How to Beget Lustrous Children

Minerals, rivers, etc., are in fact, not the real wealth of a nation. Bright children endowed with the legacy of noble traditional values of the Rishis are the real wealth of a nation. Therefore, couples who desire children should avail themselves of darshana and satsanga of God-realized saints, and should themselves become noble-minded, righteous, and pious first. They should also know the rules for begetting excellent progeny and initiate the conception at an auspicious time as ordained by scriptures. This will ensure the birth of a brilliant child who will bring great name to the family and to the nation. Presently the planetary influences are highly favourable for conception up to 20^th February 2008; and pregnancies initiated in this period will bring highly evolved souls on the earth.

The first pre-requisite for a worthy progeny is that the couple should be healthy in both body and mind. It is advisable to copulate only once in a year, and only for the purpose of conception.

It is good to conceive in later nights of the menstruation period. But it is forbidden on the 11^th and 13^th nights of the menstrual month (the month starting from menstruation).

*If one desires a son, they should choose the auspicious times of either the 8^th, 10^th, 12^th, 14^th and 16^th nights of the menstrual month. Those desirous of a daughter should choose the auspicious times of either the 5^th, 7^th, 9^th, and 15^th nights of the menstrual month.

*If the menstruation starts during the day, that day should be counted as the first day. If it happens after sunset, the time between sunset and sunrise should be divided into three equal parts. If discharge happens in the first two parts, that day should be counted as the first day. If it happens in the third part of the night, the next day should be counted as the first day.

*Copulation is forbidden on Full moon day, New moon day, first, eighth, eleventh and fourteenth lunar day; solar or lunar eclipse; festivals; Shraddh days; ChaturmÍsa; Pradosha KÍla (time around sunset on the 13^th lunar day), on days when two lunar days fall together and the first four days of the menstrual month.

*Copulation is forbidden also on the anniversary of the death of the parents, birthday of either of the spouses, transition period between two Nakshatras and in Ashwini, Revati, Bharani, Magha and Moola Nakshatras.

*Sexual intercourse during the daytime is highly detrimental to strength and longevity. Auspicious times of the night for each day in the week are as follows:

Sunday - 8.00 to 9.00 pm & 1.30 to 5.00 am.

Monday - 10.30 pm to 12.00 midnight & 1.30 to 4.00 am.

Tuesday - 7.30 to 9.00 pm & 10.30 pm to 1.30 am.

Wednesday - 7.30 to 10.00 pm & 3.00 to 4.30 am.

Thursday - 12.00 midnight to 1.30 am & 3.00 to 5.00 am.

Friday - 9.00 to 10.30 pm & 12.00 midnight to 3.30 am.

Saturday - 9.00 pm to 12.00 midnight.

*Even at these auspicious times, the first and last 15 minutes should be discarded, and only in the interim period should impregnation be carried out.

*The couple should be free from physical fatigue and mental tension. No heated arguments or sudden death should have recently taken place in the family.

*To enhance your spirituality, take slow deep breaths through both nostrils visualising that you are drawing in divine grace, bliss, cheerfulness and divine ojas, and then hold the breath inside while nurturing noble thoughts. Repeat the Lord’s name mentally, and recalling the vices of your mind such as base tendencies, attachment and hatred etc., throw them out with a puff. Repeat this exercise 7 to 10 times everyday for 5 to 7 days prior to impregnation. Your bedroom should be airy, neat and clean, and well fumigated with sÍttvic incense. There should be no unnecessary items in the room, nor should there be any thorny plants. The couple should wear white or light coloured clothes, and the bedsheet too should be a light coloured one. The subsequent cheerfulness and sÍttvic thoughts will help to bring divine souls into the womb.

*The time and night to conceive should be decided at least three days in advance. Before sunset on the appointed night, the couple should take a bath, and wearing fresh clothes should worship the Satguru and their beloved deity.

*The couple should fix their minds on God and should pray to the great souls inviting them, ‘O great souls roaming the universe in your subtle bodies! Pray, please bless us by taking birth in our household to sanctify and elevate our family, our life, and our nation. Both of us will make our body, mind, prana, and intellect worthy of you.’

*The man should step into the bed placing his right foot first, and then the wife should step in placing her left foot first to take her place on the right side of the man. After that the following mantra should be recited:

‘ahirasi Íyurasi sarvataÏ pratiÙÛhÍsi dhÍtÍ tvÍÒ

dadhÍtu vidhÍtÍ tvÍÒ dadhÍtu brahmavarcasÍ bhaveti

brahmÍ bØhaspatirviÙÔuÏ soma sÜryastathÍÚvinau

bhagotha mitrÍvaruÔau vÐraÒ dadatu me sutam’

‘O foetus! You are like the Sun. You are my life and also my honour in every respect. May the Lord, the Supreme Nurturer of all, protect you. May the Creator, Lord Brahma, take care of you. May you shine with Brahmic excellence!

May Lord Brahma, Brihaspati, Lord Vishnu, Soma (the Moon-god), Surya (the Sun-god), Ashwini Kumara and Mitravaruna, the personifications of divine powers, bless me with a valiant son!’ (The Charaka Samhita, Sharirasthana: 8.8)

*The couple should keep their minds constantly devoted to the subject of conception. This keeps all the three body humours in their respective places and the woman conceives successfully. Impregnation in the proper manner and with meticulous observance of the prescribed procedure will give the desired result.

It is related in the third canto of the Srimadbhagawata that Diti, the daughter of Daksha, was desirous of a child and with her heart overcome with lust on one evening, desired the company of her husband Kashyapa, who was seated in meditation in the fire sacrifice hall. Diti was very restless and agitated being overcome with passion. In a distressed state she made many entreaties, and with several arguments, persuaded Kashyapa for impregnation. Kashyapa replied in consolatory words to her, “Just as the people cross the sea in ships, a married person giving shelter to persons of other Íshramas, crosses the sea of misery. With the support of our married wife, we easily overcome the enemies in the form of senses which are difficult to be conquered by men of other (non-grihastha) Íshramas, just as the lord of a fort easily subdues the enemies (due to his fortified position). I shall, however, try to comply with your request (desire) for an offspring; but please wait for a muhurta so that the people may not reproach me. This is the most terrible of times when everything looks awful, as at this time goblins, the attendants of Rudra, wander about. Oh pious lady! It is in the evening that Lord Shiva, the Creator of beings and the King of ghosts, moves about riding his bull and surrounded by his goblin-attendants.”

Though she was thus admonished by her husband, Diti –whose senses were thoroughly overwhelmed with passion –caught hold of the garment of the Brahmin Sage Kashyapa like a shameless prostitute. Kashyapa, knowing his wife’s importunity to that prohibited act, then bowed down to the dictates of the providence and consummated in a secluded place. He then took bath, controlled his breath and meditating silently over the pure Brahman, the eternal Light, internally repeated the holy name of That only. Even Diti, feeling ashamed of that sinful act, approached the Brahmin Sage and with her face cast down, addressed him, “Oh Brahmin! May not the Lord of beings kill the child in my womb. I have committed an offence against Rudra, the Lord of bhutas (beings). Obeisance to the great God Shiva, the giver of blessings (to those who cherish desire, and the highest bliss to the desireless devotees) and is anger incarnate.” Prajapati Kashyapa on having completed his evening rituals spoke to his wife who was trembling with fear and who was desirous of securing the good of her progeny both here and hereafter, “On account of your impure mind, inauspiciousness of the time, disobedience to my order and complete disrespect for gods (attending Shiva), you will beget two wicked sons, Hiranyaksha and Hiranyakashipu, the worst ever born from wombs. When their atrocities will become too much, the venerable Lord of the universe will Himself kill them.

“O pious lady! On account of your sorrow and repentance for your misdeed, and your present consideration of what is proper and improper, and due to your great respect for Lord Vishnu, Lord Shiva and myself, Prahlada, one of the four sons of your son Hiranyakashipu, will be a devotee of the Lord and respected even by saintly persons. The devotees will sing paeans of his pure fame which would be comparable to the glory of the venerable Lord.”

One should exercise self-restraint on festivals like Janmashtami (birthday of shree Krishna), Shivaratri, Navaratris, etc. and on Ekadashi, full moon day, newmoon day, eclipses, Shraaddha, as also during sandhyÍ and the impure phases caused by a birth or a death in the family. Otherwise, one may get progeny having demonic traits, evil tendencies or congenital deformities. Or in case no progeny is born the couple may contact a dangerous disease making them distressed for the whole life. In the present age, many parents fail to understand why they got evil or physically challenged sons. They should take a lesson from this sacred narrative. These days, people are not careful about the propriety of the time and day of impregnation. The result is an increase in the number of people with demonic traits in society. The parents then lament about their children being disobedient or lacking in good conduct and character. But if the parents themselves follow the advice of scriptures, they will have divine and cultured progeny, even sons like Rama and Krishna.

In any other religion I have never come to see or hear about such marvellous discoveries as have been made in the Vedic Culture. Therefore, I feel privileged to have been born in India and to have been blessed by the sublime vedic culture with an easy access to pious satsanga and sÍdhanÍ leading to God-realization.