Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 3.31.2
Visarga· Brahmā's creationThe Soul’s Body Develops Gradually
“On the first night, the sperm and ovum mix, and on the fifth night the mixture ferments into a bubble. On the tenth night it develops into a form like a plum, and after that, it gradually turns into a lump of flesh or an egg, as the case may be.”
What the purport teaches
- The translation describes the initial mixture becoming a bubble, then a plumlike form, and later a lump of flesh or an egg.
- The purport describes four sources of bodies: earth, perspiration, eggs and embryos. These are different ways in which the soul’s body develops.
- In birds, the developing form becomes an egg; in animals and human beings, it becomes a lump of flesh.
Try this today
Write one sentence distinguishing the soul from the body that gradually develops.
Ask yourself
How does distinguishing the soul from its developing body affect my understanding of life?
Carry the question through the day, then answer it in your own words before sleep.
The study points, practice and question are short summaries drawn from Śrīla Prabhupāda's translation and purport. Read the full purport to go deeper.