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HinduEthicsontheMoralQuestionofAbortion

EdwardOmarMoad
UniversityofMissouriColumbia
601S.Providence#707I,Columbia,MO65203,USA
Email:erm264@mizzou.edu

EubiosJournalofAsianandInternationalBioethics14
(2004),14950.

In the West, especially in the United States, the debate over the issue of
abortion is one of the most controversial subjects of the day.The arguments
employedbyeachsidecommonlyoriginatefromtheologicalsourcesontheone
hand,andscientificsourcesontheother.Partofthereasonforthepositionofthis
controversy, among others, in the western public consciousness is that it has
implicationsaffectingthemoralvalueofhumanlife,thesourceofthatvalue,and
thequestionoverwhenahumanbeingcanbesaidtoacquirethisvalue.Thus,the
argument usually ends upturning around whether life begins at conception, at
birth, or at some point in between.There are arguments over the difference
betweenlivingbeingsingeneralandpersons,whatconstitutespersonhoodasan
entitlement to rights, and so on.Taking a look at the issue from a global
perspective,itbecomesapparentthatthewaysinwhichthesedebatesdevelopare
fundamentallyshapedbytheculturalcontextinwhichtheyareheld.
IntheUnitedStates,forexample,theargumentisalmostalwayscenteredon
thewesternconceptofinalienablerights.Itisthe"rightsoftheunborn"against
the"rightsofwomen".Fathersandgrandparentsareofteneagertoasserttheir
rightsaswell.Dealingwithsocialissueslikeabortiononacrossculturallevel
requiresonetotemporarilytranscend,asmuchaspossible,theculturalcontext
withinwhichoneisimmersed.Failuretodosocanbethecauseofanumberof
blunders,themostcommonofwhich,inconnectionwithourtopic,isthequixotic
and uneducated reactions that are frequently expressed toward, for example,
China's onechild policy.The purpose of this paper will be to ascertain the
traditionalviewofabortioninIndia,andexplore,asmuchaspossible,thecontext
ofreligiousandethicalvaluesandrationalebehindit.
Perhapsthebestplacetobeginwouldbeatthatmostimportantquestioninthe
westernabortiondebate:whendoesthelifeofahumanbeingbecomesacred?Or
toputitinmetaphysicalterms,whendoesthefetusreceiveasoul?Thisway,an
important difference in the Hindu cultural context surrounding the issue will
becomeclear;specifically,thatsuchaquestionisalmostirrelevant.Nevertheless,
itisnotanunansweredone.
The Hindu view of a person is a central theme of the Hindu
scriptures.Basically,itisadualisticmodelconsistingofatman(roughly,spirit),

andprakrti(matter).AccordingtotheCarakaSamhita,aHindumedicaltext,the
soulisalreadyjoinedwithmatterintheactofconception.Thesoulisdescribedas
descending "...into the union of semen and (menstrual) blood in the womb in
keeping with the (karmically produced) psychic disposition (of the embryonic
matter)."<>
[1]Though there are a few differing traditions on this matter
(theGarbhaUpanishadclaimsthatensoulmenttakesplaceintheseventhmonth),
theyareconsideredtobebasedonweakerevidence,andthemainstreamofHindu
thoughtcoincideswiththisposition.[2]Thus,thetraditionalHinduviewofthetime
of ensoulment is similar to that expressed by Thomas Aquinas, for
example.However, there are important differencesinother aspects.TheVisnu
Puranadescribesconsciousnessinthewomb:
"Anindividualsoul(jantu),possessingasubtlebody(sukumaratanu),resides
inhismother'swomb(garbha),whichisimbuedwithvarioussortsofimpurity
(mala).He stays there being folded in the membrane surrounding the foetus
(ulba)...Heexperiencesseverepains...tormentedimmenselybythefoodshis
mothertakes...incapableofextending(prasarana)orcontracting(akuncana)his
ownlimbsandreposingamidstamudoffaecesandurine,heisineveryway
incommoded.Heisunabletobreathe.Yet,beingendowedwithconsciousness
(sacaitanya)andthuscallingtomemorymanyhundreds(ofprevious)births,he
resides in his mother's womb with great pains, being bound by his previous
deeds."[3]
TheobviousdifferencebetweenthisHindudescriptionoflifeinthewomband
thatperceivedinthewestarisesfromtheconceptofreincarnation.Thesoulinthe
womb is not a new soul.Rather it contemplates its previous births.Thus, the
hiatusinthewombisnotseeninnearlyaspositivealightasitisinwestern
thought.It is painful, torturous, and repulsive; the evil result of attachment to
physicalexistencedisplayedinone'spastlives.IntheHinducontext,thepurpose
oflifeasahumanbeingistomakeprogresstowardliberationfromrebirth.The
mostimportantthingforeachsoulistheunfoldingofitskarmicdestinytoward
thisgoal.Abortioncanobstructthisunfolding,andthereforeitiscondemned,but
forvastlydifferentreasonsthanitisinthewest. [4]
The practice of abortion is negatively referred to in the earliest Hindu
scriptures,theVedas.Thesetextscomprisethesruti,thosescripturesconsidered
tohaveprimaryauthorityinHinduthought.IntheRgSamhit,possiblyoriginating
frombefore1200BC,Visnuiscalled"protectorofthechildtobe",implyingthat
the fetus was deserving of even divine reverence. [5]Meanwhile, theAtharva
Vedaexpresses the following explicit pleas regarding those who perform
abortions:
"Withwhatbondstheoverslaughedoneisboundapart,appliedandtiedupon
eachlimbletthembereleased,fortheyarereleasers;wipeoffdifficulties,O
Pushan,ontheembryoslayer."VI112.3

"Enterthouafterthebeams,thesmokes,Oevil;gountothemistsoralsothe
fogs;disappearalongthosefoamsoftherivers:wipeoffdifficulties,OPushan,on
theembryoslayer."VI113.2[6]
Evidently, the "embryo slayer" is seen as a suitable candidate to bear the
sufferings and sins of the rest of the Vedic community.TheSatapatha
Brahmanacomparesthereputationofthosewhoeatbeefwiththosewhoperform
abortions,whileintheUpanisadstheyareplacedinacategorywiththievesand
outcastes.[7]
The latersmrtitexts also contain injunctions against abortion, as well as
protectionsforpregnantwomen.IntheVisnudharmasutra,killingeitherfetusor
mother is equated to the worst crime possible in Hindu society, killing a
Brahman.Ferrymenandtollcollectorsareprescribedpunishmentforcollection
frompregnantwomen.TheMahabharata,likewise,listsexpectantmothersamong
agroupthatonemust"givewayto"thatincludesBrahmin,cows,andkings. [8]
TheworstpenaltythatcouldbeinflicteduponamemberoftraditionalHindu
society was to lose one's caste.This effectively removed one from the social
structure altogether, and even had tragic implications on one's prospects for
spiritualliberation.TheGautamadharmasutratellsusthattwocrimesthatcallfor
awomantohavehercasterevokedaresexualrelationswithamanoflowercaste,
andabortion.ThoughtheabortionofthefetusofaBrahminispunishablebymore
extremepenaltiesthanthatofaslave,eventhosewhoperformabortionsonslaves
werefined.[9]ThisdifferenceintreatmentreflectsthebeliefthatBrahminswereata
stageclosertospiritualliberation,andthustheuniquelyHindurationaleagainst
abortion.
Hinduideologymadeanexceptionhowever,whenabortionbecamenecessary
tosavethelifeofthemother.TheSusrutaSamhita,anotherHindumedicaltext,
describesaproceduretoinducebirthduringcomplicationsinthepregnancy.The
ultimateobjectiveis,ofcourse,savingthemotherandthebaby.However,inthe
event that this is not a possibility, the text affirms, saving the mother takes
precedence,andanabortionisjustified.[10]
Thisservesasevidenceagainstthepossibleassertionthattherealbasisforan
antiabortionattitudeinHindusocietystemssolelyfromsocialgoalsrelatedto
supplying sons for the family and the caste.If that were true, and the moral
sentiment played no role, then surely the mother would be considered less
importantthanthechild.Suchacharge,furthermore,couldbeanotherexampleof
themistakeofsuperimposingcategoriesthatarerelevantwithinthecontextofone
culture,ontoanissueinanotherculture,wheretheyaremeaningless.Theconcept
of Hindu dharma, the basis of ethics in Hindu society, makes no distinction
betweensocialandmoralmotivations.Infact,thetwoareinextricablyenmeshed
ineachother.[11]Thus,asmuchasitwouldbefalsetosaythattobearsonsisnot
highlyvaluedamongHindus,itisequallyfalsetodiscardtheexpressionofmoral
rationaleagainstabortionasartificial.BesidesthefactthatalltheSanskritwords

forabortionhavehighlynegativeconnotationsrelatedtokilling,suchashatya,the
wayinwhichabortionisdealtwithinrelationtotherigorsofthecastesystem
stronglysuggestaprimacyofmoraloversocialconcerns.
AsIhavenotedabove,thetwocrimesforwhichawomancouldlosehercaste
weresexwithalowercastemale,andabortion.Incaseswheretherehadbeena
sexual relationship between a higher caste female and a lower caste male that
resultedinoffspring,itposedacomplicatedproblemfortheHindusociety.Such
childrencouldnotbeacceptedintoanycasteandthereforeconstitutedvarious
categories of "outcastes", classless populations with no position in society that
ushered in all the myriad social problems associated with such
situations.Outcastes had everything going against them, and were generally
destinedforamiserablelife.Despitethisfact,abortionwasneverallowedasan
acceptablesolution.Thelivesofthesefetuses,withallthesocialconsequences
that were involved in their births, were believed to have a moral status that
protectedthemfromearlytermination.[12]
Hopefully,thispaperhasscratchedthesurfaceofHinduthoughtrelatingto
abortionenoughtomakeitclearthatinIndia(despitenotbeingnearlyaspublicas
itisinthewest)itisanissueuniquetoHinduethicalthought.Itdoesnotinvolve
the ultimate value of the embodiment of the soul, as expressed by traditional
westernreligiousviewpoints.Norcanitbereducedtoautilitarianequationaimed
atthebenefitofsocietyasawholeoraparticularclass,asthevariouswestern
liberal and secular interpretations would have it.It is a question, which, for
Hindus,maybedealtwithonlyonuniquelyHinduterms.

References
Lipner,JuliusJ."OnAbortionandtheMoralStatus oftheUnborn",inHindu
Ethics,editedbyCoward,Lipner,andYoung.StateUniversityofNewYork,
Albany.1989.
Whitney,WilliamDwight,trns.AtharvaVedaSamhita.HarvardOrientalSeries,
vol.VII.HarvardUniversity.Cambridge,MA.1905.

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