Even as the news of a surrogate mother giving birth to four children in one go is being discussed all over the world, the ethical question of surrogacy has risen again. Because surrogacy defies cherished cultural beliefs and ideals regarding the mother-infant relationship, it inevitably stimulates intense anxiety and discomfort. Moralistic groups have condemned the very idea and decried the deviation from the ways of God. But, in India, the contempt may not hold good, for the simple reason that the Gods have supported and propagated the concepts of surrogating and genetic engineering.
Especially the avatarams of Vishnu are all a feast to a curious mind, for their imaginative unfurling. The first avataram, the matsya, is an odd fish that grew to phenomenal proportions to save the Vedas, and thereby the world, from the great deluge. The next birth was as a mammoth turtle, koorma, which balanced the Maha Meru, while the Asuras and the Devas joined hands to churn the great Ocean to extract the elixir of life, amirtham. Vishnu's next avataram, according to the Puranas, is the heavenly enchantress, Mohini, who seduces the Asuras into losing their share of amirtham to his worshippers, the Devas.
For all its negative connotations, Mohini avataram is not popular among the devotees and conveniently omitted when taking into account the 'Dasavatharam'. Technically speaking, the Dasavataram is already complete with the inclusion of Mohini, and the eternal wait for Kalki could only be as useless as amirtham was to the Asuras.
The valiant varaha, the divine pig, was the next avataram of Vishnu. This pig came out of the Creator Brahma's nose while he inadvertently sneezed. Then it grew and grew before it killed the Asura Hiranyaksha in a fierce battle. Before he vanished, his divine touch of the planet Earth, Bhoomadevi in Indian mythology, made her give birth to another Asura, Naraka.
After Varaha was Narasimha, a curious combination of man and beast. He killed Hiranya Kasibhu, the brother of Hiranyaksha, and established the rule of Prahalada, who was born while his mother was still being held captive by Indra, the King of Devas. Interestingly, this chap is said to have listened to Vishnu's legends, which could have encompassed only the first three avatarams at that time, the fish, the tortoise, and the pig, leaving out the heavenly beauty.
Vishnu's next avataram is prompted by the growth of stature of Mahabali, the grandson of Prahalada. Indra, on Vishnu's directions, requests his aged parents to try it out just once more, and their successful attempts results in Vamana, the cunning Brahmin dwarf. Vamana is followed in the next yugam by Parasurama, whose means of birth must have been ordinary, considering there is no mention of any abnormality. Balarama's birth also has no reported abnormality. But, Krishna's birth is a real brainteaser. He succeeds his seven siblings, one of whom is Balarama, transferred to a friend's womb and replaced by Maya, who vanished in thin air after warning uncle Kamsa of his imminent death. Born in a well-guarded prison cell, Krishna could speak immediately after he was born. He instructs his father on the things to be done immediately, and removes all obstacles on his way from Madura to Gokulam.
It is sad that births in India have become so ordinary in the last millennium or so, what with Vishnu too deciding to stop with just ten avatarams. Now, we have to look to the West even for abnormal births. Another burden on our Human Resources Development Minister, Dr. M.M. Joshi's shoulders.
