which does not indicate well for the child. The ninth house was aspected by Saturn and no benefics. The kāraka bhāveśa, ninth lord, was mārana kāraka sthāna in the eighth house with aspects from Mars and Rāhu indicating severe issues and possible death of the fetus. The woman wrote to me about the timing of her abortion. The fetus was discovered to have a lot of fluid at the neck, which indicates a high likelihood of genetic or heart defects.
In her natal chart, she was running a Saturn-Saturn viṁśotari daśā, and Saturn was placed in the eighth house. In the praśna, Rāhu and Saturn in the seventh are indicating she was suffering in her relationship, which she indicated they were no longer together. The lagna contains a severely afflicted Moon, indicating she did not want to become a mother again (she already had a six year old child), which also related to the seventh house malefics aspecting the lagna.
Mars had a rāśi dṛṣṭi to the navāṁśa lagna, and the abortion was already planned- the woman was just looking for confirmation on her choice. I let her know that the fetus did not seem to have any issues, but I could see that she was very much not looking forward to motherhood again, especially with her present relationship condition that did not look like it was getting better.
Garbha praśna
If the person asking is not the father or the mother then there is a special technique to access the situation. A point is created by adding the degrees of the lagna and the degrees of upagraha Yamakantaka (shown as yg in many software programs). This yogasphuṭa and the Moon will indicate details about the mother. The seventh from this yogasphuṭa and the Sun will indicate about the father. And the nature of the child will be indicated by the strength, aspect and placement of Jupiter [49]. If the yogaphuṭa and the Moon are afflicted there is danger to the mother’s life. If Jupiter is not well placed and afflicted then the child’s life is in danger [51].
Atonement (Prāyaścitta)
Abortion is not illegal or forbidden in Hindu scripture, but it is considered to have a negative kārmic implication which requires purification and atonement. There is often grief and guilt that remains after an abortion. The practices to remove this guilt are called grabha-vadha-prāyaścitta- penance for destroying an embryo. These atonements are described by Yajñavalka in the Garuda Purāṇa (CV) and are said to be modified according to circumstances of guilt, age, physical capacity along with the advice of one’s preceptor. For abortion, circumstances of guilt relate to the reason for the abortion; fetal abnormality has little guilt, while improper pregnancy protection during sexual intercourse is a much larger guilt and requires more actions. Age and physical capacity relate to the individual’s ability to perform more difficult penance.
Various types of fasting are advised for 40 days depending on the nature of the situation and the capability of the individual. The three main fasts advised are a month long fast of minimal rice (chandrayana vrata), a month long fast of only milk, and a 12 day fast of only water (paraka vrata). More details can be read about each. This fast is done will reciting a hymn that destroys negative karma (Aghamarṣaṇasukta)[36] for one lunar cycle each day before bathing. It is a prayer to Varuṇa, who is the lord of the waters, lord of the ocean, and lord of the Milky Way. It is his job to ensure that the fruits of karma are enforced or adjusted according to penance. While reciting this prayer, the individual holds water cupped in the right hand and then sprinkles the water on their head before bathing. For those not familiar with Sanskrit, a recording can be played, and the English can be read instead.[37]
hiraṇya śṛṇgaṁ varuṇaṁ
prapadye tīrtha me dehi yācitaḥ |
yan mayā bhuktam asādhnāṁ
pāpebhyaśca pratigrahaḥ || 55||
I take refuge in golden effulgent Varuṇa. Forgive me for having accepted gifts from unworthy persons.[38]
yanme manasā vācā karmaṇā
vā duṣkṛtaṁ kṛtam |
tanna indro varuṇo bṛhaspatiḥ
savitā ca punantu punaḥ punaḥ || 56||
May Indra (the lord of Heaven), Varuṇa (the lord of waters), Bṛhaspati (the Guru of the Gods) and Savitṛa (the power of the Sun) completely purify my negative activities of mind, speech and action.
namo'gnaye'psumate nama
indrāya namo varuṇāya namo vāruṇyai namo'dbhyaḥ || 57||
yadapāṁ krūraṁ yadamedhyaṁ
yadaśāntaṁ tadapagacchatāt || 58||
Praises to Agni (the Sacred Fire), to Indra, to Varuṇa, to (his wife) Vāruṇī, to the water-powers. Through the power of this mantra, let all the impurities in this water (in my hand) be destroyed.
atyāśanād atī pānād yacca
ugrāt pratigrahāt | tan me varuṇo rājā pāṇinā hyavamarśatu || 59||
so'ham apāpo virajo
nirmukto mukta kilbiṣaḥ | nākasya pṛṣṭham āruhya gacched brahma salokatām ||
60||
May the
powerful Varuṇa purify me [from………], free from negativity, cleansed, released, so
that I may reach sacred space.[39]
yaścāpsu varuṇaḥ sa
punātvaghamarṣaṇaḥ || 61||
imaṁ me gaṅge yamune
sarasvati śutudri stomam̐ sacatā paruṣṇiyā |
asiknia marudvṛdhe
vitastayārjīkīye śṛṇuhyā suṣomayā || 62||
From the water-source, may Varuṇa purify me. Oh sacred rivers: Gaṅgā, Yamunā, Sarasvatī, [and any local sacred rivers may be added here] be present and hear my prayer.
ṛtaṃ ca satyaṃ cābhīddhāt
tapaso.adhyajāyata |tatorātryajāyata tataḥ samudro arṇavaḥ || 63 ||
samudrādarṇavādadhi saṃvatsaro ajāyata |ahorātrāṇividadhad viśvasya miṣato vaśī
|| 64 ||
sūryācandramasau dhātā yathāpūrvamakalpayat |divaṃ capṛthivīṃ cāntarikṣamatho
svaḥ || 65 ||
From the Focus of the all-Effulgent One, the Eternal Way and Truth were generated. Then came darkness and the all-encompassing sea, then the cycle of the year with days and nights creating experience. As before, Dhātṛ, the creator, made the Sun and Moon, Earth and Sky, and the other realms.[40]
yat pṛthivyām̐ rajaḥ svamāntarikṣe
virod asī | imām̐ stadāpo varuṇaḥ punātvagha marṣaṇaḥ ||
punantu vasavaḥ punātu
varuṇaḥ punātvagha marṣaṇaḥ | eṣa bhūtasya madhye bhuvanasya goptā || eṣa puṇya
kṛtāṁ lokāneṣa mṛtyor hiraṇmayam | dyāvā pṛthivyor hiraṇmayam̐ sam̐śritam̐ suvaḥ | sa naḥ suvaḥ sam̐ śiśādhi || 66||
May Varuṇa, capable of removing sins, purify the beings dwelling on the earth and in the other realms. May the Beings of Light (known as Vasus) also purify us. May Varuṇa purify those who do good deeds and may the Sun create a future blessed in right action.
ārdraṁ jvalati jyotir aham
asmi | jyotir jvalati brahmāham asmi | yo'ham asmi brahmāham asmi | aham asmi
brahmāham asmi | aham evāhaṁ māṁ juhomi svāhā || 67||
I am the Supreme Light which projected itself as the universe. I am the Light that shines as the inmost essence of all that exists. I am the infinite Source even when experiencing myself as a finite being. I offer myself into That Source.[41]
Then meditate in the Heart. Give thanks to wise god Varuṇa, ruler of the purifying waters, knowing that he will help your penance remove the heaviness of guilt and shame, and that good deeds will rewrite past karmas. After this 40 days, it is advised to choose a yama or niyama (nonviolence, truthfulness, non-stealing, etc) and be dedicated to that as a longer term atonement for wrong actions in general. There are different texts recommended to be read in Buddhism for kārmic purification which can be recommended to a Buddhist by a teacher within their tradition.
There are various homas that can be performed by a Vedic priest to support attonement and support the life-soul to move onwards in a good way. Pandit Samavedula of the Vedic Yagya Center recommends the Bhrūṇa-hatya Doṣa Śanti Yagya. This is done for 3 days if the abortion was in the first 6 weeks and for 7 days if the abortion was after that.
If a more complex ritual is not available, the simplest Hindu ritual can be to make an image of seated Gaṇeśa out of natural clay. Worship it appropriately with a priest or by learning the rituals and then offer the image to a river as a way of supporting the life-soul to move onwards into new and successful beginnings.
Atonement (prāyaścitta) will depend on the nature of the abortion, its timing and reasons, and the level of guilt and shame. There is donation, fasting, 40 days of forgiveness prayer to Varuṇa, and dedication to a higher principle to help guide the life on a good path. In later stage abortion there are more chance of imbalances in the doṣas of the body and having some Āyurvedic or TCM care is beneficial to support working through depression and other hard psychological states. Rituals to support the lost life-soul move onwards in a good way support both the mother/father and the life-soul.
Conclusion
We
value life. We hold sacred the life of the unborn and the life of the mother
who is the vessel for birth. We value the physical and spiritual process of
pregnancy. We recognize that no one desires to have an abortion, and it is a
tough moment when the decision to abort arises in someone’s life. We acknowledge
the physical, psychological, social, and financial obligations that a pregnancy
brings and the desire of parents to provide wellbeing to their children. With
compassion and unconditional positive regard, we help our clients find the
clarity they need to make the right choice for themselves. We support them to
create the resources they need to provide for the life that has been created,
or to heal the pain an abortion causes. We create a supportive space where the
deep contemplation of a life choice is held up to the light. Valuing the
respect placed in our words, we read the indications of the stars and planets
to shed light.
[1] The
semantics of the English term ‘conception’ is debated and not used in
scientific literature as it does not differentiate: the fertilization of the ovum (sperm meeting egg) or the merging of the
sperm’s nucleus with the egg’s to make a zygote
(taking about 30 hours), or the implantation
of the resulting cell mass (blastocyst) onto the wall of the uterus (1-2 days later).
[2] Caraka Saṁhitā, Śārīrasthānam
III.3, IV.3, and Prasūti Tantra IV.1
[3] Caraka Saṁhitā, Śārīrasthānam
III.1 yadā cānayostathāyukte saṁsarge
śukraśoṇitasaṁsargamantargarbhāśaya-gataṁ jīvo'vakrāmati sattvasamprayogāt tadā
garbho'bhinirvartate|
[4] Ibid., II.36
[5]
Rigorous research has not confirmed that there was a proper understanding of
the uterus, the fallopian tubes, or the female ovum within the ancient Āyurvedic texts. There is
mention of uterine veins, and ducts, etc., but their function has not been
described satisfactorily for modern correlation. See The Origin of the Life of a Human Being by Rahul Peter Das, p14-29
for more on this topic.
[6]
Caraka Saṁhitā,
Śārīrasthānam IV.6 garbhastu khalvantarikṣavāyvagnitōyabhūmivikāraścētanādhiṣṭhānabhūtaḥ|
ēvamanayā yuktyā pañcamahābhūtavikārasamudāyātmakō garbhaścētanādhiṣṭhānabhūtaḥ;
sa hyasyaṣaṣṭhō dhāturuktaḥ||6||
[7]
Johannes Bronkhorst, A Note on the Caraka Saṁhitā and Buddhism, p.
3.
[8]
In Āyurveda, the month count starts from conception,
not the first day of the last menstrual cycle.
[9]
Caraka Saṁhitā, Śārīrasthānam IV.9
[10]
Which is approximately 3.5 in
the western method of counting of months from the last menstrual cycle.
[11]
Caraka Saṁhitā, Śārīrasthānam, IV.13
[12]
Ibid., V.5
[13]
https://www.kff.org/womens-health-policy/fact-sheet/abortions-later-in-pregnancy/
[14] Caraka Saṁhitā, Śārīrasthānam, III.8
[15]
Ibid., VIII.32 discusses food regimens for each month.
[16]
Suśrutasaṁhitā,
Cikitsāsthāna XV.5-11 clearly states it is better to terminate the pregnancy
than endanger the mother’s life, and then explains how to remove the fetus.
[17]
Tewari and Chaturvedi. Method of Population Control in Ayurvedic Classics, p.
72-78.
[18]
Ibid., 77.
[19]
Dodke, Natural drugs for Abortification purpose: An Ayurveda Review, p15.
[20]
https://www.ijlmh.com/wp-content/uploads/Abortion-Legal-and-Ethical-Issues.pdf
[21]
Stillman, Abortion in India: a literature review. Updated at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abortion_in_India
[22]
Suśrutasaṁhitā,
Cikitsāsthāna XV.5-11 clearly states it is better to terminate the pregnancy
than endanger the mother’s life, and then explains how to remove the fetus.
[23]
This rectification discussed
further below.
[24]
I call them
anti-abortionists, because to be ‘pro-life’ requires supporting life in utero,
and after birth, and being anti-war by promoting peace, not killing animals to
eat, and supporting the betterment of the social good and quality of life.
Pro-life requires the upliftment of all life, not just stopping the removal of
an embryo. What is promoted as the modern Christian ‘pro-life’ is often
ideological concepts of life that are used to control women’s bodies without
care of their present condition or long-term welfare, or the well-being of the
child.
[25]
Damian, Abortion from the Perspective of Eastern Religions, p. 128.
[26]
Aramesh, "Perspectives of Hinduism and Zoroastrianism on Abortion,
p. 16. P. 128.
[27]
Bhardwaj, The Ambivalence and Complexities in Hinduism in Portrayal of
Abortion and Fertility, p.
208.
[28]
Ibid., 209.
[29]
Bhardwaj, The Ambivalence and Complexities in Hinduism in Portrayal of
Abortion and Fertility, p.
204.
[30]
Bhardwaj, The Ambivalence and Complexities in Hinduism in Portrayal of
Abortion and Fertility, p.
203-215.
[31]
Aramesh, "Perspectives of Hinduism and Zoroastrianism on Abortion,
p. 8-9.
[32]
Cole, Science of Light, Vol 2,
p. 189-190.
[33]
Cole, Science of Light, Vol 1,
p. 345-346.
[34]
Accordingly, in a santati
praśna (question about getting pregnant) the lagna and fifth from it being
combust [or in yuddha or gaṇḍānta, etc.] will indicate the querist has issue
with their semen quality, and if the AL lord and its ninth is combust [etc] it
indicates there is issues with the womb getting pregnant [5].
[35]
Jupiter in a pāpakartari
is what was in the sky during the reversal of Roe v Wade in 2022.
[36]
Mahānārāyana Upanisad Anuvāka 1, mantras
55-70.
[37]
This is a Youtube class for
those who wish to learn the Sanskrit: https://youtu.be/qaN--bUwdJY
[38]
“Pardon me for having
accepted gifts from unclean persons” can be changed to whatever one is
performing penance to cleanse, so that the intention of the penance is stated
consciously and clearly: “Pardon me for having unprotected sex and becoming
pregnant and not being able to care for this soul I have created” or “Pardon me
for being in the wrong place at the wrong time and being in a situation which
created this unwanted child” or “Pardon me for being careless and creating a
child when I wasn’t ready to be a father” etc. This is a request for
forgiveness of a negative action and being humble, honest, and clear with what
is to be forgiven is important for the success of the practice.
[39]
At this point, either circularly in a clock-wise manner sprinkle water upon the
head or dip into the stream or lake to be cleansed by the water. This allows
you to return to a deeper source.
[40]
This is a more ancient verse from the Rgveda 10.190.1-3. Speak it while contemplating the creation of the world and
the fruition of karma in the cycle of time.
[41]
Having been purified, one remembers their true essence. These verses are stated
with unitive attention from your highest self, remembering the core of who we
are beyond this world.
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