Why the Scriptures permit getting more children? Is it good or bad?
One of our devotees had commented like this that made me to write this short article:
“More children more resources depletion. Life span is also increased hence more population in this world.. Hare Krishna.”
REPLY:
First I like to tell you that the scriptures permit getting more children through one’s wife, but, the scriptures advise to reduce the mating only to get the children, not for the pleasures.
In the government’s point of view, the population will come down if the family planning schemes are implemented discouraging the people from getting more than one or two children.
But, as per the scriptures, it is not the solution for the prosperity of a country or family.
More population – more young people to work for the country. India has many crores of youth to work, earn and develop the country.
(No Mating or Mating to get devotee children – Which is good for devotee couples? READ HERE!)
We do not do that properly. That is the problem.
China has more population than India. But, its growth is more than that of India. Why?
Because, China made use of its youth power properly. Now it is becoming a super power.
When China implemented “One Family One Child” scheme, its number of youth decreased and the number of elders increased that will be the burden for a country. Less number of youth to take care of the elders and also work for the country.
So, China relaxed the One child rule as two children.
In spite of being the most populated country of the world, China is registering high growth in economy and living standards.
So, more population is not a barrier for the growth; Instead, it helps in the economy.
Let me give you another analysis. When there were no birth control schemes, most of the Indians were getting more children – even 10 children in every family. Even I was the 12th and last child for my parents.
In the 1920’s, ie, when the people got 10-12 children, India’s population was just 30 crores. See, for many centuries, they had been getting 10-12 children. How the population was just 30 crores even after many centuries?
Even after the Birth control schemes were implemented seriously and the people started to get just one or two children, and within one century, it has crossed 140 crores.
Briefly, the population increased slowly for many centuries even without birth control, but, the population increased 4+ times within a single century.
(If everyone follows detachment, How the Population will grow on earth? READ HERE!)
Have you ever thought of this?
The reason is, in those days, similar to the birth rate, the death rate was also high. The people had average life time of just 50-60 years. So, the nature was balancing the birth and death and thereby maintaining the population without increasing more.
Now, because of the advancement in the medicines and medical facilities, the death rate has come down and the people are made to live long beyond the age 70-80.
Now the birth rate and death rate – both have reduced. Because of the low death rate, the population is increasing.
Spiritually speaking, when God sends a child to this planet, He also arranges all the required resources for that child. This is the another reason why the Scriptures permit getting more children.
Today’s problem is, though we reduced the child birth, there are a few rich persons who has the wealth that can be used by many crores of people. So, the resources are available. But, they are owned and stored by a few people abundantly that makes the majority to starve.
(Is Sense Gratification without getting children possible for devotees? READ HERE!)
In the older days, every family had 10-12 children. This ensured that no parent was sent to old age homes because any or all of the 5-6 sons will take care of old parents. And all the families were joint families. So, there was no need for having any arrangement for the parents and children. All the 20-25 people lived together even after marriage. So, if a son happens to be unemployed, they too survived. If the marriage of a girl fails, that girl too could live with her parents and brothers in that big family.
Now, let us see why the scriptures did not prohibit getting more children.
When a parent do not have any child, they have to face all their pending karma on their own.
If they have a single child, that child will share 50% of the karma of the parents. So, the parents have to bear only 50% of their karma.
If they have two children, those children will share about 66% of the karma of the parents. So, the parents have to bear only about 33-34% of their karma.
If they have three children, those children will share about 75% of the karma of the parents. So, the parents have to bear only about 25% of their karma.
If they have four children, those children will share about 80% of the karma of the parents. So, the parents have to bear only about 20% of their karma.
If they have five children, those children will share about 83% of the karma of the parents. So, the parents have to bear only about 17% of their karma.
If they have six children, those children will share about 86% of the karma of the parents. So, the parents have to bear only about 14% of their karma.
If they have seven children, those children will share about 87.5% of the karma of the parents. So, the parents have to bear only about 12.5% of their karma.
(Grahastha Rule of ONLY ONCE A MONTH relations and Childlessness! – A Case Study! READ HERE!)
If they have eight children, those children will share about 89% of the karma of the parents. So, the parents have to bear only about 11% of their karma.
If they have nine children, those children will share about 90% of the karma of the parents. So, the parents have to bear only about 10% of their karma.
If they have ten children, those children will share about 91% of the karma of the parents. So, the parents have to bear only about 9% of their karma.
If they have eleven children, those children will share about 91.7% of the karma of the parents. So, the parents have to bear only about 8.3% of their karma.
If they have twelve children, those children will share about 92.3% of the karma of the parents. So, the parents have to bear only about 7.7% of their karma.
(Is it right for a Devotee Couple Avoiding Children for economic reasons? READ HERE!)
THUS, MORE CHILDREN – MORE REDUCTION OF KARMA FOR THE PARENTS AND EVERY CHILD TOO.
You would have heard that the karma of the parents pass to the children and affect them. The above calculations are based on that concept only.
This is the major secret of karma concept.
So, those days, the families were happier than today’s families because many children shared the karma of the family together and every child had the share of just a few percentage of karma derived from the parents. More children – less share of karma for each child.
Now a days, every parent has just one or two children. So, more karma for both the parents and the children. 50-50 (or) 34-66 like that.
Since getting children by mating only with the spouse is not sinful and at the same time helps the parents to share their karma, the Scriptures permit getting more children.
(Is it compulsory to avoid physical relations not for child after initiation? READ HERE!)
Even in my big family none of us is starving. Krishna is supplying their needs. And, my parents were taken care by us till their death. I am the 12th (last child) of my family and 4 died in the childhood and in adult age. One died a few years ago. Now, 7 only live. All the children and parents lived together as a joint family that were golden days in my life. No worries, no burdens for a single person and all were shared. Wow. Those periods have gone. Now, every person in this world is leading artificial lives facing all the burdens as singles or single families. So, more sufferings.
When births increase, deaths will also increase that will balance the population. In the past when the people were getting 10-12 children, the deaths were also high. About one third of the children would die in the childhood or after a certain age. The remaining children will take care of their parents and family running.
However, now a days, it is the choice of the parents to get just one or two children because the cost of education and maintenance has heavily increased.
Even these one or two children live very long. So, less deaths. So, increase in population.
Hope this write up has cleared your doubt Why the Scriptures permit getting more children.
(Why the scriptures prohibit preventing or aborting the child? READ HERE!)