Why as a Hindu I support abortion

A while ago on my other blog I wrote a piece on my heroine and guru on earth, Margaret Sanger (see here). For those who do not know she was the world's premier birth control activist during the interwar period and she is the founder of Planned Parenthood. Planned Parenthood is often in the news as its role as the largest provider of abortion services makes it central to the reproductive rights debate.  Recently the abortion debate has once again erupted in the United States as New York State recently passed a bill which allows late term abortion and provides women with the right to abort the fetus up until the point of birth.  Now it is interesting to note that Margaret Sanger who started this entire industry made it known throughout her whole career up until her death that she was absolutely and totally against abortion; she begged women to use birth control to avoid the need for abortion as she stated she believed that life began at conception. However, Sanger's ideals are no longer pertinent as she has been usurped by her followers.  Sanger was proceeded by Alan Frank Guttmacher who not only became president of Planned Parenthood but who also launch the "Association for the Study of Abortion" in 1964.  Today abortion and birth control and inseparable.

But what do the Vedas and Hindu scriptures say about abortion. It is the general Hindu opinion that we are to take the path of least harm and so abortion is at least usually discouraged. The Vedic hymns show prayers to the gods that those who destroy embryos be driven far away and that it is the gods themselves who have created the fetus. The Vedic heroes beg that Prana, the life force, bind to them as it does an unborn babe so that they may live. The Vedas also make it clear that the embryo inside is indeed the reincarnation of a former human. The Mahabarata states that the sight of wicked demons can cause an abortion and that to abort a fetus is a terrible crime equatable to murdering a Brahmin. Abortion is obviously in general looked down upon and those who practice abortion are generally not accepted in Vedic society. 

That which destroys the sinking germ, the settled, moving embryo, That which will kill the babe at birth,even this will we drive far away. - Rig Veda 10.162.3 

 Four directions has the heaven, and also four the earth: (from these) the gods created the embryo. May they open her, that she shall bring forth! - Atharva Veda 1.11.2 

He moves as an embryo within the gods; having arrived, and being in existence, he is born again. Having arisen he enters with his mights the present and the future, as a father (goes to) his son. - Atharva Veda 11.4.20 

O Prâna, be not turned away from me, thou shalt not be other than myself! As the embryo of the waters (fire), thee, O Prâna, do bind to me, that I may live. - Atharva Veda 11.4.26

"Vinata is called the terrific Sakuni graha (spirit of evil). She who is known as Putana Rakshasi by the learned is the graha called Putana; that fierce and terrible looking Rakshasa of a hideous appearance is also called the pisacha, Sita Putana. That fierce-looking spirit is the cause of abortion in women." - The Mahabharata, Book 3: Vana Parva: Markandeya-Samasya Parva: Section CCXXIX

 "one that causeth abortion...  are reckoned as equal in moral turpitude as the slayers of Brahmanas." - The Mahabharata, Book 5: Udyoga Parva: Section XXXV 

However, in Hinduism, there are always exceptions to the rule, and so it should be no surprise that in the Vedas and other literature there are glimpses into the complex question of abortion.  In the Atharva Veda there’s a hymn entitled "The expiation of certain heinous crimes".  One of the crimes which the Arya seek to cleanse themselves of is the practice of abortion. Further the Puranas state that the ill effects of abortion last for three days, suggesting that one can be cleansed of the "sin" There is also a hymn in the Vedas in which a warrior begs the gods for forgiveness for murdering a women who was pregnant.  The implication here could be that while in warfare the slaying of pregnant women may at times be unavoidable, that this is not the ideal situation and that one would need to seek absolution for this crime. 

'Wipet off, O Pûshan, the misdeeds upon him that practiseth abortion! Atharva Veda 6.113.2

 "Ill effect of an abortion lasts for three days." -  Chapter 13 - "Expiation of Sins", Narada Purana 

The Expiation for the Slaughter of a Victim with Embryo  

a Surya, the god, for those that sit in the sky, Dhatr for lordly power, Vayu for offspring, Brhaspati for Prajapati offer thee radiant. b Thee have I united with the gods, Who hast a tawny embryo And a womb of gold, Whose limbs are uninjured. c Bring near, O bringer, Remove away, O remover, O Indra Nardabuda, With the four quarters of the earth Do thou bring near. d I split apart thy urinator, Thy womb, the two groins, [1] The mother and the child, The embryo and the after-birth. e Apart from thee let it be. So! f The drop, far extending, of all forms, Purified, wise, hath anointed the embryo. g With one foot, two feet, three feet, four feet, five feet, six feet, seven feet, eight feet may she extend over the worlds; hail! h Nay the two great ones, sky and earth, Mingle for us this sacrifice, May they sustain us with support. - Yajur Veda 3.3.10 Mantra 10: The Expiation for the Slaughter of a Victim with Embryo  

However, the Vedas go further still than this when it comes to the question of circumstances where abortion may be acceptable, but before I get to that, let me talk a little more about the foundations of the birth control and abortion movements in the United States.  The prophetess of the movement, Margaret Sanger, was much more than a women's rights activist, indeed this was actually secondary to her cause.  Sanger saw certain elements in society as being the enemies of higher civilization, particularly the Catholic Church.  Sanger, having a pagan spirit, saw the retrograde morality and intellect of Catholics as being a danger to the aspirations of the more educated and creative classes. This fear was compounded by the fact that Catholics refused to use any sort of contraception and bred in large numbers; in Sanger's time it was a real threat that Catholics could outnumber the rest of the population and sink the society down to a lower level.  Sanger has been accused of purposely targeting Catholic population in her birth control campaign as to lower their numbers, and perhaps this is true, and it is obviously clear that Sanger has made it more than acceptable for modern Catholics in America to use birth control and abortion despite the fact that these are generally condemned by the Vatican. Sanger knew how to use reproductive rights against the enemy. 

But is there any evidence in the Vedas of the use of abortion as a weapon of war?  In the Vedas there is a hymn which speaks of an enemy of the Arya who actually in some ways resembles Sanger, it is a woman who has arranged a spell to rob the Arya's children of their strength; the Vedic heroes pray that she in turn eat her own offspring, even worse than abortion! The Vedas also speak of slaying the offspring of sorcerers and putting spells on their servants to return to their makers and kill their children or make them childless. In the Mahabrata an adversary of Arjuna's enemy Karna states that it would have been better for Karna to have been aborted rather than take up arms against the side of Krishna. There is a specific charm in the Atharava Veda to make a woman sterile. 

The woman who has cursed us with a curse, who has arranged dire misfortune (for us), who has taken hold of our children, to rob them of their strength may she eat (her own) offspring!  - Atharva Veda 4.17.3 

Return, O Krityā, unto those who made thee. Wake them from sleep to find that they are childless... That tool of hatred, understood, made ready, stealthy and buried deep, have we discovered, Let that go back to whence it came, turn thither like a horse and kill the children of the sorcerer. -Atharva Veda 10.1.17, 19

Slay the offspring of the sorcerer, O soma-drinking (Indra), and subject (him)! Make drop out the farther and the nearer eye of the braggart (demon)! Atharva Veda 1.8.3 

The upper part of the womb do I place below, there shall come to thee neither offspring nor birth! I render thee sterile and devoid of offspring; a stone do I make into a cover for thee. - Athara Veda 7.35.3

 It would have been better for thee if thou hadst never been born in the womb of Kunti, or having taken thy birth there, if thou hadst come out on the fifth month an abortion, than to have, O prince, thus come away from battle, O thou of wicked soul! - Book 8: Karna Parva: Section 68 

Hindus have many enemies within India and abroad, some of whom have extremely high birth rates.  While the Vedas make it clear that in general Hindus should avoid abortion (though there are hints of moral relativity) this prohibition does not seem to always apply to one's enemies. It is clear to all that the enemies of Hinduism have no dharma and will resort to any method possible to destroy the eternal religion.  If we learn anything from the Mahabrata it is that when facing an enemy who does not follow dharma than the rules of Dharma-Yuddha, fair play, do not apply. While we Hindus should likely avoid abortion most of the time, Sanger and the Vedas have taught us it can be a potent weapon against our foes.