Ancient India & Cloning - I

 

People out there would be thinking; Cloning? Really? So, what I would suggest is to read the whole series today and then give time for your thoughts to slowly take over you. Basically, the first question which is supposed to be answered is, "What is cloning"? Cloning is the scientific process of creating an exact replica of any living being. Such a clone has the same face, same body structure and same genetic code. This means DNA of clone is same as the DNA of the living being that was used to create a clone. Clone can be created from a single cell and thus, thousands and millions of replica can be created from a single living being by transfusing his/her living cell in an embryo of another living species.
 

In Vedic age, cloning of animals was done by sages to clone the species of powerful horses and productive cows. Ancient Indian produced a horse from another horse and a cow from the skin of a cow.
When Dr. P.V. Vartak found mentioned in RigVeda about this miracle of human and animal cloning he told this finding to Augustus audience of scientists and doctors during May 1976, but everybody laughed, saying if the modern science can not do it, how is it possible for the Vedic people?
 

However after 21 years animal Cloning was done successfully in 1997 when a lamb was produced from udder of a sheep, which is a part of skin. Therefore the Vedic principle of cloning appears correct. Below are some of the stories on cloning from Vedic age.

In Rigveda, Ribhus are mentioned as brothers (Ribhu, Vajra and Vibhu) who brought youthfulness to their old parents. Their father was old but they were cloned young to bring back the youth of aging parents. Cloning of Ribhu is mentioned by seven different sages in seven different verses of rigveda. All of these sages were from different generations thus depicting that such a technology existed over a long period of human life and Ribhu Brothers were famous for a prolong period proving greatness of their work.
 

The first work of Ribhu was to bring back youthfulness to their old parents. These seven sages are Kanva Medhatithi (1-20-4), Angirasa Kutsa (1-110-111), Dheerghatamas (1-161), Vishwamitra (3-60), Vamadeva (4-33), Vaisistha Maitravaruni (7-48) and Sharuna Arbhava (10-176) and the hymns they composed on 

 

Ribhu are as follows:
- 1-20-4: With their exclusive power they made their old parents youthful again.
- 1-110-8: They made their old parents full of youth again by their skill.
- 1-111-1: Ingenious Ribhu prepared a chariot for Indra, prepared two powerful horses (2nd being cloned from 1st), made their old parents youthful again and gave new mothers to orphaned calves or children.
- 1-161-7: Oh Ribhu, with the power of your intelligence you converted your old parents into youthful state.
- 4-33-3: Ribhu who made their old parents youthful again may come to our Yajna.
- 4-34-9: Ribhu gave a new life to their old parents, to Aswinau, to a cow and a horse.
- 4-35-5: Oh, ingenious Ribhu, you made your old parents youthful again.
- 4-36-3: Oh, Ribhu, Vaja and Vibhu, your workmanship of making your old parents youthful again was praised by gods.

To be contd...

- Abhimanyu