The Domestic Sutras of Gobhila

Introduction

So, it is appropriate to consider here: what object is the body? In response to this, theists, atheists, physicians, traditional healers, doctors, followers of the Madhyi Likely referring to a specific local sect or a misprint for a general group. sect, and people of all faiths will agree with one voice that it is a wondrous mass of flesh. It is formed from the reproductive elements original: "shukra and shonita," literally semen and blood. of the mother and father, nourished by various foods and drinks, and composed of the five elements earth, water, fire, air, and ether; original: "pañcabhautika", subject to both growth and decay. To provide an example of its complexity, nothing can be found on the surface of the earth, nor even—who could say—in the celestial realms. Within this physical frame is etched the image of the detachment found in the hearts of great renouncers like Shuka and Vamadeva Famous sages in Hindu tradition known for their extreme asceticism and wisdom from birth.. It is the vessel for the devotion of figures like Prahlada and Parashara. Within it sits the extraordinary fundamental essence that governs the conduct and character of heroes like Bhima, the famous Arjuna, various masters of science, the charitable Karna, and selfless people like Dadhichi A sage who sacrificed his own bones to forge a weapon for the gods to defeat evil.. To what extent can this be described? It is the ultimate primal seed of the Great Banyan Tree of Worldly Existence original: "saṃsārasvarūpa mahāvaṭavṛkṣa". Let this satisfy you, and know also that compared to this body, all the riches of the world are utterly insignificant. The empire of emperors, the sovereignty of kings, the wisdom of the learned, and the prowess of the powerful—all these are but a small play of its power.

Having settled upon this truth, I am today prepared to introduce you to how the body can be made excellent. Dear people of Bharatavarsha The traditional Sanskrit name for India.! Take heed: as long as the seed is not good, the land will never yield excellent fruit. Has a superior fruit ever been produced from a raw, immature seed? You marry off your small children, and while still in an immature state, these children fall into the terrible calamity of sexual relations. Everyone knows that for every object, there is a prior state original: "pūrvāvasthā" and a subsequent state original: "uttarāvasthā"; similarly, there is a stage of arrival original: "āgamāvasthā," referring to the period of growth and accumulation and a stage of loss original: "apāyāvasthā," referring to the period of decline.

Among these, childhood is the "prior state" of a human being, and this very stage is—

The "stage of arrival" for strength, vital energy original: "vīrya," often referring specifically to reproductive fluids as the source of vitality, brilliance, intellect, physical beauty, and nourishment. If one begins to spend these resources during this very stage of accumulation, what a wretched state they will fall into! You can consider this for yourselves. If a pond begins to drain away at the very moment the water starts flowing into it, that pond can never be filled, no matter how forcefully the water arrives.