All Blogs · Theology Thursday ·Jun 23, 2022

Fertility in Hinduism

There are many Hindu deities associated with fertility, the primary one of these being Lord Shiva.

The crescent moon represents changing seasons, and thus, menstrual cycles in many cultures

Because of its ability to shed skin, the snake represent rebirth.

Hinduism has 4 stages of life

Brahmacharya - Student preparing to for success
Grihastha - Householder starting a family
Vanaprashta - Giving back to communities
Sannyasa - Renunciation and dedication to spiritual growth

Both, the Ramayan and the Mahabharth, have stories of fascinating fertility.

Lord Rama's father, King Dasharatha, wanted an heir to the throne. Despite trying with all three of his wives, he remained hopeful. With the help of a yagna (a ritual sacrifice) and the God of Wind, all 3 of his wives simultaneously gave birth to a son: Rama, Lakshman and Bharat.

Meanwhile...

The Kauravs -- from the famous Mahabharat epic -- were an army of 100 brothers, but how exactly did their mother birth so many? A sage gave a boon to their mother, Gandhari, that she would be blessed with 100 sons. To everyone's surprise, her pregnancy went on for 2 years, at the end of which she gave birth a hard lump of mass. She was told to cut this mass into 101 pieces (one for a daughter), which she placed in 101 different pots filled with Ghee... and waited.

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