BREATH, SEX AND PROGENY

Sage Thirumoolar gave a treasure of information about breath and progeny in his work Thirumantiram. I am going to quote some of these poems and give the closest interpretation that I know of, in English. Now the effort is just to present the poems and not provide a medical treatise here as proof for the same. May the qualified medical experts be interested in such studies and enlighten us on these subjects.

I came across this more than a decade back and found it extremely interesting every time I read it. I am sure you would also like them.

1. How a Male, female and twins are conceived

குழவியும் ஆணாம் வலத்தது ஆகில்
குழவியும் பெண்ணாம் இடத்தது ஆகில்
குழவியும் இரண்டாம் அபானன் எதிர்க்கில்
குழவி அலியாகும் கொண்ட கால் ஒக்கிலே” – Thirumantiram 482

If the man during sex has right / solar breath then the child then conceived would be a male. If the breath of the man during sex is from left / lunar side then the child would be a female. If the breath is balanced between both nostrils then the child so conceived would be with neuter gender. When the movement of Prana is opposed by Apana then it shall be twins. 

In my opinion it is also good in one way when people today don’t know these secrets. In a land where female feticide is very high, you would find people probably mastering the right nostril breathing before sex for a male child. 

2. Children with disabilities

“மாதா உதரம் மலமிகில் மந்தனாம்
மாத உதரம் சலமிகில் மூங்கையாம்
மாதா உதரம் இரண்டொக்கில் கண்ணில்லை.
மாதா உதரத்தில் வந்த குழவிக்கே' - Thirumantiram 481

During sex if the female’s intestine is filled with feces then the child so conceived would be a dullard, if the bladder is full of urine to be excreted then the child so conceived would be dumb (cannot speak). If the female’s body is filled with feces and urine then the child would be blind.

So what we note is the sex of the child is determined by the father’s breath and the constitution of the child like sensory organs is determined by the mother’s quality of breath. 

3. Children’s height and quality of skeletal structure

“பாய்கின்ற வாயு குறையிற் குறளாகும்
பாய்கின்ற வாயு இளைக்கின் முடமாகும்.
பாய்கின்ற வாயு நடுப்படின் கூனாகும்
பாய்கின்ற வாயு மாத்ர்க்கில்லை பார்க்கிலே” - Thirumantiram 481

During sex if the male and female’s breath are of same measure then the child conceived would not have any deficiency. If the males breathe is shorter than the normal then the child would be short in height. If the breath is not dense enough (in tamil the word is இளைக்கின் which usually means diluted and hence I have used dense / thick) then the child conceived would be lame with poor skeletal structure. If both happens – breathe is shorter than normal and diluted then the child would have a hunch back.

Sage Thirumoolar also tells that the age of the child is also dependent on the quality of breath of the male at the time of sex. 

'பாய்ந்த பின் அஞ்சோடிய ஆயுளும் நூறாம்
பாய்ந்த பின் நாலோடி பாரினில் எண்பதாம்'

I found it difficult to understand this but yet giving you the interpretation. If the male’s breathe is 5 matras then the child would live for 100 years. Similarly if it is 4 matras then the child would live for 80 years. (One matra corresponds to about 20 years of life.)

'கொண்ட வாயு இருவருக்கும் ஒத்தொழில்
கொண்ட குழவியும் கோமளமாயிரும்

Sage also says, that if the rhythm and the measure are equal between male and female the offspring would look very beautiful. 

Now the objective of this chapter is to show the importance of breath and the extent our ancestors knew about it and mastered the techniques for healthy and long life. There isn’t enough research by modern science – at least to the extent I know, that can unravel some of the secrets which we have been having for a long time. 

Don’t you think that some of these aspects especially the types of breath and the breathing rhythm should be part of our curriculum? 

Happy reading!