A Query re the development of garbha

[Artur Karp]

Dear Colleagues,

my thanks to All for useful bibliographical pointers on the use of
expressions related to "thickening, congealing, solidifying", such as
kaṭhina, ghana, mūrch - as used in texts describing both the stages of
embryonic development and (as I am informed by my colleague, Dr.
Joanna Jurewicz) the stages of cosmogony.

The Buddhist Aggañña-sutta (DN, XXVII) contains in its description of
the evolution of the universe phrases drawing, it seems, on quite
widespread concepts of cosmogonical process.

"[...] rasā paṭhavī udakasmiṃ samatāni seyyathāpi nāma payaso tattassa
nibbāyamānassa upari santānakaṃ hoti, eva meva kho sā pāturahosi.
[...] Seyyathāpi nāma sampannaṃ vā sappi sampannaṃ vā navanītaṃ [...]"
(6).

"[...] earth with it savour was spread out in the waters. Even as scum
forms on the surface of boiled milky rice that is cooling, so did the
earth appear. [...] Even as well made ghee, or pure butter [...]".
(transl. T.W. and C.A.F. Rhys Davids, Dialogues of the Buddha, Vol.
III, Motilal Banarsidass Publishers, Delhi 2007 [reprint ed.], p. 82)

 Are the comparisons to coagulated milk (santānaka), ghee (sappi) and
fresh butter (navanīta), to be found in the descriptions of embryonic
processes?

Best,

Artur Karp