Brihadaranyaka Upanishad
The Upanishads contain the essence of India's Vedic heritage, one of the oldest spiritual traditions in the world.
While the Upanishads are not sacred sex texts in themselves, they make reference to sex in places,
thus offering a glimpse into how the enlightened Vedic seers viewed it. This excerpt from the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad
is one example.
Brihadaranyaka Upanishad
(Part VI, Chapter 4)
Conception and Birth as Religious Rites
The earth is verily the essence of all these beings, water is the essence of the earth, herbs of water, flowers of herbs,
fruits of flowers, man of fruits and semen is the essence of man.
Prajapati said to Himself: "Well, let Me make a firm basis for it (semen)."
So He created woman. Having created her, He placed her below and worshipped her.
Therefore one should worship a woman, placing her below. He extended His organ that projects
and with it impregnated her.
Her lap is the sacrificial altar, her hair the sacrificial grass, her skin within the organ the lighted fire;
the two labia of the vulva are the two stones of the soma-press. He who, knowing this,
practices sexual intercourse wins as great a world as is won through the Vijapeya sacrifice;
he acquires for himself the fruit of the good deeds of the woman. But he who, without knowing this,
practices sexual intercourse turns over to the woman his own good deeds.
Having known this, [certain sages] said:
"Many mortals, brahmins only in name, perform the sexual act without knowledge of what has been said
and depart from this world impotent and without merit." Even if this much semen-of one asleep or of one awake-is spilled,
He should touch it and repeat the following mantra:
"Whatever semen of mine has spilt on earth, whatever has flowed to plants, whatever to water, I reclaim it."
With these words he should take the semen with his ring finger and thumb and rub it between his breasts or eyebrows,
repeating the following mantra:
"Let the semen return to me, let Vigour come to me again, let glow and good fortune come to me again.
May the deities who dwell in the sacrificial fire put the semen back in its proper place."
Now, if a man sees himself (his reflection) in water, he should recite the following mantra:
"May the gods bestow on me vigour, manhood, fame, wealth and merit."
In praise of the wife who will bear him a son:
She (his wife) has put on the soiled clothes of impurity; she is, verily, loveliness among women.
Therefore when she has removed the clothes of impurity and appears beautiful, he should approach her and speak to her.
....
If she grants his desire, he should repeat the following mantra:
"With power and glory I give you glory."
Thus they both become glorious.
....
Now, the wife whom he desires with the thought: "May she not conceive" —
after inserting the member in her and joining mouth to mouth, he should inhale and then exhale,
repeating the following mantra:
"With power, with semen, I reclaim the semen from you."
Thus she comes to be without semen.
Now, the wife whom he desires with the thought: "May she conceive" —
after inserting the member in her and joining mouth to mouth, he should inhale and then exhale,
repeating the following mantra:
"With power, with semen, I deposit semen in you."
Thus she verily becomes pregnant.
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