Shloka 11
Dharma-Pramāṇa-Vicāra: The Elusiveness of Dharma and the Limits of Rule-Lists
महोष्मान्तर्गतश्नापि गर्भत्वं समुपेयिवान् । दश मासान् वसन् कुक्षौ नैषोऊन्ञमिव जीर्यते,(यह कितने बड़े आश्वर्यकी बात है कि) गर्भभावकी प्राप्त हुआ जीवात्मा दस मासतक माताके उदरमें निवास करता है और जठरानलकी अधिक आँचसे संतप्त होता रहता है तो भी अन्नकी भाँति पच नहीं जाता
mahoṣmāntargataś cāpi garbhatvaṁ samupeyivān | daśa māsān vasan kukṣau naiṣo 'nnam iva jīryate ||
Dijo Vyāsa: Aun habiendo entrado en el estado de embrión y morando diez meses en el vientre—abrasado por el intenso calor del fuego interior del abdomen—este ser encarnado no es digerido como alimento. Esto es un gran prodigio.
व्यास उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the marvel of embodied existence: despite intense internal heat that digests food, the living being in the womb is preserved. It points toward the subtle governance of karma and the distinct status of the jīva (living self) from mere consumable matter.
Vyāsa is describing the condition of the jīva after it attains embryonic existence, residing for ten months in the mother’s womb and enduring the heat of digestive fire, yet not being digested like food—presented as an astonishing fact to prompt contemplation.